Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Deputy Alastair Moss, Deputy Jamie Ingham Clark, and Christopher Hayward.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 02 December 2021.

RESOLVED, That the minutes of the meeting of 02 December 2021 be approved as an accurate record of the proceedings.

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

RESOLVED, That Members

1. Note the contents of this report;

2. Approve the closure of the Bank on Safety Project with final staff costs to be confirmed and final account concluded;

3. Approve remaining funds to be returned to the On Street Parking Reserve (circa £39k).

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

Note: Appendix 2 is non-public

A Member sought clarification on whether the City of London Corporation would be expected to fund the cost of any lights that might need replacing in the future after the re-lighting project was complete. The meeting heard that the Corporation would not be liable for those costs.  

RESOLVED, That Members

1. Note that a project capital funding bid of £1.16M was approved by RASC on 14th January 2022, with further approval of all capital funds for 2022/23 required from Finance Committee and Court of Common Council in February and March 2022 respectively;

2. Note that should this report be approved, a draw-down of the capital funds will then be sought via the Chamberlains ‘Project Funding Update’ report to Policy and Resources Committee in March 2022;

3. Approve the project budget of £2.075M, funded as referenced in Section 3 of this report;

4. Approve the £250k budget to progress the project to the next Gateway;

5. Approve the updated programme for the delivery of the project.

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

A Member sought clarification on the extent of the secured funding for the project. The meeting heard that clearer cost estimates were expected in summer 2022, and that there were opportunities to secure S278 contributions that would reduce the City Corporation’s contribution to the overall cost.

Some financing discussions were conducted in the meeting’s non-public section due to the sensitivity of the cost estimate parameters and conditions.

RESOLVED, That Members

1. Approve the release of the £100,000 Section 278 design and evaluation payment from the Section 106 for 81 Newgate Street into this project;

2. Approve a revised budget of £780,442 to reach the next Gateway (see Appendix 2);

3. Approve the signing of a Section 278 agreement with the developer of 81 Newgate Street;

4. Note Resource Allocation sub-committee approval of a capital bid for £555,500 to be allocated to the project for 2022/23 which will be considered in turn by Finance Committee in February and the Court of Common Council in March;

5. Subject to the approval of the Finance Committee and Court of Common Council of that capital bid, approve delegated authority to the Executive Director Environment, in consultation with the Chamberlain and the respective Chairmen & Deputy Chairmen, to incorporate this funding into the project budget;

6. Note that there may be the need to phase the project over several years to accommodate the varying timelines of the two development sites contained within the project scope.

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

RESOLVED, That Members

1. Approve the additional budget of £35,500 to reach the next Gateway;

2. Note the revised project budget of £77,199 (excluding risk);

3. Note the total estimated cost of the project at £255,400 (excluding risk);

4. Approve a Costed Risk Provision of £14,600 (to be drawn down via delegation to Chief Officer);

5. Note the total estimated cost of the project inclusive of costed risk at £270,000 (no change from previous);

6. Approve the removal of the existing Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO), implemented under the Covid-19 on-street response, that prohibits motor vehicles from entering St Mary Axe Monday-Friday 7am-7pm except for access to off-street premises;

7. Note that the experimental timed closure in St Mary Axe is not proposed to be progressed and approve the changes in scope to that detailed in section 5 of this report, which are:

o Approve a change in project title to ‘St Mary Axe Improvements – Phase 1’ to better reflect the rescoping of this project,

o Commence the detailed design of a raised carriageway table on St Mary Axe at the junction with Undershaft and survey work to both inform the detailed design of the raised table and future proposals on St Mary Axe (as shown in Appendix 2 and detailed in paragraphs 5.1 and 5.3),

o Support the City Cluster Vision Programme’s Activation & Engagement work strand for potential temporary activation initiatives on St Mary Axe,

o Approve the delegation process in respect of the next Gateway report under delegation to the Executive Director Environment, subject to the project cost not exceeding the maximum of £270,000 inclusive of CRP (as detailed in paragraph 5.1)

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

A Member expressed disappointment at the report’s recommendations and suggested that the issue had been mishandled and the voices of City workers ignored. The Member also suggested that the Corporation’s response to Bank of China, who had nevertheless raised legitimate objections, had been unduly favourable and that there had been no Ward involvement. The Member commented that there was sufficient parking space for a motorcycle bay covering a maximum of one parking space, and that the London Wall parking facility was not convenient for City workers. The Member suggested that option 4 was a fair, reasonable, and balanced proposal to replicate motorcycle parking provision that had already been provided.

A Member commented that most of the spaces appeared to be used by commercial vehicles for the essential servicing of nearby businesses.

A Member commented that the London Wall motorcycle parking facility was a short enough distance away to accommodate motorcycle users, and that there were other motorcycle bays nearby. The meeting heard that other bays were already well-used.

