Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Rooms, 2nd Floor, West Wing, Guildhall

Contact: Sacha Than
tel. no.: 020 7332 3419  Email: sacha.than@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Deputy John Absalom, Caroline Addy, Tijs Broeke, Deputy Kevin Everett, Christopher Hill, Andrew McMurtrie, Adrien Meyers, Deputy Joyce Nash and Deputy Elizabeth Rogula.

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

2.

Members' Declarations under the Code of Conduct in Respect of Items on the Agenda

Minutes:

Vivienne Littlechild declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of Item 7 due to being a resident of the Barbican.

 

The Comptroller and City Solicitor advised that if any member has an interest in land in the City, there is no disclosable pecuniary interest in this agenda item that arises from any such property interest. In this case, any property interest is considered too remote from the subject of the report. Whilst it is a matter for each member to decide, and the City Solicitor can only speak for himself, but as far as he is concerned in his role as Monitoring Officer, he is happy to confirm that he has no expectation of any self-referrals being made by any member due to their participation in this agenda item.

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

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 106 KB

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 25 September 2018.

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

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 25 September 2018 be approved as a correct record.

 

Matters Arising

The Director of Cleansing reported that a meeting had been held with Bloomberg to discuss the issue of littering as raised at the previous meeting, however there had been difficulty confirming a further meeting, but he hoped this would take place soon. Officers have been monitoring the area and he believed that things have improved.

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

4.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 64 KB

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 8 November 2018.

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

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 8 November 2018 be approved as a correct record.

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

5.

Outstanding Actions pdf icon PDF 54 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

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

Minutes:

The Committee received the current list of outstanding actions.

 

Noise Pollution from the London Underground

The Director of Port Health and Public Protection advised that a report summarising the draft recommendations following measurements and investigations has been submitted to London Underground for consideration. A response is expected by the end of November 2018 and a report with recommendations would be brought before the Committee in January 2019.

 

A Member advised the Committee that a meeting had taken place with residents, Members and the Rt Hon Mark Field MP for the Cities of London and Westminster; following this, Members would continue to raise the issue of noise pollution from the London Underground with the London Assembly Member for the City and Transport for London.

 

A Member referenced section 122 of the Railways Act 1993, querying whether officers were investigating the extent of the statutory defence as discussed at a previous meeting applied in this case. The Director of Port Health and Public Protection explained that this would be addressed within the January report.

 

Electric Vehicle Charging

The Director of Transportation and Public Realm advised that a charging point at Noble Street will be in operation by mid-December 2018. There will be rapid chargers for taxis, as well as standard chargers for general motorists in off-street locations. The department is working with TfL, Hackney Carriages and the taxi industry in general to implement the plan.

 

A Member asked how many charging points were needed and the overall cost, in response the Director of Transportation and Public Realm explained he did not have the exact figures but would circulate an update with this information.

 

Low Emission Neighbourhood (LEN)

The Chairman advised that this item could now be removed from the Outstanding Actions list.

 

S. 101 Agreements

The Director of Port Health and Public

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

6.

City Corporation Modern Slavery Statement pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Report of the Chamberlain.

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Chamberlain concerning the City Corporation Modern Slavery Statement developed in response to the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The report proposes that the City Corporation complies with annual reporting requirements indicated in the Modern Slavery Act on a voluntary basis, to reflect the organisation’s commitment to responsible business principles.

 

One Member asked if the City Corporation had the power to revoke procurements if it was found that modern slavery was present in the supply chain. The Chamberlain advised that a response would be circulated to Members outside of the meeting.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee,

a)    approves the publication of a voluntary Modern Slavery Statement by the City Corporation;

b)    approves the version submitted, including the ‘Modern Slavery Policy’; and

c)    notes and specifically approves the ‘continuous improvement’ sections detailed throughout, which will form the basis of the action plan used to drive progress amongst all relevant departments over the next year.

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

7.

Consultation on Noisy Saturday Construction Work Activities in the City of London pdf icon PDF 142 KB

Report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection.

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection concerning Consultation on Noisy Saturday Construction Work Activities in the City of London.

 

A report was produced which considered possible solutions to the issue of noisy construction work on Saturday mornings. This report addressed a variety of factors to consider, including safety concerns, residents’ needs, the needs of people with disabilities, and legal advice. Legal advice emphasised the need to comply with the requirements of the Equalities Act 2010 and to ensure that any decision did not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. In particular, it was drawn to the Committee’s attention that residents with physical disabilities may be unable to leave their homes and would be more affected by the noise than a person without a physical disability, as they could leave their home to be relieved of the noise. The report proposed limiting noisy works to the hours of 08.00 to 13.00. The Chairman advised Members that the Planning and Transportation Committee had approved the recommendations within the report with the amendment of the hours being changed to 09:00 to 14:00. The Chairman suggested the Port Health and Environmental Services Committee also support this amendment.

 

A Member stated that he had issues with the statistics provided within the report, an issue which he had previously raised at Committee in 2017. He referred to the 725 responses received to the consultation on this matter, 78% of which were attributable to individuals. He questioned whether these individuals were mostly City workers who would therefore not be affected, for the most part, by proposals on noisy Saturday working. The report went on to state that 21% of all responses were from organisations. If a response was, for example, sent in from one organisation, how could this be classed as

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

8.

