Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from the Rt Hon The Lord Mayor Alderman Peter Estlin, Alderman Tim Hailes, Deputy Joyce Nash, Graham Packham, and Alderman William Russell.

The Chair, Deputy Catherine McGuinness, declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of item 4 as a Board Member of London & Partners.

To consider minutes as follows:-

The public minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2018 were approved.

The public minutes of the Projects Sub-Committee meeting held on 7 November 2018 were received.

The public minutes of the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee meeting held on 14 November 2018 were received.

Report of the Assistant Town Clerk & Culture Mile Director.

The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Town Clerk & Culture Mile Director presenting the draft Visitor Strategy for 2019/23.

A Member suggested that the City’s filming strategy should be factored into this overall strategy, given its popularity as a filming location. It was also noted that the references to the imminent opening of Crossrail in the strategy would need to be updated to reflect the recently announced delays.

RESOLVED: That the draft City of London Visitor Destination Strategy (2019-2023) as shown in appendix 1 be approved for further consultation, with it noted that Members would be asked to approve a final version in Spring 2019.

Report of the Director of Economic Development.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Economic Development seeking a long-term funding commitment for Heart of the City.

Whilst not disputing the merit and value of the work of Heart of the City, Members expressed caution around making any long-term funding decisions at this particular point in time. Given the context of major funding considerations to be taken in the New Year, it was suggested that a more strategic overview should be taken of long-term spending commitments in their totality, rather than an ad hoc approach of considering individual applications as they arose at this point in time. As these discussions were due to take place in January, following debate it was agreed that funding should be approved for one year only at this stage, with a decision in relation to further funding to be taken in the context of wider discussions in the new year.

In relation to the wider question of long-term funding commitments, a Member observed that any requests should not generally be for periods longer than that of the Medium Term Financial Plan, to ensure that the funding envelope within each period was fully controlled and understood.

RESOLVED: That Members:-

1.      Note Heart of the City’s success in securing a significant amount of in-kind funding and membership fees over the last three years;

2.      Agree one-year funding of £300,000, to be met from City’s Cash;

3.      Agree to consider funding for further years as part of the Medium Term Financial Planning Process.

Report of the Director of Economic Development.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Economic Development proposing continued membership of TheCityUK.

It was noted that the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee would be undertaking a strategic review of membership of think tanks and membership bodies across the piece at its forthcoming away day. Notwithstanding this however, it was agreed that it was important to confirm continued membership of TheCityUK at this point in time.

In relation to the proposed rental contribution, it was agreed that this should be sought through a base budget uplift rather than through the Policy Initiatives Fund, particularly in view of the forthcoming review of multi-year allocations from that Fund.

RESOLVED: That approval be given to:-

1.      The renewal of TheCityUK membership for three further years (2019-22), on the same terms as for the period 2016-19, at a cost of £400,000 to be funded through EDO’s base budget.

2.      A request being made for a base budget uplift from Finance Committee and Resource Allocation Sub Committee of £100,000 for 2019/20 onwards, to fund a rental contribution for TheCityUK.

Report of the Director of Economic Development.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Economic Development in relation to City Corporation representation at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai.

In response to questions it was advised that, whilst one of the Deputy or Vice Chairmen, a past Chairman or a former Lord Mayor would usually be asked to represent the City Corporation at such an event, there were particular circumstances and existing relationships related to Alderman Russell’s proposed attendance in this instance.

RESOLVED: That approval be granted to Alderman William Russell attending the annual Lujiazui Forum on behalf of the City Corporation in June 2019.

Joint Report of the City Surveyor and the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the City Surveyor concerning the potential extension of the Business Improvement District (BID) arrangements for the Cheapside Business Alliance (CBA).

RESOLVED: That Members:-

1.      Note the contents of the report.

2.      Agree to the CBA undertaking a perception analysis of businesses within the footprint of the BID area to determine the appetite for a second BID term.

