Behind the Scenes

The Trustees of Wimbledon and Putney Commons, the Conservators, are keen to make public more information about what goes on behind the scenes of the running of the Commons.

At their meeting in June 2018, the Conservators therefore undertook to publish the following information:

  • the quarterly number of incidents dealt with by the Mounted Keepers including breaches of the Byelaws;
  • volunteer hours worked across the Commons;
  • dates and locations when Conservators and/or senior staff make formal presentations to Residents’ Associations or other Groups/Societies 
  • visitor feedback (respecting restrictions regarding disclosure of personal information);
  • donations (respecting the right of donors to remain anonymous);
  • numbers of formal complaints received;
  • other information that is deemed appropriate from time to time.  

 

2022/2023

Keepers

The Keepers are highly visible on the Commons as they patrol on horseback.  As well as being able to provide information to the public, a major part of their role is to enforce the Commons' Byelaws and ensure that the Commons remain a safe place for all our visitors.

From April 2022 to June 2022, the Keepers have dealt with the following number of incidents:

  April May June Totals
         
Cyclists 42 37 48 127
Dogs 19 35 21 75
Golf 2 2 4 8
Rough Sleepers 0 3 2 5
BBQs 2 6 8 16
Litter 3 2 0 5
Parking 0 3 3 6
Miscellaneous 33 15 28 76
         
  101 103 114 318

From July 2022 to September 2022, the Keepers have dealt with the following number of incidents:

  July August September Totals
         
Cyclists 38 22 19 79

Dogs

20 1 2 23
Golf 1 1 3 5
Rough Sleepers 2 1 4 7
BBQs 1 2 0 3
Litter 1 0 0 1
Parking 1 4 1 6
Miscellaneous 31 16 11 58
         
  95 47 40 182

From October 2022 to December 2022, the Keepers have dealt with the following number of incidents:

  October November December Totals
         
Cyclists 31 13 7 51
Dogs 12 14 4 30
Golf 11 3 2 16
Rough Sleepers 6 0 3 9
BBQs 0 0 0 0
Litter 2 0 1 3
Parking 4 3 1 8
Miscellaneous 6 2 17 25
         
  72 35 35 142

From January 2023 to March 2022, the Keepers have dealt with the following number of incidents:

  January February March Totals
         
Cyclists 4 9 14 27
Dogs 6 15 7 28
Golf 4 1 3 8
Rough Sleepers 2 0 1 3
BBQs 0 0 0 0
Litter 2 1 0 3
Parking 2 0 2 4
Miscellaneous 13 8 12 33
         
  33 34 39 106

From April 2023 to June 2023, the Keepers have dealt with the following number of incidents:

  April May June Totals
         
Cyclists 29 51 45 125
Dogs 16 13 12 41
Golf 8 5 2 15
Rough Sleepers 0 1 2 3
BBQs 1 2 6 9
Litter 0 0 0 0
Parking 1 2 2 5
Miscellaneous 16 22 27 65
         
  71 96 96 263

From July 2023 to September 2023, the Keepers have dealt with the following number of incidents:

  July August September Totals
         
Cyclists 44 49 42 135
Dogs 7 9 4 20
Golf 6 12 4 22
Rough Sleepers 0 2 3 5
BBQs 1 2 0 3
Litter 0 7 0 7
Parking 4 1 0 5
Miscellaneous 13 32 18 63
         
  75 114 71 260

From October 2023 to December 2023, the Keepers have dealt with the following number of incidents:

  October November December Totals
         
     Cyclists 20 11 7 38
Dogs 11 10 5 26
Golf 4 2 0 6
Rough Sleepers 0 0 0 0
BBQs 0 0 0 0
Litter 0 0 0 0
Parking 0 4 4 8
Miscellaneous 9 12 9 30
         
  44 39 25 108

 

Donations

The following donations have been made between April and June 2022:

Individual donations

£2,225

Monthly donations

£300

Benches

0

Bridge – Putney Lower Common

£8,035

BCB Bridge replacement

£18,750

Friends subscriptions

£1,543

Total income

£30,853

Please note that the total will differ to the accounts, as this table shows total income at point of donation and does not include transaction fee costs for example.

Volunteering

Although the Conservators have a duty to maintain the Commons as "open and unenclosed" and in a "natural state", as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) a certain amount of management is required to ensure the heath and acid grassland remains as it should.  Without intervention, the Commons would soon become a large area of woodland.  Equally as importantly, with the Commons being such a popular area for visitors, we must ensure it is kept as safe as possible.

With such a small team of staff, managing the conservation work on top of the day to day maintenance is challenging.  Over the last three years our Conservation and Engagement Officer has been slowly building up a team of volunteers that help out with various tasks.  Starting with the Saturday morning Scrub Bashers, who help clear scrub from the Heath, Peter now also has an "Estates Team" that help with jobs around the site, perhaps ditch maintenance, painting the stable yard, all things that again help ease the pressure on our Maintenance team.

But there are many other types of volunteering too.  From organised groups from local schools, organisations and companies that come along for a day of team building, to individuals out with a litter stick and a carrier bag; or our wildlife volunteers that help us record the Commons' wildlife and helping out at events.  We are grateful for every single hour that every single volunteer gives so selflessly.

 

Talks and Presentations

The following walks and talks have taken place between April and June 2022:

  • The Chairman gave a brief update on the Commons to the “Murray Road North Residents’ Association” on 16 June 2022

 

The following walks and talks have taken place between October and December 2022:

  • Lauriston Road Residents’ Association AGM, 1 December 2022 - The Chairman gave an update on the Commons covering the history of the Commons, governance, the masterplan and proposed amendments to the levy.