Agenda item

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee received a quarterly report of the Director of the Built Environment regarding the Department of the Built Environment Risk Register.

Officers highlighted that, as detailed within the resolution of the Audit and Risk Management Committee at Item 6, Risk CR20, relating to Road Safety had had its rating increased to 12. The risk was also to be reviewed in its description and would therefore differ from the wording contained within Appendix 2. Members were informed that Summit Group would assess the suitability of the newly proposed description at a meeting scheduled to take place next week and that a ‘deep dive’ of the risk would also take pace on 16 July 2019. The Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee and the Member who had originally moved that the risk be reviewed would be invited to attend and provide input at this session.

A Member noted that it was hoped that the risk rating and score would decrease by half by the end of the year and questioned whether it was intended that this be achieved by decreasing the impact on the risk as Appendix 2 seemed to suggest. He stressed that reducing the likelihood of this risk should be more of a priority. Another Member seconded this view and stressed that he had already raised this with Officers suggesting that the methodology and how this was applied could also be looked at going forward.

Officers reported that, as soon as the risk of death was present as an outcome of a risk, that risk was defined as ‘level 8’ in terms of impact. The risk could therefore never, even if the likelihood of it was rare, be anything lower than an amber risk.

The Chair stated that he was delighted that the Audit and Risk Management Committee had taken on board the views of this Committee and looked again at this risk given its clear links with the Transport Strategy and Vision Zero. He underlined that the Wardmote resolution detailed at Item 5 also had clear links to this risk and the attitudinal shifts that were needed from all using the City streets.

The Transportation and Public Realm Director concurred and took the opportunity to inform Members that Officers were already liaising with the Cycle Tour Groups in the City as well as with the City of London Police on behaviours and respect. He added that he would now look to discuss the matter further with the relevant Cycle Tour Group, who he had last met with in March 2019, and question why they appeared to be deviating from some of the agreements made previously. He underlined that tour operators had previously been advised that riders were to dismount where appropriate but that this could be revisited alongside how this behaviour might be better encouraged.

In terms of statistics, the Transportation and Public Realm Director was pleased to report that statistics indicated that, over the past 3 years, the number of accidents relating to road safety on the City streets had started to decrease. In 2016, the total number of recorded accidents was 405 with those involving pedestrians being 111. Latest statistics from 2018 showed a total number of 286 accidents of which 81 involved pedestrians. He reported that it was essential not to be complacent here, but this appeared to reinforce that the organisation’s current approach to road safety was appropriate and producing positive results. The Chair also recognised the great progress being made here but underlined that road safety was this Committee’s primary concern/duty and that the ultimate aim was for there to be a figure of zero in terms of those killed or seriously injured on the City’s streets.

A Member underlined the importance of this issue and stressed that those cycle tour groups not encouraging cyclists to dismount in pedestrian priority areas should be dealt with in terms of encouraging inappropriate use of those streets. Another Member disagreed with this suggestion and urged a less antagonistic approach given the desire to promote tourism and cycling within the City. He suggested that Officers be authorised to continue to pursue the matter with the relevant companies with a view to identifying a solution that worked for all and urged against escalating this to a legal/police matter.

Another Member suggested that this was a London-wide issue that needed to be tackled more holistically. She suggested that a steer be sought from the Mayor of London and his walking/cycling tsar as to how responsible cycling might best be promoted. She went on to suggest that cycle education should be rolled out from a young age in schools.

A Member agreed that a balance between education and enforcement needed to be struck here but underlined that there would also be challenges in terms of the resources for this. He went on to question when Officers would be presenting a delivery strategy for the Transport Strategy to the Committee, particularly around this subject. The Transportation and Public Realm Director reported that a report outlining how over 50 elements of the Strategy would be delivered going forward was currently being worked up by Officers and would be shared with the Committee at the earliest opportunity.

A Member took the opportunity to raise a separate road safety concern reporting that the ‘no U turns’ sign had recently been removed from Aldersgate/Goswell Road at the junction of Fann Street. She added that, in the past few weeks there had been two accidents between U turning vehicles and a pedestrian in one case, a cyclist in the other, both requiring ambulance attendance. She went on to report that Fann Street was a cul-de-sac and that the only traffic legitimately using it was therefore vehicles entering/exiting one of the Barbican car parks, traffic exiting the Golden Lane Estate car park, short term street parking and deliveries. She asked that Officers consider looking again at this issue to find a safer solution and re-engage with Members to find a way to improve the signage here. The Transportation and Public Realm Director undertook to report back to the Member on this matter.

Members questioned the Target Risk Score assigned to Risk DBE-TP-03 (Major Projects and key programmes not delivered as TfL funding not received) which appeared to be double that of the Current Risk Score. Officers responded to state that, whilst shorter-term funding had been confirmed, longer-term funds remained a concern. The Transportation and Public Realm Director reported that the LIP funds from TfL had always been under review and was something that was under consultation with regard to all London boroughs. He confirmed that the City Corporation had made a robust defence of its allocation to date and had underlined that the Transport Strategy had been heavily backed by TfL. He added that it would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome of this funding review at this stage.

A Member stressed that the organisation’s own funding for projects was also of concern given the current Fundamental Review. She referred specifically to the Transport Strategy which was essentially underpinned by Road Safety and questioned whether a potential lack of internal resources to support the delivery of this should be an additional risk.

A Member, also Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee, clarified that the Fundamental Review was designed to ensure that all outcomes within the Corporate Plan were being appropriately funded. He added that, as Road Safety, for example, was recognised as a corporate risk, funding around this would be made available and not held up by the review process.

The Chairman requested a progress report around the specific issue of Cycle Tour Groups, as detailed within the Wardmote, be provided to the Committee within the next 3 months. He added that, with the introduction of an increasing number of pedestrian priority streets, how cyclists operate in these areas would be a key consideration. He added that, if it was found that the behaviours of the cycle tour groups failed to improve, the Committee could consider a ‘Freebike’ style approach clearly setting out the expected behaviours of such groups operating within the City.

RESOLVED – That, Members note the report and the actions taken in the Department of the Built Environment to monitor and manage effectively risks arising from the department’s operations.