Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Deputy Michael Cassidy, Dawn Frampton and Shailendra Umradia.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes of the meeting held on 3 October 2023.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes of the previous meeting held on 3 October 2023, be approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

An Officer informed the Committee that Officers were meeting a potential external trainer to provide heritage training for Members. It was anticipated this training would be arranged in Quarter 1 or 2024. The Officer stated that a Members’ training session on archaeology was being arranged and in addition Members had been invited to see archaeology that had recently been found. There would also be a training session arranged on fire safety and the new building regulations.

In response to a Member’s question about whether Historic England guidance would be part of the heritage training, the Officer stated that this would be integrated into the training.

Report of the Interim Executive Director, Environment.

The Chairman informed Members that this item had been withdraw from the agenda. He informed Members that he Levelling Up and Regeneration Act had gained Royal Assent at the end of October 2023 and following this there were indications that an update to the National Planning Policy Framework was due to be published imminently by the Government, including changes that would affect the plan-making process. For this reason, it has been decided to withdraw this item and return it to Committee as soon as possible once there was further clarity on the national policy changes that were due to come forward. The Chairman advised that it was likely to be considered by the Committee in mid-late January 2023.

Report of the Interim Executive Director Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Interim Executive Director, Environment updating Members on the All Change at Bank project.

An Officer stated that the report was a summary of the work undertaken since July 2023 following the Court of Common Council approval to pause further work on the traffic modelling exercise at Bank Junction and to instead focus on identifying and evidencing the need for change and how this could be best addressed. Further work had been undertaken to understand the potential latent demand regarding taxis. The Court of Common Council had also requested that a progress report be submitted to its December 2023 meeting.

The Officer stated that the report contained the information that had been collected and analysed to date. The work undertaken to date on taxi volumes showed that there had been a significant reduction in the volume of taxis near Bank and across the City when comparing figures from 2017 and 2022. This was not dissimilar to the figures in parts of Westminster or in terms of volumes of taxis entering the congestion charge area in the same timeframes.

Members were informed that there had been a continued trend of a reduction in the total number of licensed taxi drivers and vehicle volumes for many years. However, this data was likely to help to support the way forward for establishing an agreed approach to the latent demand issues for the traffic modelling requirements with TfL.

The Officer stated, that it was recognised that there had been some dissatisfaction in the proposed timeframes of the possible implementation of any findings from this review, and Officers considered that there was an opportunity to accelerate this by three to four months and outlined this option to Members. The Officer advised that the other options were to continue with

Report of the Interim Executive Director, Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Interim Executive Director, Environment concerning the Fleet Street Area Healthy Streets Plan (HSP) which would provide a framework for improvements to streets and public realm in the area.

RESOLVED - That the Fleet Street Area Healthy Streets Plan be approved.

Report of the Interim Executive Director, Environment.

An Officer introduced the report and stated that the Vision Zero plan set out the ambition to reduce road danger on the City’s streets and reduce the number of fatal and serious injuries to zero in the longer term. Members were informed that the plan had been considered by the Streets and Walkway’s Sub-Committee and the Police Authority Board. There had also been a briefing of Planning and Transportation Committee Members and Police Authority Board Members. The Officer stated that the plan had been amended following Member feedback. He informed Members that the document was now more succinct and focused on the areas where the most difference could be made. In addition, the engineering and infrastructure improvement elements had been moved to the front of the document and there was a new section on delivering the plan which set out timescales and funding sources. The Officer stated that the funding for the plan was now in closer alignment than it was previously, in terms of the City of London Police funding envelope, and there was not an expectation of additional unfunded commitments from the City of London Police. The Officer stated that there was a broad range of ambitious proposals to help achieve the interim targets, reducing fatal and serious injuries in the City.

The Officer stated that aside from existing TfL Local Implementation Plan funding, the delivery of the plan depended on the success of future capital funding bids. He assured Members that the approach to these forthcoming bids would be considered, would be spread across the period of the plan and would fully comply with all existing governance and decision-making procedures.

