Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Public Meeting (Accessible Remotely) https://youtu.be/stV1sXmq7YI

Contact: Gemma Stokley
tel. no.: 020 7332 3414  Email: gemma.stokley@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

There were no apologies.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

Members' Declarations under the Code of Conduct in respect of items on the agenda

Minutes:

There were no declarations.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 330 KB

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 14 May 2020.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the public minutes and non-public summary of the virtual meeting held on 14 May 2020 and approved them as a correct record.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Tower Bridge Service Trenches Refurbishment - Gateway 3/4 - Options Appraisal (Regular) pdf icon PDF 280 KB

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 4.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment regarding Tower Bridge Service Trenches Refurbishment.

 

A Member commented that the Deputy Chairman had recently appeared in the media to explain why Tower Bridge was to be closed for an extended period of time for maintenance work. He therefore questioned why it had not been possible to incorporate this particular piece of work into this closure and what the anticipated timing of this work would be. Officers reported that as much additional work as possible was carried out during the recent closure however, it had not been possible to negotiate an extension to that period to also allow for these works to be carried out. Members were informed that it may be possible to carry out these works without any additional complete closures, using just pedestrian footway closures and ensuring as minimal an impact as possible. The works were being brought forward at the present time as a risk mitigation to the much bigger replacement project.

 

Another Member referred to the paragraph on risk within the report, noting that the principle risk to the project was the condition of the current frameworks. He questioned how long this risk would take to assess and whether, if it was concluded that some of the existing frameworks are not sufficient, other options would be looked at. Officers commented that whilst this was the greatest risk to the project, it was felt that it was unlikely but could not be entirely discounted. Some investigations had already been carried out and further investigations, particularly around asbestos, would allow for more areas to be opened up and for this to be considered further. Members were informed that, if this risk were to materialise, the solution would be to replace the channel section entirely.

 

The

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Department of the Built Environment Risk Management - Quarterly Report pdf icon PDF 101 KB

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 5.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee discussed a report of the Director of the Built Environment which provided Members with assurance that risk management procedures in place within the Department of the Built Environment are satisfactory and that they meet the requirements of the corporate Risk Management Framework.

 

Officers presented the report by drawing Members attention to significant risk changes, detailed within paragraph 12 of the report, of which there were two. One was an actual change to the risk score in relation to major projects and key programmes which had increased for the second time and the other (not being alive to the needs/requirements of the world business centre and the political environment) had not increased sufficiently to change the risk score but had, nonetheless, increased in terms of likelihood as a result of the current pandemic.

 

Officers also referred to the identification of new risks, particularly those related to COVID-19. Members were informed that three Bronze groups had been established – two reporting to this Committee and one reporting to Port Health and Environmental Services Committee. Each Bronze Group has a risk and two higher, departmental level risks had been identified. These were, unusually, being reported to both Committees because it was not felt that it was possible to sufficiently separate out the issues between the two. The two bronze risks relating to this Committee – Highways and Parking Enforcement and Development and Construction were detailed further in Appendix 3.

 

Finally, Officers reported that the highest level risk – Road Safety – had been reviewed.

 

The Chair asked that Members try to focus questions around how the risks were controlled and managed as opposed to the subject matter of individual risks given that these were so far ranging.

 

A Member remarked that Officers had commented on the way that some of the

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

CITY STREETS: TRANSPORTATION RESPONSE TO SUPPORT COVID-19 RECOVERY - PHASE 2 pdf icon PDF 521 KB

Report of the Director of the Built Environment (TO FOLLOW).

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a late, separately circulated report of the Director of the Built Environment regarding City Streets and Phase 2 of the Transportation response to support COVID-19 recovery.

 

Officers introduced the report and explained that work was moving at pace in response to an evolving situation. They explained that this report set out proposals for the second phase of measures to facilitate social distancing on the City’s streets, to ensure that residents, workers and visitors are safe when travelling in the City and support businesses as staff return to workplaces. These proposals built on the first Phase approved at the last meeting of this Committee, to create a network that connects rail and underground stations and key destinations within the Square Mile. The changes were to be temporary and could be adapted if required and as circumstances changed. Proposals also took into account the need to maintain access for disabled street users and those with mobility impairments. Members were informed that analysis for Phase 2 was now underway and that Officers would seek to minimise impacts to all groups with protected characteristics and the recommendations from that analysis would inform the detailed design of these proposals. Officers added that they were also continuing to liaise with the City of London Access Group on these proposals and would be gathering feedback from the public once changes had been implemented and this would allow adjustments to be made if necessary. Because of the pace required on this work, delegated authority was also sought at this stage to approve the detailed design and delivery of Phase 1. Members were reminded that these proposed interventions were in line with the longer term objectives of the Transport Strategy and that the temporary changes delivered by this programme of works would be monitored and feedback

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Questions on matters relating to the work of the committee

Minutes:

Changes to the Congestion Charge

A Member commented on forthcoming changes to the congestion charge in response to current circumstances and proposals to extend the costs and hours of the charge (to £15 from 7am-10pm) and to make these applicable for seven days per week as of 22 June 2020. He questioned what influence the City Corporation were able to have on the final form of these proposals and whether the organisation had made any representations on these. He went on to highlight how the changes would penalise night-time deliveries and the night-time economy in the City – something which Spitalfields had already commented on. Furthermore, churches had raised deep concerns around the effect that charges on a Sunday were likely to have on those wishing to travel from outside of the City to attend and currently being discouraged to use public transport. He concluded by stating that the changes did not appear to have been properly consulted upon or justified and that he felt that, if the organisation did have the ability to influence outcomes, then they should seek to do so and feed in some constructive comments around the proposals.

 

Officers reported that they believed that the City Corporation had made some representations around the need for exemptions for careworkers but that no representation had been made from City Transportation on the proposed changes. It was highlighted that these changes were proposed and that they were part of the settlement that central Government agreed with TfL and the Mayor of London as part of the recent ‘bailout’ of TfL. They went on to clarify that the deadline for any comments around the changes was 4 June 2020 and highlighted that individuals were able to submit comments on these via the TfL public website. As with the measures being

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Any other Business that the Chairman considers urgent

Minutes:

There were no additional, urgent items of business for consideration.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Exclusion of the Public

MOTION – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 9.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 

            Item No(s).                                                                 Paragraph No(s).

                 10                                                                                       3

               11-12                                                                                    -

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Non-public minutes

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2020.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 10.

Minutes:

The Committee considered and approved the non-public minutes of the virtual meeting held on 14 May 2020.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Non-Public questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no questions raised in the non-public session.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Any other business that the Chairman considers urgent and which the committee agrees should be considered whilst the public are excluded

Minutes:

There were no additional, urgent items of business for consideration in the non-public session.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

OUTSTANDING ACTIONS pdf icon PDF 121 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

Minutes:

14.

PUBLIC LIFT REPORT pdf icon PDF 183 KB

Report of the City Surveyor.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Minutes:

15.

TfL Local Implementation Plan funding - Covid-19 impacts pdf icon PDF 100 KB

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Minutes:

16.

DELEGATED DECISIONS OF THE CHIEF PLANNING OFFICER AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 16.

Minutes:

17.

VALID PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 17.

Minutes:

18.

REPORT OF ACTION TAKEN pdf icon PDF 123 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 18.

Minutes: