Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Deputy Alastair Moss, Sophie Anne Fernandes, Alderman Gregory Jones, Alderman Vincent Keaveny, Olive Lodge, James de Sausmarez and Deputy James Thompson.

James de Sausmarez declared an interest in agenda items 6a) and 6b) – St Paul’s Cathedral – by virtue of being a member of St Paul’s Council.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on  24 October 2017.

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2017 be approved as a correct record subject to the following amendments:

Matters Arising – 6-8 Bishopsgate and 150 Leadenhall Street.

A Member had previously queried the wording in resolutions that the "The Mayor of London be given 14 days’ and thought that there had been agreement that this would be corrected going forward. However resolution 7a still used the old terminology.

It was agreed that going forwards the wording be changed to "That, subject to any powers that the Mayor of London may exercise under......", and then the first recommendation could be removed.

Blocked Pavements
A member stated that the point previously made was that the signs should not have been there at all not that they were there early an asked that this be changed.

Matters Arising

Death of a Pedestrian at Ludgate Circus

The Committee was advised that officers had met with TfL and a letter would also be going from the Chairman requesting that urgent action be taken.

Cycle Hire Scheme

The Committee was advised that the issue had been raised with Surface Transport and officers were working with them to find a solution.

Report of the City Planning Officer relative to development and advertisement applications dealt with under delegated authority.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director in respect of development and advertising applications determined by the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director or those so authorised under their delegated powers since the last meeting.

RESOLVED - That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director detailing valid development applications received by the Department of the Built Environment since the last meeting.

RESOLVED - That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the CPO in relation to the installation of a permanent, equal, step free access between the North Transept of St. Paul's Cathedral and the North Churchyard to replace the existing single temporary ramp.

The Committee was advised that the proposal had been assessed in accordance with the relevant statutory duties, the development plan and other relevant policies, and would result in less than substantial harm to the special architectural or historic interest of the Cathedral. The harm was outweighed by the public benefits of the proposal to provide equal access for the greatest number of people with a minimal and visual impact.

The Chairman told officers that the site visit had been arranged at too short notice and advised members that going forwards he would be establishing a fixed date and time for these before each meeting.

In response to a question concerning why the papers did not include an image of the proposal and only gave the existing situation, the CPO advised that it was the City’s practice to only include images of the existing situation. The proposed image was not included as a limited view of the proposal could be seen as giving an impartial picture of the proposal which could give rise to a challenge.

Members raised a number of questions in relation to the proposed design and sought clarification on the term ‘less than substantial harm’ which they felt gave no acknowledgement of any actual harm to the building and conservation area.

In response to a question concerning why a more substantial temporary ramp could not be installed instead, the CPO advised that the proposal was fully reversible with no risk of damage to the building.

Arising from the discussion the application was put to the vote, the result of

The Committee received a report of the CPO in relation to the listed building consent for the relocation of the west gate to the North Churchyard to the north within the existing wall and historic Grade I Listed Churchyard railings, alterations to existing gates and railings.

RESOLVED – That listed building consent be granted for the works referred to in the report in accordance with the details set out on the attached schedule.

This item was withdrawn.

The Committee received a report concerning the Barbican and Golden Lane proposed conservation area, the assessment for which had been undertaken at the request of the Barbican and Golden Lane Estates Residents’ Associations Committee and approved by the Committee in May 2017.

The report set out the results of the assessment which were that two parts of the proposed conservation area would meet the criteria for conservation area designation, i.e. the Barbican Estate and the Golden Lane Estate. The remainder of the proposed area did not meet the criteria, with the exception of Brewery Conservation Area, where no changes were proposed and it would remain a conservation area in its own right.

The CPO referred Members to a late representation from Fred Rodgers, Chair of the Bernard Morgan Liasion Group which had been circulated electronically and tabled.

Debate ensued and several Members expressed the view that it was wrong to exclude Zone 2 which they considered was a critical part of the estate and should be included in the consultation.

Other Members considered that it would be wrong to include the area given that future planning applications would be affected, and also that it would be wrong to seek the views of people who wouldn’t be affected.

William Upton proposed an AMENDMENT to the recommendation to include Zone 2 as part of the consultation and this was SECONDED BY Randall Anderson.

