Agenda item

Grenfell Tower

William Upton asked a question of the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee regarding the speed and nature of the response and the City Corporation’s involvement to the tragic events at Grenfell Tower.

Responding, the Chairman noted that a Public Inquiry would be looking into the response, adding that, whilst the City Corporation did not have any direct involvement in the process at this point in time, it would be monitoring developments and learning emerging from the Inquiry. She also advised that the Greater London Authority’s London Resilience Team were currently in the process of carrying out multi-agency debriefs and that the City Corporation would seek to use their report to help identify local learning which might be adopted and implemented.

In response to a supplementary question from William Upton, the Chairman explained that, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, the City Corporation had undertaken a comprehensive review of processes and procedures relating to fire safety across all its residential properties. As a consequence of this activity, a programme of fire safety improvement works was being implemented across the entirety of the residential portfolio, with progress reports being provided to the Community and Children’s Services Committee on a regular basis. The Chairman also made reference to additional learning which had been taken on board through London Councils, with their Leaders’ Committee having identified various learning points which had been communicated back to officers.

Public Realm Enhancements

Alderman Michael Mainelli asked a question of the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee concerning improvements being made to the public realm.

Replying, the Chairman outlined the positive work undertaken in recent years to improve the public realm across the City, improving pedestrian access, inclusivity and safety. He added that this activity was primarily managed through the City of London Local Plan, which had facilitated the enhancement of existing upper-level walkways, encouraged the creation of roof gardens and viewing galleries and, ultimately, had led to the creation of new open spaces such as Aldgate Square, new spaces and City walkways at London Wall Place, and new public roof gardens such as at 20 Fenchurch Street. The Chairman advised that the Local Plan was currently being reviewed with a view to making further improvements, including the accommodation of increasing pedestrian flows and ensuring public safety. Various other complementary strategies or policies were also being developed, such as the Eastern Cluster Area Strategy and the Transport Strategy, as part of a cohesive approach to creating safer and more pleasant streets and a better-connected City.

In response to a supplementary question from Alderman Michael Mainelli relating to the expected increase in pedestrian numbers as a result of Crossrail, the Chairman explained that the City Corporation was doing all it could to prepare for the influx of people. The Public Realm programme would play a part in this, but the City Corporation would need to be innovative in its ideas, with the Chairman citing timed road closures as an example of the sorts of measures which could be put in place.

Responding to a question from Deputy Brian Mooney, the Chairman observed that maintaining access for all modes of transportation would be vital for the City to retain its position as the world-leading business city, noting the importance of vehicular traffic in servicing buildings and development.

John Fletcher recalled the success of night-time deliveries during the London Olympics, asking what progress had been made to build on that legacy. The Chairman agreed the timed deliveries during the Olympics had proven successful and advised that he would ask officers to consider whether there was scope to re-introduce this.

Road Closures

Hugh Morris asked a question of the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee concerning the road closures and traffic congestion within the City.

The Chairman, replying, advised that the level of building construction taking place within the City had placed increasing demands on the City’s highway network. Furthermore, works were being undertaken across the City by Transport for London (TfL), Thames Tideway, Crossrail, and various utility companies, all of which resulted in road closures, requiring the City Corporation to take action to reduce their impact on congestion. The Chairman outlined the work taking place in an effort to keep the network as clear as possible and advised that the City’s draft Transport Strategy would set the agenda for how the City’s streets would change and adapt over the next 20 years.

Responding to a supplementary question from Hugh Morris the Chairman advised that, although officers did their utmost to provide strategies to limit traffic congestion, it was clear there were no easy answers and that some solutions might well have traffic implications for other roads. He advised that he would challenge officers to consider further what measures could be introduced to ease congestion, particularly in relation to Threadneedle Street.

Replying to a question from Ruby Sayed, the Chairman agreed that it was frustrating to witness traffic congestion being caused by vehicles parked in loading bays which did not appear to be loading or unloading at that point in time. He explained that vehicles parked in these zones were permitted to remain there for 40 minutes, which was a London-wide protocol, but advised that he had asked officers to explore whether this time period could be significantly reduced in the City. The Chairman added that he was also continuing discussions with officers to ask that those parked illegally be issued tickets immediately by enforcement officers.

A question was asked by Sylvia Moys concerning the impact caused by road closures associated with works by utilities companies to repair ageing infrastructure. The Chairman confirmed that, whilst inconvenient, as this was a public health matter there was no other choice but to close the roads to allow the works to take place. The Chairman explained that he was working to address this issue by urging utilities companies to undertake comprehensive replacement of outdated infrastructure when making repairs, rather than simply performing quick fixes. This would minimise the frequency with which the same roads were closed to facilitate repeated short-term repairs, instead delivering a long-term solution.

In response to a question from Deputy Roger Chadwick, the Chairman undertook to provide all Members with information setting out the rationale behind the various current road closures, alongside a summary of the works currently taking place.