Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk detailing outstanding actions since their last meeting.

Updates were provided as follows:

Ludgate Circus

The Director of the Built Environment updated the Committee on the results of the recent survey at the junction.

He went on to report that a meeting had taken place between TfL, City Corporation Officers and the City of London Police on 15 February 2019 where it was reported that TfL had already put some actions in place based on the results of the survey. Options around further safety improvements were discussed including the use of apps, linked with google maps, for drivers approaching the junction, reducing the overall cycle time for passing through the junction, examining data around the effectiveness of coloured surfacing (such as that in place around Earl’s Court) and enhanced enforcement measures. These options were now to be fully evaluated and costed with a follow up meeting scheduled for 5 March 2019. Members were informed that this would also be the subject of a future report to the Planning and Transportation Committee.

Members were also informed that a meeting was set to take place between the Commissioner of TfL, the Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee and the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee next week where they would also take the opportunity to raise this matter at the highest level.  

The Chairman reminded the Committee that the City Corporation had undertaken the survey of the junction and analysed the results after TfL had refused to do so. He added that he was disappointed in their seeming lack of urgency around this matter.

The Deputy Chairman highlighted that the statistics from the survey clearly demonstrated that this was a dangerous junction for the general public. He added that, whilst it was important to work collaboratively, TfL were the lead authority on this matter. He stated that the options being considered for improving safety here were pioneering and that there was no other junction like this in the UK in terms of usage and the stresses placed upon it. It was therefore essential that Officers got this right and managed expectations in terms of delivery. He concluded by assuring the Committee that the matter was in hand at both Officer and Member level.

A Member commented that he was of the view that the only sensible and serious solution here would be to raise the road creating an island. He added that he appreciated that pedestrianisation of the junction was not possible.

A Member for the Ward in which the junction was situated, stated that he had been pushing this matter for some time now. He stated that the analysis of the survey results clearly demonstrated the seriousness of the situation and asked that details of this be sent to him directly. The Chairman asked that the details reported by Officers in terms of the survey analysis be circulated to all Committee members.  

A Member stated that, given that all deaths at the crossing to date had involved HGVs, he was unclear as to how any of the options proposed would address this specifically.

Another Member referred to the long term project to transform Ludgate Hill/Fleet Street which had been put on hold for some time now. She suggested that this be looked at again as a means of improving and enhancing this whole area in terms of both pedestrian use and traffic flow. The Chairman was supportive of this suggestion. An Alderman referred to recent media reports around plans from Westminster concerning the pedestrianisation of The Strand and noted that this would have implications for any plans the City might have around Fleet Street.

The Director of the Built Environment reported that Officers were aware of initial plans around the pedestrianisation of part of The Strand – between Kings College and Somerset House but that further detail was now awaited from Westminster.

With regard to HGVs, Officers assured Members that they were continuing to work with all construction sites in the City regarding HGV safety and information for drivers. Some of the options being considered at Ludgate Circus, such as 3D road markings and app alerts for those approaching the junction were intended to make traffic aware of the unusual nature of the junction they were approaching and to reduce their speed.

Given the importance of this matter, the Chairman requested that the Director of the Built Environment now take personal oversight of this and continue to report back regularly to Members. 

Committee Tour of the Bloomberg Building

Given that the Tours had now been arranged the Committee requested that this item be removed from the list of Outstanding Actions.

Daylight/Sunlight Training

The Chairman reiterated that this would be organised once the new membership of the Committee had been determined at the April 2019 Court of Common Council meeting.

Finsbury Circus – Closure of Highway to Vehicle Access

The Chairman reported that a resolution would be sent back to the April meeting of the Open Spaces and City Gardens Committee setting out this Committee’s support for their proposals here. It was also noted that this would be the subject of a future report to the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee in terms of the legal requirements around actioning this. The Committee therefore requested that this item be removed from the list of Outstanding Actions as the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee would now continue to pursue.

Illegal Street Traders on the City’s Bridges

Officers reported that Tower Hamlets had now agreed a Section 101 at their meeting on 7 February and that this was now subject to ratification by their legal department. This would give them the power to move on illegal traders to the north side of Tower Bridge.

Members were disappointed with the speed at which Tower Hamlets had addressed this matter and asked that Officers continue to apply pressure here.

In response to questions, Officers confirmed that they believed that the Section 101 powers, once in place, would also cover the peripheral areas of Tower Bridge such as the ramp down to the train station.

Discharge of Fumes on Pavements

A Member requested an update on this matter following a report to the Committee towards the end of 2018. Officers reported that, when this report was considered, the Planning and Transportation Committee had recommended that a new condition around proper maintenance of cooking and ventilation equipment be introduced and that this condition was now being attached to applications where appropriate.

In response to a question regarding enforcement around this issue, Officers reported that this would need to be explored further with Pollution Control Officers before reporting back to Members.

RESOLVED – That the list of outstanding actions be noted and updated accordingly.

**The Chairman left the meeting at this point and the Deputy Chairman took the Chair for the remainder of the meeting **