The amendment was put to the vote, the result of which was as follows:

FOR – 11

AGAINST – 14

The amendment was lost.

The Committee then voted on the substantive recommendation, the result of which was as follows:

FOR – 23

AGAINST – 0

ABSTENTIONS - 2

RESOLVED – to authorise that public consultation  be carried out on the proposals for the two new conservation areas as detailed

The Committee received a report concerning the draft consultation for the draft ‘Culture Mile Look and Feel Strategy’ which aimed to produce a clear and demonstrable direction to the City’s ambitions for the public realm in Culture Mile and set out how to deliver change in the area in the most efficient and coordinated manner.

RESOLVED - That the draft Culture Mile Look and Feel Strategy be publically consulted upon in November, December and January 2017, and a final version brought back to members for adoption, incorporating the feedback received.

The Committee received a report concerning the Scheme of Delegations and the minor modifications to legislation and responsibilities that had taken place in relation to Planning and Transportation.

RESOLVED – To approve the new and updated delegations as set out in the updated Scheme of Delegations at Appendix A of the report for onward approval by the Court of Common Council.

Members considered a Gateway 1 & 2 Project Proposal report of the Director of the Built

Environment regarding the Thames Court Footbridge which had previously been considered by the Projects Sub-Committee.

The Chairman read out the decision of the Sub-Committee who, despite giving authority to the Town Clerk to approve the Gateway process, had asked that the level of fees quoted by the contractor be first reviewed and challenged and reduced if possible.

Several members expressed frustration at the apparent lack of progress in reopening the Bridge and urged officers to expediate matters as soon as possible.

The Director of the Built Environment advised that officers were moving as fast as they could however the views of Projects Sub-Committee could not be ignored and were just intended to keep costs down as opposed to delaying the process.

RESOLVED – That the report and views of the Projects Sub-Committee be noted.

Report of the Chamberlain

The Committee received the annual on-street parking accounts 2016/17 which were required to be reported to the Mayor for London.

Members noted the following:

-       The surplus arising from on-street parking activities in 2016/17 was £6.313m;

a total of £3.421m, was applied in 2016/17 to fund approved projects; and

-       The surplus remaining on the On-Street Parking Reserve at 31st March 2017 was £20.121m, which would be wholly allocated towards the funding of various highway improvements and other projects over the medium term.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be noted before submission to the Mayor for London.

Questions from Mark Bostock in relation to Bernard Morgan House

I would like the Committee to have an Update on the BMH application 16/00590/FULL and specifically the legal action. Is CoL defending the action?

An application for leave to Judicially Review the planning permission has been made on a number of grounds. The City will be filing Grounds of Resistance against all the grounds and this is likely to be later this week.

What is the amount of compensation the CoL will be claiming for the loss of legal rights of light to Bowater house? How much of this will be paid to the lessees and tenants there?

The Planning and Transportation committee does not have within its remit the ownership and management of Bowater house or of compensation in relation to its ownership. However the city surveyor has undertaken to respond to Mr Bostock in writing and this will be circulated to all Committee Members.

If it is still the case that the demolition may begin before the Hatching Dragons nursery has been relocated, does the CoL accept full responsibility for any death or injury occurring as a result?

Arrangements relating to the nursery are being made in full liaison with the nursery and it would not be appropriate for the city to accept liability.

With regard to the Demolition Method Statement, and in view of both the Mayor’s new T charge and the creation of the Barbican area LEN, can officers please assure local residents and school children that only the lowest polluting engines will be used in both wagons and on-site machinery? Also can officers ensure that all possible best practices to reduce pollution on site will be adopted?

The commitment within the Demolition Method Statement is for full compliance with the new 8^th Edition

There were no items of urgent business.

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 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 Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2017.

RESOLVED - That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2017 be approved as a correct record subject to the following amendments:

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk in relation to decisions taken under urgency procedures.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

There were no non-public questions.

There were no items of non-public urgent business.

The Committee received a presentation from Ender, one of the leading climate consultants in the UK and consultant to the CoL, which provided an overview of the City’s work on refining its approach to wind impacts from developments.