Friends of Raleigh Park Chair’s Report 2017

Wild Oxfordwas launched at our last AGM, and has made a lot of difference. Particular thanks are due to Andy Gunn, our main contact with BBOWT, who has coordinating the manual work around the Park, and made an active contribution to committee meetings, and to Julian Cooper who has maintained OCC’s commitment to improving Park habitats.

Cattle were grazed in the Park between May and August, and seem to have been less obtrusive. First impressions were that smaller Dexter cattle had been used, possibly with larger animals brought in later in the season. We are still waiting for details of current and future grazing contracts from Oxford City Council. With or without the cattle the extensive mowing carried out by Oxford City Council has contributed to a resurgence of wild flowers at the expense of mares tail, and the whole Park is more open and inviting, with the views over Oxford much clearer.

The Boxing Day walk tradition continues, fuelled with mulled wine and cake, and this year included some improvised guided walks. We are glad to see that families, schoolchildren and dogwalkers continue to use the Park freely, despite the concerns raised by the serious assault last January.

The Friends of Raleigh Park have been involved in discussion of planning issues, as the top of Yarnells Hill to the North of the Park has become a development hotspot. The most recent plan is for 5 houses on land owned by the Warburg family adjoining the Park. It is not yet clear how much of an intrusion the houses would be, but the most positive feature is that issues of the effects of development on the park and its wildlife and hydrology have been taken very seriously, with FRP and BBOWT at last added to the list of normal consultees. The developers have suggested that an areas on the border of the park might be managed as part of the Park or even transferred to OCC, with full involvement of the Friends. Most recently the Vale’s Tree Officer has put a tree preservation order on 16 trees and a patch of woodland in the area intended for development, which should at least constrain the developers.

We have had some requests for permission to plant memorial trees in the Park, and are developing a dialogue with OCC to set up the best way of planning and supporting any new plantings.

I am sad to announce the retirement of David Browning as Treasurer. David was a founding member of the Friends, taking a full part in the heroic labours of the first summer, and has ably managed theFriends’ accounts, as well as being our link to the Forest school and hosting many committee meetings. We are deeply grateful for his commitment over theyears.

We have been updating Colin Hayes’s maps of the Park, to take account of recent changes in the treescape, and have digitised the maps for easier editing. We hope to be able to publish them in the form of a booklet, as well as maintaining them on the website.

I am happy to announce a donation of £100 from Merton College, where Sir Water Raleigh was a Professorial Fellow; it will be used in due course to help find the map booklet and the signage for which BBOWT are seeking substantial funding.

Treasurer’s Report

Accounts at 31 August 2017
balance at 31.8.16 / £291.74
Income / £ / Expenditure / £
memberships (14) / 70.00 / web site costs / 24.96
donation (Merton College) / 100.00 / room hire 2016-17 / 50.00
room hire AGM 2017 / 25.00
total income / 170.00 / total expenditure / 99.96
excess of income over expenditure / 70.04
Balance at 31.8.2017 / £361.78