46th City of London Thames Fishery Research Experiment pdf icon PDF 74 KB

Report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection.

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection concerning the 46th City of London Thames Fishery Research Experiment which details the outcome of the Fishery Research Experiment of Saturday 22 September 2018 on the River Thames in Gravesend.

 

In response to a Member’s query on the involvement of the schools, the Director of Port Health and Public Protection advised that the invitation would be extended to the Academies for the 2019 event.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee,

a)    note the content of the report;

b)    review and approve the grant of £5,460 from the City’s Cash to partially fund the 2019 event; and

c)    approve the 47th City of London Thames Fishery Research Experiment to take place on Saturday 12 October 2019.

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

9.

Garden Waste Recycling Trial on the Barbican Estate pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Report of the Director of Built Environment.

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

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Built Environment concerning the garden waste recycling trial on the Barbican Estate, reporting on the result of the trial which had a low participation from residents and consequently a high cost.

 

A Member advised that the low participation rate may have been related to poor advertising of the trial, and that the trial was carried out during summer, rather than another time of year when there would be more garden waste.

 

The Chairman requested a further report at a future meeting following progress with the new cleansing contract. The Director for Built Environment advised that the new contract would start in April 2019, so future reports would reflect the transition from the terminating contract to the new contract.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee does not continue with the separate collection of Garden Waste, as the cost is extremely high (£1,300/tonne) and the quantities collected have had a minimal impact on the City’s recycling rate. The issue will be revisited as soon as it is reasonably practical after the new Waste Collection, Street Cleansing and Ancillary Services contract has been mobilised as the new contract may offer alternative options which may reduce the overall costs to make the provision of a garden waste service more attractive.

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

10.

Update on the impact of the UK leaving the EU (Brexit) on Port Health & Public Protection pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection.

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection which provided an update on the impact of the UK leaving the EU (Brexit) on Port Health and Public Protection (PH&PP). The report outlined the implications of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit on the PH&PP and provided an update on representations made by PH&PP to Government and relevant agencies.

 

The Director of Port Health and Public Protection provided an update on information contained within the report advising that since publication of the papers, the draft agreement had been agreed by the European Union with a vote to take place in Parliament on 11 December 2018 and if this was agreed, the UK would remain part of the customs union for the duration of the implementation period. The Director noted there was continued uncertainty on what deal might be made and officers were continuing to prepare for different scenarios.

 

In response to a Member’s question, the Director of Port Health and Public Protection advised that the throughput at the Ports continued to increase, and as of September 2018, the Port had already exceeded 2017’s total level of throughput.

 

The Director advised that within the City of London Corporation, the Town Clerk has convened a weekly working group with Chief Officers specifically on Brexit and updates would continue to be provided to Committee. The Chairman advised the Committee that subject to Court approval, the Finance Committee had granted a £2M contingency fund to address the financial risks of Brexit.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report and its contents.

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

11.

Banksy Artwork - Barbican Exhibition Halls pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Joint report of the Managing Director, Barbican Centre, Director of Built Environment and the Town Clerk.

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

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Director of Built Environment and the Assistant Town Clerk & Culture Mile Director regarding Banksy Artwork at the Barbican Exhibition Halls. The report addresses the two pieces of Banksy artwork which have appeared, how they have been maintained, the public reception, associated reputation risks to the City of London Corporation, and proposes a solution for the medium-term future.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report and its contents.

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

12.

Questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no questions.

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

13.

Any other business that the Chairman considers urgent

Any items of business that the Chairman may decide are urgent.

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

Minutes:

The Chairman drew the Committee’s attention to a recent article in the Evening Standard pertaining to the “filthiest” restaurants and boroughs in London with regards to hygiene ratings posted on the doors and asked officers for an update.

 

The Director of Port Health and Public Protection advised that the City had been omitted from the article, noting that  75% of restaurants within the City have a 5-star rating for hygiene, and only 4% have 2-stars or less. A statement has been sent to the Evening Standard from the City of London Corporation.

 

The Director of Port Health and Public Protection advised that the City of London Corporation supports the Food Standards Agency in making it mandatory for restaurants to display hygiene ratings. This issue will be addressed further once more lobbying has been carried out.

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

14.

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 14.

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

Paragraph

15

3, 5, 7

16

3, 4

17

3, 5, 7

18

3

19

3

 

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

15.

Non-Public Minutes

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2018.

 

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

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 25 September 2018 were approved as a correct record.

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

16.

Non-public minutes

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2018.

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

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 8 November 2018 were approved as a correct record.

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

17.

Debtors - Port Health and Environmental Services Period Ending 30 September 2018

Joint report of the Director of the Built Environment, Director of Markets and Consumer Protection, and Director of Open Spaces.

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

Minutes:

The Committee received a joint report of the Director of Built Environment, Director of Markets and Consumer Protection and Director of Open Spaces concerning debtors.

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

18.

Walbrook Wharf offices

Joint report of the Director of The Built Environment, and Director of Markets and Consumer Protection.

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

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Director of Built Environment and Director of Markets and Consumer Protection pertaining to the Walbrook Wharf offices fronting Upper Thames Street.

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

19.

Report of Action Taken

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 19.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk pertaining to decisions taken under urgency powers since the last meeting of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

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

Minutes:

There were no questions.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

21.

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

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.