In response to a Member’s question, the Officer confirmed that there had been a reduction in terms of the numbers of fatal and serious injuries during

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Committee received a report of the City Surveyor on the availability and performance of publicly accessible lifts and escalators monitored and maintained by City Surveyors, in the reporting period 19 September 2023 to 3 November 2023.

A Member asked Officers to confirm whether the Millenium inclinator would be in place and ready when the building was opened in spring 2024. An Officer clarified that the lift was outside the envelope of the building and was not within the building. The Officer stated that work was taking place with the City Bridge Foundation, and in particular the Millenium Commission. Officers were working to facilitate the opening when the building was opened in spring 2024. The Officer also clarified that a service agreement was in place with the developer for the ongoing service and maintenance of the lift under the Section 106 agreement.

RESOLVED – To note the report.

The Committee received the public minutes of the meeting held on 21July 2023.

RECEIVED.

The Committee received the draft public minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2023.

RECEIVED.

The Committee received the draft public minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2023.

RECEIVED.

Lighting SPD and Voluntary Charter

A Member asked about the withdrawal of funding for the promoting of the Lighting SPD and Voluntary charter. The Chairman stated that the promotion of the Lighting SPD and Voluntary Charter was outside the remit of just Planning and Transportation. He stated that there was a desire to have a publicity campaign to promote that amongst existing buildings, encouraging them to turn their lights off. Whilst it was considered that the Corporation should lead the way and sign up, to achieve this, there was a requirement to understand the capital cost of doing so. This was currently being undertaken. It was considered that it would be premature to launch a marketing campaign until the Corporation was in a position to sign up. The Chairman stated that funding or the marketing campaign was not currently on the agenda, this was on the basis that the costs were better understood and that the Corporation wanted to promote the SPD and Voluntary Character. The Chairman stated that many organisations would be undertaking similar work to understand the capital cost of them signing up to the charter. He informed Members that understanding the cost was a responsible approach to fulfilling the policy.

In response to questions from Members on steps that could be taken to help residents who were keen to promote the Lighting SPD and Voluntary Charter to businesses, and if more could be done to help them, Officers stated that discussions had taken place with the City Property Association (CPA) and Business Improvement Districts could encourage their Members to switch their lights off. An Officer stated the work was currently light touch as it was resource intensive. The Officer also stated that discussions had taken place with residents who were keen to promote the charter and speak

Custom House

The Chairman commented on the transformation of Sugar Quay which was now a well-used public space. He compared this to Custom House, narrow pathway along the north bank which was difficult to access and often flooded. He asked for the Committee’s view to write to the current owners to ask them to remove their railings as the security reasons for having them no longer existed as the building was empty. If the railings were removed it would open up the quay side and allow the public safe access to walk on the north bank. A Member commented that planks on the Broadwalk needed to be repaired. She also stated that there were a number of lights that did not work by Blackwater Passage and asked Officers to address this. Another Member commented that the letter should be clear that this did not affect any planning decision. Members supported a letter being written to the owners of Custom House.

Resolution from Port Health and Environmental Services Committee

The Chairman stated that the Committee had received a resolution from the Port Health and Environmental Services Committee. The wording was as follows:

The Port Health & Environmental Service Committee request the Planning Committee seek, wherever possible, the provision, as part of major new developments, of public and accessible toilets.  Officers should also investigate the possibility of ensuring that major hospitality and retail developments have a requirement to provide publicly accessible toilet facilities as part of their planning obligations.

An Officer stated that the City Plan 2040 would recognise the need for new development to play a part in providing public toilet provision in the City particularly to help realise Destination City ambitions. The Officer stated that Policy HL 7 of the plan would require public toilets in major retail, leisure and transport

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 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.

            Item Nos                                                         Paragraph No(s)

              16                                                                  3

There was one non-public question.

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