IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): COL/CC/HWJ
Held at: London Metropolitan Archives
Title: COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL: HIGHGATE WOOD JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
Date(s): 1974-1988
Level of description: sub-fonds
Extent: 0.05 linear metres
Name of creator(s): Corporation of London
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.
Highgate Wood was part of the manor of the Bishop of London. In 1886 the Corporation of London bought 70 acres to be opened as a public park. Because some of the open spaces were originally purchased with money out of the Corporation's corn duty funds, the Corporation's foremost finance committee, the Coal, Corn and Finance (later the Coal, Corn and Rates Finance) Committee, had an interest in such open spaces from the beginning until 1966. It was therefore this committee which originally managed most of the Corporation's open spaces outside the City. From 1 September 1966 responsibility for those open spaces was transferred to the Epping Forest Committee, which was thence renamed the Epping Forest and Open Spaces Committee. The Highgate Wood Joint Consultative Committee is a sub-committee of the Epping Forest and Open Spaces Committee.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Minutes of the Highgate Wood Joint Consultative Committee, Court of Common Council, 1974-1988. Please note these minutes are closed until 2019.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
One volume.
Conditions governing access:
Not available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright City of London.
Physical characteristics:
Fit
Finding aids:
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Corporation of London Records Office.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
For Corporation of London records relating to open spaces, parks, forests and gardens, see: CLA/077: Epping Forest, CLA/078: Open Spaces, COL/CC/BFC: Bunhill Fields Committee, COL/CC/CCF: Coal, Corn and Finance Committee, COL/CC/CCR: Coal, Corn and Rates Finance Committee, COL/CC/EFC: Epping Forest and Open Spaces Committee, COL/CC/HHM: Hampstead Heath Management Committee, COL/CC/HWJ: Highgate Wood Joint Consultative Committee, COL/CC/MGC: Metage on Grain Committee, COL/CC/WHP: Committee of Managers of West Ham Park, and see COL/CCS/PL, COL/PL, COL/PLD/PL and COL/SVD/PL for plans and maps.
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Date(s) of descriptions: February 2009