Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk.

The list of outstanding references was noted.

Barbican Highwalk CCTV

The Committee conducted a detailed discussion of the issue of provision of CCTV on the Barbican Highwalk. It was noted that this Committee needed to consider this issue from a public safety perspective. There were significant public safety concerns regarding the Highwalk in the wake of a number of recent incidents, and the Highwalk was a public highway and therefore the responsibility of the City as a whole to ensure that it was made safe for the public, rather than being solely the responsibility of the Barbican Centre. It was also noted that the Highwalk was the largest area of the City without significant CCTV coverage. However, it was also noted that it was vital that the City took a consistent approach to public safety at all residential estates across the City and should not be seen to be providing preferential treatment to the Barbican Estate.

Members discussed proposals to ensure that there was CCTV coverage at all entrances and exits to the Highwalk. It was also noted that there was currently a development application for the property at 21 Moorfields, which was ideally placed to provide CCTV coverage of an entrance to the Highwalk. The Committee therefore discussed and resolved that a resolution should be put to the Planning and Transportation Committee that:

“The Police Committee requests that the Planning and Transportation Committee, during their consideration of the development application in relation to 20 Moorfields, gives consideration to including a planning condition such that any planning consent which may be granted is contingent upon the development providing sufficient CCTV coverage of the nearby entrances to the Barbican Highwalk on the grounds that this would have a significant benefit to public safety.”

The Assistant Director of Street Scene and Strategy explained that this issue had evolved into a significant area of work and it was intended that a full investigation of the issues would be undertaken, including consultation with residents, with the intention to present a proposed solution to the Committee at its meeting in March 2015.

Equality, Diversity and Human Rights – Eid event

Members discussed the recent event to celebrate Eid and asked how the guest list had been compiled as it did not appear that the invitation list was exactly as would have been desired. The Commissioner explained that this had been arranged in cooperation with the Remembrancer’s Department, but in future the process for arranging this event would be brought in line with that used by Remembrancer’s for all other City events to ensure an appropriate guest list.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

a)    notes the report;

b)    requests that the Planning and Transportation Committee, during their consideration of the development application in relation to 21 Moorfield’s, gives consideration to including a planning condition such that any planning consent which may be granted is contingent upon the development providing sufficient CCTV coverage of the nearby entrances to the Barbican Highwalk on the grounds that this would have a significant benefit to public safety;

c)    requests that a proposed solution for the issue of CCTV coverage of the Barbican Highwalk to guarantee public safety is submitted to the March 2015 meeting of the Committee;