A Member asked why the motorcycle bay had ever been situated so close to Bank of China given the subsequent objections by Bank of China, and the meeting heard that Bank of China had been consulted twice, but had not realised the turning circle implications at the time.

The meeting heard that either an informal consultation or a statutory traffic consultation would be required were a proposal to allocate a space to motorcycle parking be taken forward. 

RESOLVED, That Members ask for a proposal around the provision of a bay elsewhere on the same street, to encompass consultation of relevant stakeholders including local Ward members, focussing particularly on option 4.

RESOLVED, That Members grant Delegated Authority to the Chair and Deputy Chair in respect of decisions relating to the Old Jewry motorcycle

To receive the report of the Executive Director Environment.

Members noted the report, particularly the concerns expressed around heavy goods traffic displaced to use Tower Bridge because of the scheme, and enforcement measures and vehicle weight restrictions on Tower Bridge (paragraph 11), whose declared maximum load is 18t, and the potential impact of that on the deterioration of the bridge structure. The meeting heard that discussions on the issue were ongoing with TfL and that more consistent enforcement was likely to improve the situation. A Member commented that risks related to any deterioration of the Bridge were potentially significant in terms of safety and traffic; that it was important to be ready to take immediate effective action to safeguard an important heritage asset if necessary; and that a contingency plan should be prepared. Another Member suggested that there was merit in diverting traffic towards more recently-built bridges including Southwark Bridge.

A Member asked whether heavy vehicles were free to drive around the City, and the meeting heard that there were restrictions on larger vehicles and that overweight vehicles were now being properly tracked.

A Member queried the governance arrangements around the matter, and the meeting heard that there were distinctions between the remits of the Bridge House Estates Board and those of the Sub Committee. 

Members noted that a further report will be brought to consider whether the City Corporation should object to and/or make other representations in respect of the ETO being either made permanent, remaining in its current form, or being modified, and agreed to receive an update on the issue at the next meeting (to be incorporated into the Committee’s outstanding actions List).

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

A Member asked how the 11.30am start time for the restrictions had been decided, and the meeting heard that the 11.30am start time took into account the area’s busy periods.

RESOLVED, That Members

1. Agree to commence the promotion of an ETO for the proposed introduction of a timed closure to restrict vehicles using Widegate Street for part of the day to improve the amenity and use of this street for the benefit of the public;

2. Authorise the Executive Director Environment to consider responses to consultation and statutory notices and the results of pre-implementation traffic surveys and, if there are no objections and they consider it appropriate, to make the ETO;

3. Authorise the Executive Director Environment to consider the outcome of the experiment including any objections and - subject to being satisfied no public inquiry should be held and no significant issues arise - to make the ETO permanent.

To consider the report of the Director, Environment.  

RESOLVED, That Members

1.    Agree to support the regular core events programme listed in paragraph 7 and detailed in Appendix 1;

2.    Agree to support the additional one-off events outlined in paragraphs 16-28, subject to final assessment regarding safety, licencing, traffic orders (where required) and impact on local stakeholders;

3.    Note the benefits in kind listed in Appendix 4;

4.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director Environment (in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee), in the City’s walkway authority capacity, to consent to the use of City Walkway at Paternoster Square in connection with a Queen’s Jubilee Event/Queen’s Baton Relay on Saturday 04 June 2022.

To receive the report of the Director of the Environment.

Members received the report.

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

RESOLVED, That Members note the project update and approve funding of £20,000 for staff costs for the City’s Outdoor Arts Programme team, to be funded from the Pinnacle S106, with match funding provided by the EC Partnership.

To consider the report of the Executive Director, Environment.

A Member commented that some figures in the report appeared to have been adjusted to arrive at a specific figure, and that a cost increase was likely in respect of construction work. Members heard that most of the fees had already been covered, and that the simplicity of the works meant that there did not appear to be any increased risk of cost increase.

A Member asked about the Giltspur St bus stands, and the meeting heard that those bus stands would be shifted to accommodate the wider footway and that a more widely-scoped consideration of the transport in the area was being undertaken. A Member commented that bus traffic in the area needed to be carefully considered.     

RESOLVED, That Members

1. Approve the revision of the remaining project budget of £185,570 as set out in the finance tables in Appendix 3 including any interest accrued to complete the project in accordance with the Section 106 Agreement;

1.        Approve of the budget adjustment summarised in table 2 Appendix 3;

2.        Approve the extension of the project programme to the end of the 2022/23 financial year to accord with the developer’s revised schedule of works.

To consider the report of the Executive Director, Environment.

RESOLVED, That Members

To consider the report of the Executive Director, Environment.

RESOLVED, That Members approve the content of the Outcome Report and agree to close the project.

To consider the report of the Executive Director, Environment.

A Member asked whether Moorgate re-surfacing was included in the works, commenting on its uneven nature. The meeting heard that re-surfacing and possible raising of the carriageway was expected to take place during Phase 2.