3.      Agree to CBA developing a draft Business Plan for approval by the City Corporation, should there be a positive response to the perception analysis.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk in relation to the Cabinet Office’s current consultation on proposals to reform the annual canvass for the Electoral Register.

Introducing the report, the Electoral Services Manager informed the Committee that he and the Comptroller & City Solicitor had met with the Cabinet Office in the past week to discuss the implications of the proposals for the City. It had been clarified that there would be no obligation for the City to use the data emerging from these new arrangements as part of the annual canvass and that the City would therefore have the option to continue with its existing processes for updating both the electoral register and ward lists. On this basis, it was suggested that the City Corporation’s response to the consultation should be to agree with the approach being taken by the Cabinet Office.

Responding to Members’ questions, it was clarified that the proposed changes to legislation would be made via Statutory Instrument. Members also expressed concern that the wording of the letters to be sent to residents could cause unnecessary confusion and lead some to fail to realise they needed to register separately. The possibility of developing particular stationery and wording to assist residents and mitigate against this risk was discussed, with the Elections Manager undertaking to explore what could be done.

RESOLVED: That the City Corporation’s response to the Cabinet Office consultation on annual canvass reform be to agree with the proposals.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk, submitted on behalf of the Members’ Diversity Working Party, presenting that Working Party’s proposals in respect of enhancing the diversity of the Court.

The Chair prefaced discussion by extending her gratitude on behalf of the Committee to the Working Party for its diligent and thorough work on this extremely important issue. Several other Members also spoke to thank the Members of the Working Party for the considered and considered manner in which they had progressed this area of work.

The Chairman of the Working Party spoke to introduce the report, observing that there were a large range of proposed measures in front of the Committee to be taken forward. Whilst he understood the desire that some might have to unpick or remove particular items, he urged that support be given to all the proposals as a package, noting that extensive deliberation had determined that these measures together would, in aggregation, achieve a significant and lasting impact.

Whilst appreciating the desire for the various measures to be taken forward in their entirety, several Members spoke to express concerns or reservations in respect of particular items. Other Members spoke to support the recommendations being approved as a package. During discussion, the following points were made:

·      Members clarified that any targets to be set in respect of the Court should be in relation to candidacy only, rather than Members, cautioning that it was for the electorate to determine whom they wished to elect and the City Corporation should not be seen in any way to tell people whom they should vote for. The focus should therefore be on working to ensure that the electorate had a wide and diverse pool of candidates from which to choose.

·      A Member suggested that there should be more

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Communications concerning a strategy on sports engagement.

Members were advised that the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub Committee had considered this paper the previous day and, whilst they had agreed with the recommendations, had also asked the Town Clerk to review where the role should sit at officer level and whether extra funding might be needed for activation of the strategy.

The Resource Allocation Sub-Committee had also considered and approved this report earlier that day.

RESOLVED: That an uplift to the Town Clerk’s annual budget of £80k to fund the additional Corporate Affairs Officer be approved.

Joint report of the Town Clerk, Chamberlain and Remembrancer.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk, Chamberlain and Remembrancer presenting the annual submission of those revenue and capital budgets overseen by the Committee and seeking approval to the provisional revenue budgets for 2019/20, for subsequent submission to the Finance Committee.

RESOLVED: That Members:-

1.     note the latest 2018/19 revenue budget;

2.     approve the budget for submission to the Finance Committee;

3.     authorise the Chamberlain to revise these budgets to allow for further implications arising from any corporate efficiency projects; and

4.     note the draft capital and supplementary revenue budget.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee received a report of the Chamberlain updating on projects and activities that had received Policy Initiatives Funding and funding from the Committee’s contingency for 2018/19.

The Chair observed that a report concerning the issue of multi-year requests for PIF funding was now overdue and urged that this be produced in time for the next meeting.

RESOLVED: That the report be received and its contents noted.

