Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Graeme Harrower, Alderman Robert Hughes-Penney and Natasha Lloyd-Owen.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 23 June 2020.

The Committee considered the public minutes and non-public summary of the virtual meeting held on 23 June 2020.

MATTERS ARISING

Poultry Market and General Market and the Annexe Buildings West Smithfield London EC1A 9PS (page 27) – A Member asked that the decision to delegate authority to Officers, in consultation the Chair and Deputy Chairman, to agree the final wording of a Grampian condition concerning the ancillary market uses which currently exist within the Poultry Market be reflected within the resolution by way of an additional sub paragraph (paragraph c) at point 1.  

The Committee supported the proposal and the Town Clerk undertook to amend the final, published minute accordingly.

Subject to the above amendment being made, the public minutes and summary were approved as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk detailing the Committee’s outstanding actions.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee considered a report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director regarding an application for Millennium Bridge House, 2 Lambeth Hill, London EC4V 4AG, specifically, refurbishment and extension of the existing building involving the partial demolition and partial infilling of the existing structure and the introduction of a new façade to all elevations and extension to the building at all floors, introduction of roof terraces at fifth and sixth floors, including a public viewing terrace and associated lobbies at second and sixth floors, alongside a part change of use at ground floor from Office to Retail/Café/Restaurant (Class A1/A3); a part change of use at first from Office to either Office or Retail/Restaurant (Class A1/A3/B1); second floor from Office to either Office or Retail/Restaurant (Class A1/A3/B1) and a change of use from Office to Retail/Café /Restaurant (Class A1/A3); a part change of use at sixth floor from Office (Class B1) to either Office or Restaurant/Bar (Class B1/A3/A4) and a change of use from office to restaurant/bar (Class A3/A4) use together with public realm works to Peter’s Hill (including the removal and relocation of the southern HSBC gates), Lambeth Hill, Trig Lane and Paul’s Walk (part of the Thames Path) and associated works, this part of the proposal includes the rescission of part of the City Walkway.

The Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director presented the application to Members and began by stating that this application was for a difficult site in a key location in the City, situated at the head of Millennium Bridge – a hugely popular entrance to the City – and also part of a cultural gateway linking Tate Modern on one side of the river with St Paul’s Cathedral and onwards to the Culture Mile on the other. He reported that the building

Report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee considered a report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director regarding an application for 1 Paul’s Walk, EC4V 3QH, specifically, removal of louvred upstands and the introduction of new hard and soft landscaping alongside remedial public realm and associated works.

The Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director introduced the scheme by stating that this application was linked to the application agreed by the Committee at the previous item and situated on the same site. Members were shown images of the proposed location – a raised area of louvres and granite on the western size of Norfolk House that was currently within the demise of a restaurant. Proposals centred around dropping this platform area down to the level of the surrounding walkways as well as the installation of three 60cm high granite clad planters containing herbaceous perennials. Members were shown the view looking west towards the scheme that they ad just approved with the louvered wall and its replacement with the lower raised planters shown in the foreground. Members were also shown the view from Trig Lane looking east where, again, in the foreground, the louvered granite and the planters could be seen. Members were informed that Officers considered this to be a significant visual improvement, improving access across the site and also very beneficial in terms of increased biodiversity.

The Town Clerk introduced Mr Thomas See, a resident of Norfolk House and registered objector and invited him to address the Committee.

Mr See began by stating that it was not true to say that the existing podium area was in the demise of the restaurant as it was in the demise of Norfolk House. He went on to state that Norfolk House was quite an extensive, elevated, podium area that projected outwards to the west

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Committee considered a report of the City Surveyor in respect of a delegated authority request to declare 80 Fenchurch Street EC2 as surplus.

RESOLVED - That authority be delegated to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Planning and Transportation

Committee to declare surplus to highway requirements the City Fund airspace,

required for the development at 80 Fenchurch Street and between datum levels

determined by the City Surveyor, to enable its inclusion in the lease to be

granted to Partners Group, upon terms to be approved by the Corporate Asset

Sub Committee, and subject to the City Corporation retaining ownership of the

highway and the continuing highway functions.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment which sought approval for an updated City Cluster area delivery plan 2020-2023, centred around three programmes that will enable the initial set of high priority projects to be developed and implemented.

