Agenda item

Provision of lights to cyclists

In the absence of Deputy Alex Deane, who had given notice of a question to the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee concerning a recent cycle safety campaign, the Lord Mayor directed that pursuant to Standing Order 13(3) the question be put by the Town Clerk.

In response, the Chairman provided an outline of the City Corporation’s recent ‘Light Angels’ campaign, which had been a joint initiative with the City of London Police.  This campaign involved the provision of free lights to cyclists and was held on the two evenings after the clocks had gone back, when there were a number of cyclists who were likely to be cycling home at dusk for the first time and who might have forgotten their lights. The aim of the campaign had been to raise awareness of the legal requirement to have lights and strengthen enforcement activity in the wake of this, thereby improving safety for all road users, not just cyclists. The enforcement phase was now in place and those caught offending would be issued with a fixed penalty notice or offered attendance at a full training event, which covered rules for cyclists and provided a range of other training and education to improve their safety and wellbeing.

Electronic Voting

Brian Mooney asked a question of the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee regarding the potential introduction of electronic voting in the City.

In reply, the Chairman echoed the sentiment that e-voting was a logical and welcome next step in increasing democratic participation, but observed the various legal and technical issues that currently barred further progress in this area. Notwithstanding the amendments to primary legislation which would be required, the various technical barriers and cost implications of seeking to develop a secure and standalone system for a comparatively small electorate would be significant.

In response to a supplementary question from Mr Mooney, the Chairman cautioned that to act in isolation as a single local authority would be unwise but added that developments would be monitored and the City would engage with others in this area as and when appropriate.

Mitigation of Disturbance Associated with Development

Alderman Nicholas Anstee asked a question of the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee concerning a proposal to mitigate disturbance caused by developments in the City.

The Chairman thanked the Alderman for his suggestion that Developers be required to secure a levy or provide an undertaking to fund on-site specialist staff, to liaise with the pollution control team and provide an immediate contact for the local community, able to prevent and stop instances of unacceptable behaviour occurring. He expressed support for the principle that those creating noise pay and cited public infrastructure projects in the City, such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel and Bank Station, which had previously funded posts in the Pollution Control team to enable their schemes to focus on better outcomes, with fewer delays. He noted that the Alderman’s proposal could be helpful to developers, as well as businesses and residents which could be disturbed by noise from construction sites, and advised that an investigation would be undertaken to determine how this could be best delivered. He expressed confidence that a way forward could be found which was effective for sites, as well as protecting the City’s environment and minimising disturbance to residents and businesses for the duration of demolition and construction until practical completion.

Deer Culling at Epping Forest

Greg Lawrence asked a question of the Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee regarding the control of deer numbers at Epping Forest.

Responding, the Chairman made reference to recent media coverage relating to the appointment of a new contractor to continue deer population control on the Epping Forest Buffer Lands. He noted that, in the absence of natural predators, the herd which roamed the Forest had grown substantially and the City had for some twenty years operated a policy of using contractors to provide the structured management of its deer population, to ensure that there were a sustainable number of healthy deer for future generations to enjoy. This management was important for maintaining herd health, reducing the impact of deer on woodland biodiversity, curbing crop losses to tenants and neighbours and helping control the number of vehicle collisions with deer on local roads.

Following a full public tender exercise, the City had recently selected a members’ club specialising in sustainable deer hunting to undertake a cull of 160 animals in the first year of a three year contract. This change from professional stalking contractors to a hunting club had caused considerable concern for a number of Forest visitors and, having reflected on this public concern, the decision had been taken to terminate the contract with immediate effect. The Chairman stressed that the members’ club in question had carried out its work professionally and this was a ‘no blame’ contract termination; the Committee would now decide on an alternative way forward for the very real problem of deer population control on the Buffer Lands, with any decision to be made in the best interests of both the ecology of the area and its visitors.