There was one question:

Support for a Second Referendum on Brexit

A Member gave notice that he intended to submit a Motion to the next meeting of the Court, proposing that the City Corporation move to support a second referendum on Brexit. This was in view of the fact that the terms negotiated by the government seemed unlikely to be approved by Parliament, the significant prospective damage to London’s position as an international business centre, and recent soundings from various London bodies and boroughs expressing support for a second referendum.

Ahead of this Motion being submitted, he asked if the Chair would agree to liaise with other London boroughs, the London Assembly and the Mayor of London, to ascertain their views. The Chair agreed to take general soundings, but noted that it might not prove practicable to speak with all the organisations directly ahead the deadline for the submission of Motions.

It was advised that Item 23, Project Funding Update, had erroneously been included on the non-public side of the agenda. This item had been considered by the Resource Allocation Sub-Committee in public session earlier that day and also published in full in public. The item would also need to be considered in public session at this meeting.

Project Funding Update

The Committee considered a report of the Chamberlain requesting the allocation of central funding to allow two projects (City Mental Health Centre and City Wayfinding Signage) to be progressed.

RESOLVED: That:-

1.     The following funds to allow two projects to progress be approved:

a.      Up to £1.444k from the On-Street Parking Reserve towards the cost of installing new City wayfinding signage; and

b.      Up to £455k from the social and community CIL pot to fund adaptation and renovation costs to provide a new City Mental Health Centre.

2.     The potential shortfall in the 2019/20 provisions for new schemes due to the deferral of unfunded projects from the current year be noted. It be noted that the situation would be kept under review and further reported when proposals have been more firmly quantified.

3.     It be noted that there are emerging unfunded projects amounting to significant sums beyond the scope of the provisions for new schemes, and that funding would be considered as part of the medium-term financial planning process to be reported in January.

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.

RESOLVED – That under Section 100A(4) 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 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To consider non-public minutes of meetings as follows:-

The non-public minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on 15 November 2018 were approved.

The draft non-public minutes of the Culture Mile Working Partymeeting held on 3 October 2018 were noted.

The draft non-public minutes of theLighting Up Deputation meeting held on 30 October 2018 were noted.

The non-public minutes of the Projects Sub-Committee meeting held on 7 November 2018 were noted.

The non-public minutes of the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee meeting held on 14 November 2018 were noted.

The minutes of the Members’ Diversity Working Party meeting held on 19 November 2019 were noted.

To consider a resolution of the Markets Committee dated 7 November 2018.

The Committee noted a resolution of the Markets Committee concerning a recent issue in relation to reporting and resourcing levels.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Chamberlain concerning the financing of major projects.

Joint report of the Managing Director, Barbican Centre and the City Surveyor. 

N.B. Appendix 1 is circulated separately in hardcopy. Annexes A-L within Appendix 1 are available for inspection by Members on application to the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered and approved a joint report of the Managing Director (Barbican Centre) and the City Surveyor presenting a business case for the Centre for Music project.

Joint Report of the Town Clerk & Chief Executive and the Chief Grants Officer & Director of the City Bridge Trust.

The Committee considered and approved a joint report of the Town Clerk and the Chief Grants Officer & Director of the City Bridge Trust regarding a strategic review of the Bridge House Estates.

Report of the Director of Economic Development.

Appendix to follow.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Director of Economic Development concerning a proposed Memorandum of Engagement.

Report of the Chamberlain.

This item was considered in public session at Item 15.

Report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Headmistress of the City of London School for Girls seeking approval for a project to expand the School.

Report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee considered a report of the Commissioner of the City of London Police regarding the Action and Know Fraud Centre.

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the City Surveyor proposing the appointment of a Strategic Property Advisor for the Markets Consolidation Programme.

There were no questions.

There were no urgent items.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Town Clerk in relation to the creation of a post.

Report of the Director of Economic Development.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Director of Economic Development regarding work in relation to global competitiveness.