RESOLVED – That:

1.  The updated City Cluster area delivery plan 2020-2023 as set out in this report be agreed.

2.  The estimated cost of £2.4m - £2.9m to deliver the three programmes for 2020-2023 be noted, to be fully funded by site specific Section 106 contributions and the Transport for London Liveable Neighbourhoods Grant.  It should also be noted, however, that this cost estimate does not preclude the opportunity to secure additional funding to deliver further change, where there is a demonstrable need from Transport for London (TfL), from restricted funds linked to local development sites or from third party sponsorship, subject to Member approval (as set out in Appendix 4 to the report: ‘Detailed information on funding structure’).

3.    It be noted that Gateway Reports will be submitted for each individual project and area programme reports will be submitted annually.

4.    The allocation of £37k staff costs from the Pinnacle S106 towards the development and management of the City Cluster Area programme be approved.

5.    The appended report: “Gateway 3: Well-being and Climate change resilience Programme” (appendix 5 to the report) be approved.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment in respect of the City of London Corporation’s participation in E-Scooter trials.

Officers introduced the report by stating that the Government had recently announced the fast tracking of its proposed trials for e-scooter hire in the UK in response to COVID-19 and in recognition of the potential for this new mode of transport to help relieve pressures on public transport which continued to operate at reduced capacity. The trial would include rental e-scooter operators and the use of parking areas would be mandated as would defined no go zones. Speed limits would be imposed for the scooters. On balance, Officers felt that the safety concerns around the use of e-scooters and the impacts of e-scooter parking on other street users had been addressed by the Department for Transport (DfT) guidance. Members were informed that Officers were now working closely with TfL and other interested local authorities in London to enhance this guidance and to ensure that any trial that might go ahead was safe, accessible and would minimise any impact on others, particularly those with limited mobility or other impairments.

The report today recommended participation in a trial (preferably a multi-borough trial, co-ordinated by TfL and London Councils). Members were informed that participation would bring a number of benefits including the ability to provide socially distanced alternatives to the use of public transport and allowing the City to gather data that would help inform any future policy responses on potential e-scooter legislation. At present, discussions were highlighting that those participating in the trial would have significant say and influence on trial criteria as it was developed. A number of adjacent boroughs were now in the process of confirming their participation in trials and it was therefore likely that

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment in respect of consultation on the draft Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

Officers reported that, since the existing SPD had been published in 2014, national and local/London Policy had moved on and the City Corporation’s documentation now therefore fell behind some neighbouring boroughs and  required updating in terms of the costs of providing infrastructure. Even with some of the changes being proposed around training and skills, the organisation would still fall below the levels being charged in Westminster for example but these would enable the City to put in place effective training and skills provision for local people to help them get back into work as the economy recovers and would also help ensure that businesses have the level of skills and the workforce they required. 

With regard to affordable housing, Members had been aware for quite some time that the levels currently proposed were significantly below what is required to deliver effective affordable housing and the changes now being put forward would effectively increase the provision of affordable housing and the cost to developers to approximately £400,000 per unit versus the current £165,000.

Approval was sought for public consultation at this stage and the matter would then be referred back to this Committee later in the year to consider the responses received and for Members to decide when they would like to start implementing the provisions.

A Member commented that it was important for the Committee to appreciate that viability was not the only test and that the relative attractiveness of building in the City in terms of international and capital investment was key. He questioned whether the wording within the section on ‘Viability Testing’ should therefore be expanded to include reference to what the impact

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment in respect of an application made by Thames Tideway in consultation with Thames Water Utilities Limited to name new publicly accessible City walkway and associated open space located at the site of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project along the river foreshore to the west of Blackfriars Bridge as ‘Bazalgette Embankment’.

A Member commented that this would be quite a significant new piece of open space and that he would ask Members to support the proposed naming of this in honour of Sir Joseph Bazalgette. He suggested, however, that the proposals around a statue should be carefully considered at another time.

A Member questioned whether Officers were certain that Sir Joseph Bazalgette was an appropriate figure after whom to name this space given concerns highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement over the appropriateness of some statues in the City. Officers reported that they had undertaken due diligence on this matter and that Sir Joseph Bazalgette was a very successful, professional Victorian engineer who spent 40 years working for the London Metropolitan Board of Works following his graduation. He had no other trading or business background/interests and was responsible for building a sewage network which had saved thousands of lives of Londoners by preventing cholera outbreaks. His further family history had showed that some ancestors had, inevitably, been involved in colonial trading activities but the individual Sir Joseph Bazalgette was not a businessman and it was appropriate to recognise him as a successful engineer.