In response to comments on a perceived lack of clarity around cycling rights in the Colman St/London Wall/Fore St Avenue area, the meeting heard that cyclists could cycle through the area in line with the signage provided. Members commented that clearer signage provisions should be considered.

Subsequent to the meeting, it was clarified that cyclists are not presently legally permitted to use the northern London Wall footway to get to and from Fore St Avenue, and that cyclists are legally permitted to cycle north/south along Moorfields.

RESOLVED, That Members

1.    Note the successful completion of Phase 1 of the Crossrail Urban Realm Improvements Programme and associated underspends;

2.    Note that the development of options, and their associated costs, for Phase 2 of the Crossrail Urban Realm Improvements is currently underway and will be brought before Members for decision in Autumn 2022;

3.    Agree to close Farringdon East, Moorgate Phase 1 and Liverpool Street Phase 1 projects;

4.    Approve the content of this outcome report.

Farringdon East

5.    Approve the transfer of £85,000 to the City Structure’s Lindsay Street Bridge Strengthening Project to fund the outstanding resurfacing of Lindsey Street following completion of bridge repair works;

6.    Note the project underspend of £564,590 on the Farringdon East Project.

Moorgate

7.    Approve the transfer of £25,018 to the 21 Moorfields section 278 project to fund outstanding works on Fore Street Avenue;

8.    Note the project underspend of £1,254,289 on Moorgate Crossrail Phase 1.

Liverpool Street;

9.    Approve the transfer of £155,000 to Liverpool Street phase 2 project to fund outstanding phase 1 works;

10.   Note the project

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

Resolved, That Members

1.    Note and approve the contents of this report;

2.    Approve the transfer of the project management, oversight, funding and financial responsibilities of the incomplete works identified in the Crossrail Liverpool Street Phase 1 project (11375) Gateway 6 to this project for completion (detailed in paragraph 4.8);

3.    To accommodate the previous recommendation, note and approve a £155,000 increase in the total estimated project cost to approx. £1.64m, as shown in Appendix 2. This funding is to be provided by the Crossrail Liverpool Street Phase 1 project;

4.    Note and approve the updated ‘Fees’ budget expenditure description to include feasibility design work by third parties (detailed in paragraph 5.3);

5.    Approve the updated costed risk register in Appendix 3, to be drawn down via delegation to Chief Officer. (Overall CRP amount has not changed since last report);

6.    Approve the removal of the temporary social distancing measures and associated Temporary Traffic Regulation Order from Old Broad Street between London Wall and Liverpool Street, previously implemented by the Covid-19 On Street Response.

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

A Member commented that the Barbican Highwalk was not clearly depicted on maps, resulting in some user confusion.

The meeting heard that TKartor had worked closely with TfL on the unique challenge of providing legible maps for the area and that it was difficult to provide an easy user experience, though the current signage was more consistent and some feedback had been positive.

A Member commented that the Museum of London should be offered first refusal of the old signs, which had been kept for their historical value and were currently at the J B Riney depot. A Member suggested that there was merit in asking online stores of various organisations to make them available.   

Members noted that underspends were re-allocated as set out in item 13 on p.444 and that the money stayed within the City of London.

RESOLVED, That Members

1.    Approve the content of this outcome report and agree for the project to be closed;

2.    Release the call on further funds from the On Street Parking Reserve.

To consider the report of the Executive Director, Environment.

RESOLVED, That Members

1.    Note and approve the contents of this outcome report;

2.    Authorise the Chamberlain’s department to return unspent funds to the developer as set out in the respective legal agreements, after any required maintenance sums are accounted for and subject to the verification of the final accounts which has yet to take place;

3.    Agree to close the project following payment of the outstanding invoices and confirmation of the project’s final account.

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment.

RESOLVED, That Members agree to delegate authority to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Streets and Walkways and Projects Sub-Committee under Standing Order 41(b) in relation to the matters outlined to allow necessary decisions to be made during this period of February and May 2022 when there are no planned Committee meetings.

To receive the report of The Chamberlain.

Members noted the contents of the report prior to its submission to the Mayor for London.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members received the list of outstanding actions.

There were no questions.

The meeting heard that a resident in the Castle Baynard ward had raised the issue of a lack of parking facilities for tradesmen near New Street Square. Members noted that various options were available including booklets of parking permits, and that such options should be considered.

The meeting heard that an ongoing review was under way around kerbside parking provision that could encompass that important issue.

MOTION – That under Section 100A(4) 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:-

RESOLVED, That Members agree to exclude the public.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 02 December 2021.

Members considered the non-public minutes of the meeting of 02 December 2021.

The meeting considered non-public elements of item 6.

To consider the report of the Director of Environment.

Members considered the Highway Construction and Maintenance Term contract tender.