The City of London Corporation has appointed Colin Buttery as its next Director of Open Spaces. Mr Buttery will take up the post from March, following incumbent Sue Ireland’s retirement in February.

Colin has been the Director of Parks and Deputy Chief Executive for The Royal Parks for the past 12 years and has been involved in conservation land management for over 30 years.

He has worked for the National Trust and Woodland Trust in a range of land management roles and the London boroughs of Bromley and the City of Westminster where he had responsibility for parks, cemeteries, tree management, leisure centres and a range of community facilities.

Colin is an ambassador for environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and a member of the Forestry Commission’s London Region Forest and Woodlands Advisory Committee and the Oak Processionary Moth Advisory Group.

Mr Buttery’s remit will involve managing the protection and conservation of the City of London Corporation’s green spaces in London and south east England. These include Hampstead Heath and two ancient woodlands – Burnham Beeches and Epping Forest. Other green spaces to fall under his remit include Queen’s Park, West Ham Park, the City of London Cemetery & Crematorium, seven ‘City Commons’ on the Surrey/South London border and over 200 smaller ones in the Square Mile.

John Barradell, Town Clerk & Chief Executive at the City of London Corporation, said:

“My colleagues and I are looking forward to working with Colin, who will bring a wealth of experience to this role.

“I would like to express my thanks to Sue Ireland, our retiring Director of Open Spaces, for her successful and diligent leadership over the past nine years.”

Colin Buttery said:

“I am delighted to be taking up this role and I look forward to working with colleagues and communities across London and south east England.

“The City of London Corporation manages a range of nationally important open spaces with outstanding historical ecology for woodland, grassland and other habitats. It also maintains a tradition of the highest horticultural standards. It is the quality of these sites that helps to make London the greatest city in the world.

“These open spaces include a varied range of landscapes, from forests and heaths to woodlands and chalk downlands - as well as lakes, reservoirs and ponds. Each site is unique. I am committed to doing what is right for each of the City’s parks and open spaces.”

The City of London Corporation manages over 11,000 acres of green space in London and south east England - including important wildlife habitats, sites of scientific interest and national nature reserves. They are protected from being built on by special legislation. Its green spaces attract over 23 million visits every year and the Corporation invest over £29m in these sites every year.

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