RESOLVED – That, the name Bazalgette Embankment be approved and a

statutory order be issued.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a late, separately circulated report of the Director of the Built Environment in respect of CCTV traffic enforcement.

RESOLVED – That:

1. A budget of £257k for Phase 1 and £113k for Phase 2 be approved for completion of the project.

2. The annual revenue budget increase on the On-Street Parking Account be increased by:

a.    Equipment Maintenance: £24.5k pa for Phase 1 and £13.5k for Phase 2

b.    Expected Works: 5k pa for Phase 1 and 3k pa for Phase 2

3. The total estimated cost of the project of £370k be noted (excluding risk and on-going maintenance / works costs).

4. It be noted that a Costed Risk Provision is not required due to the high degree of cost certainty.

5. Option 3 be approved (to implement both phases on an equipment purchase basis).

Report of the Director of Open Spaces.

The Committee considered a late, separately circulated report of the Director of Open Spaces in respect of replacement of defective hydraulic pipework, components and upgrading of hydraulic power units associated with the bridge lifting machinery at Tower Bridge.

RESOLVED – That:

1.    The total estimated cost of the project at £1,151,565 (excluding risk) be noted.

2.    A revised budget of £1,151,565 be approved to get to the next Gateway (excluding risk).

3.    A Costed Risk Provision of £114,000 be approved (to be drawn down via delegation to Chief Officer).

4.    The use of a sole supplier waiver be approved; i.e. - Bosch Rexroth Limited, as per the recommended option set out in the report.

Report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection.

The Committee considered a late, separately circulated report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection in respect of the Business and Planning Bill 2020.

A Member stated that he was confused as to why the report, which was quite technical in terms of on site and off site alcohol sales, had come to this Committee for decision but would only be put to the Licensing Committee for information. The Chair reported that this report had been brought forward in close consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Licensing Committee. Officers clarified that there were many parts of the Business and Planning Act but that this report related to pavement licences and the tables and chairs fell within the terms of reference of this Committee because of their interaction with planning legislation in terms of placing items on the highway. Decisions relating specifically to this element were agreement to the length of licence and the fees for this. Issues around off sale and deregulation of certain licensing elements would be discussed by the meeting of the Licensing Committee tomorrow.

A Member thanked Officers for this report following the discussions around tables and chairs that had taken place at the last meeting of this Committee. He questioned the proposals to only grant a minimum 3-month term which he felt was not particularly generous and stated that he would have preferred to see terms of a minimum of 6 months proposed. He noted that the City were also stipulating that there would have to be minimum of 3.2m walkway beyond any tables and chairs placed on pavements and commented that this did not really accord with what the Government had stated as they were suggesting that this could be less. He therefore questioned a seemingly pedantic approach to this which

Joint report of the Chamberlain, the Director of the Built Environment, the Director of Open Spaces and the City Surveyor.

The Committee received a joint report of the Chamberlain, the Director of the Built Environment, the Director of Open Spaces and the City Surveyor which compared the revenue outturn for the services overseen by the Planning and Transportation Committee in 2019/20 with the final budget for the year.

RESOLVED – That, Members note the revenue outturn report for 2019/20 and the carry forward of local risk overspending to 2020/21 of £236,000 for the Director of the Built Environment.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee received a report of the Director of the Built Environment, which set out the progress made during Quarter 4 of the 2019/20 Departmental Business Plan.

RESOLVED – That, Members note the report and appendices.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust which presented the proposed final version of the Bridge House Estates (BHE) Strategy: ‘Bridging London, 2020 – 2045’.

RESOLVED - That – acting in the charity’s best interests for the City of London

Corporation as Trustee, Members of the Planning and Transportation Committee agree to:

i.     Endorse the proposed final version of the BHE Strategy, subject to any

feedback received being incorporated, for onward approval by the Court of

Common Council; and

ii.    Note the proposed next steps for the Strategy’s delivery.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee received a report of the Director of the Built Environment in respect of the transportation response to support Covid-19 recovery for the City of London’s Streets.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee received a report of the Director of the Built Environment updating Members on the workings of the District Surveyor’s office which reports to this Committee for the purposes of building control, engineering services for the City’s major infrastructure and to provide resilience to buildings and businesses within the Square Mile that may be affected by climatic and environmental risks.

A Member wished to congratulate the District Surveyor on his appointment as the Junior Vice President of the London District Surveyors Association. He then went on to state that he recalled that last year’s annual report had contained a table which detailed departmental costs against fee income but could not see this same information presented on this occasion. The Member also referred to the proposed Building Regulation changes from the Government, particularly 2.3 (page 425) where it was suggested that they were to remove the ability for the developer to choose which building control body oversees the construction. He questioned whether the District Surveyor felt that this would be a positive change for his office or a threat.

The District Surveyor reported that information around departmental costs and fee income had been provided in a recent report concerning fee increases. He undertook to recirculate this information to the Member outside of the meeting.

With regard to the second question, the District Surveyor reported that Government proposals, following the Grenfell tragedy, would be that buildings in scope (i.e. any buildings/blocks with residential property and standing at over 18m in height) would come under the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Safety Regulator would be  the Health and Safety Executive who would be the Building Control body for these buildings and would be responsible for deciding who would then carry out the work for them. They had indicated that this would be

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Committee received a report of the City Surveyor regarding public lift

operations. 

A Member commented on continuous problems with the lift at Speed House and questioned what was behind this. The City Surveyor reported that the issue here was related to water ingress from the high walk affecting the lift’s control panel.  Work to remedy this had been undertaken and the lift was now back in service. The Member commented that much work had been undertaken last year to address water ingress. The City Surveyor commented that the remedial action taken last year had not entirely solved the problem and that work around this therefore continued. 

Another Member referred to the vandalism of the Blackfriars Bridge lift and the fact that it needed to be taken out of operation in the evenings for this reason. She stated that this lift was in an important location, with the station above. She questioned how this could be tackled going forward. Officers advised that vandalism of the lift was a particular problem at the moment as a result of the walkway being section off for Tideway work, leaving it in a secluded spot.  Officers were currently considering installing CCTV at this location to assist the Police in their attempts to address the issue.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee received a report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and

Development Director detailing development and advertisement applications

determined by the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director or those so authorised under their delegated powers since the report to the last meeting.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee received a report of the Interim Chief Planning Officer and

Development Director detailing development applications received by the

Department of the Built Environment since the report to the last meeting.

RECEIVED.

Grand Committee/Streets and Walkways Sub Committee

A Member commented that recent meetings of this Committee had seen monumental agendas and had lasted for extended periods of time (with today being no exception). He commented on how this was undesirable for a number of reasons and questioned whether the Chair agreed that some items could and should be properly agreed by the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee instead. He recognised that the normal operation of Sub Committees had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but asked that items of business now be allocated more sensibly between the Grand Committee and its Sub.

The Chair commented that other Members had made a similar point to him and that he was very happy to delegate matters of detail back to the Sub Committee now that it was back in operation, albeit virtually.

Extension of Parking Concessions for Key Workers – request for Delegated Authority

Officers reminded the Committee that, since lockdown in March, the Corporation had been giving parking concessions to essential frontline workers such as those working within the NHS. This measure was now due for review and, with the continuing pandemic, there were proposals to extend these concessions until 31 August when they could be reviewed further. Members were informed that this approach was in line with Government advice and the Committee’s permission for the Town Clerk to approve these proposals under delegated authority in consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chair of this Committee was sought.

RESOLVED – That Delegated Authority be granted to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee, with regard to the extension of parking concessions for key workers until 31 August 2020.

MOTION – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED – That, under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972,

the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on

the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as

defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act as follows:-

Item No(s)                            Paragraph No(s)

      27                                                3

      28                                           3, 5 & 7

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2020.

The Committee considered the non-public minutes of the virtual meeting held on 23rd June 2020 and approved them as a correct record.

Joint report of the Director of the Built Environment and the City Surveyor.

The Committee considered and approved a joint report of the Director of the Built Environment and The City Surveyor relative to Baynard House Car Park and the declaration of surplus of part of the premises.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee received a report of the Director of the Built Environment which informed Members of the level of arrears of invoiced income as at 31st March 2020. 

A Member raised a question on the Combined Court Development, Fleet Street.

There were no additional, urgent items of business for consideration in the non-public session.