Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Deputy Shravan Joshi, and from Ian Seaton.

There were no declarations.

To elect the Chairman in accordance with Standing Order 29

In accordance with Standing Order no. 29, Deputy Graham Packham was elected Chairman for the ensuing year. No other expressions of interest were received.

The Committee congratulated Deputy Graham Packham on his election, and the newly-elected Chairman thanked the Committee for their support.

The Chairman welcomed new members to the Committee: Alderman Ian Luder, Deputy Edward Lord, Susan Pearson, Judith Pleasance, and Ian Seaton. The Chairman also thanked departing members for their service: Peter Bennett, Christopher Hill, Jamie Ingham Clark, Oliver Sells, and John Tomlinson.

To elect the Deputy Chairman in accordance with Standing order 30

In accordance with Standing Order no. 30, John Edwards was elected Deputy Chairman for the ensuing year. No other expressions of interest were received.

The Committee congratulated John Edwards on his election.

To receive the report of the Clerk

The Committee received the report of the Clerk.

To agree the draft public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 15 February 2022.

RESOLVED, That the public minutes of the meeting of 15 February 2022 be approved as an accurate record of the proceedings, noting that Deputy Marianne Fredericks had attended the meeting via Teams following its change of start time.

The newly-elected Deputy Chairman noted that he would be monitoring legibility of Barbican Highwalk signage (item 19 of minutes of 15 February 2022).

A Member asked for an update on Item 8 of the minutes of 15 February 2022 (motorcycle parking bay on old Jewry), and the meeting heard that, following a consultation exercise, two responses had been submitted that were broadly favourable and that one of the Pay & Display bays was to be allocated to motorcycle parking (as previously agreed by the Committee).

To consider the report of the Executive Director Environment

A Member commented that the project should aim to level up what appeared to be an uneven provision of green space in the City, and that such an aim should be added as a factor in decision-making around where to site trees.

A Member asked for residents to be consulted on the project, and for new bids to be involved.

A Member asked whether the Committee was involved in planting in City gardens, and the Committee heard that responsibility for City garden-planting presently lay within the realm of the Open Spaces & City Gardens Committee.

A Member asked whether the St Peter Cheap green space (Wood St/Cheapside) would be renovated as planned. The Committee heard that a planting and seating review was being considered for that space. 

A Member asked about the timeframe for information about whether the current blockage of the roadway at Finsbury Circus would become parking space. The Committee heard that feedback on a site visit planned to take place in early May would be provided.

A Member commented that a masterplan would be helpful, that more pop-up green spaces would be welcome, and that further work with building managers/owners would be useful in the management of open spaces.

The meeting heard that a masterplan would be submitted to future meetings, and that partnerships were being rolled out.     

A Member asked whether owners of private land were being encouraged to nurture green spaces, and the meeting heard that private landowners were being strongly encouraged to continue their involvement with green space designs.

A Member asked what public realm areas could be enhanced, and what priorities might lie within such areas. The meeting heard that criteria considerations were being drawn up as part of a Gateway 3-4 report, and that trees would be planted during the October to March

To receive the report of the Executive Director Environment

The Committee received the report of the Executive Director Environment.

A Member asked what consideration had been given to skateboarding, and the meeting heard that skateboarding had been taken into account in design plans to make the area less appealing to skateboarders.

A Member commented on the appeal of ‘cigarette flowers’,and asked for clarification on the provision of rubbish bins, and the meeting heard that it was likely that a further bin would be added.

A Member asked whether Yorkstone would continue to be used over and above permeable paving, taking into account absorption capabilities and skateboarding appeal. The meeting heard that permeable paving was sub-optimal because of underlying materials, though mixed paving was an option being considered.

A Member asked whether there would be enough seating, bearing in mind the curves. The meeting heard that some existing benches could be used and that there was enough straight edge to accommodate a range of seating options with no loss of seating. 

Report of the Town Clerk.

The meeting received the Outstanding References, and noted that any discussion related to Beech St would take place in private session due to the local elections taking place on 05 May 2022 and the involvement of the London Borough of Islington in the matter.

Beech St (in Public section following 05 May 2022 election): The meeting heard that discussions with the London Borough of Islington (LBI) were ongoing, and that LBI had expressed concerns around potential additional traffic on Fortune St and the impact on Golden Lane. Islington have expressed a preference for an area-wide approach to addressing the air quality issues on Beech Street. It was also pointed out that LBI were not working at the same pace as the CoL Corporation, and that CoL was expecting to engage with the new post-election Executive Member for Environment & Transport to reinvigorate high-level discussions as well as embarking upon a full consultation to encompass the views of local residents.

A Member sought clarification on whether that consultation would include opportunities for stakeholders to make their views known offline, and the meeting heard that a range of in-person initiatives were also planned and that information could be submitted for inclusion in Ward newsletters in mid-June. 

A Member asked for clarification on wider consultation around Beech Street, and the meeting heard that consultation was expected to be launched at the end of May 2022.

A Member asked whether accident figures relating to scooters were available, and the meeting heard that accident figures could be provided in July 2022. A Member commented that potholes and grills were a significant hazard, and that dockless vehicle parking continued to be an issue.

A Member sought clarification on the existence of plans for when Tower Bridge was closed, and pointed out that it was likely

A Member asked for clarification on aspirations and an overarching articulation of the vision for Bank Junction that has included the creation of a piazza space in the area (which would involve re-routing buses), and commented that internal Corporation resources needed to be assessed.

A Member commented on the importance of clear road signage in the area and the role of signage positioning in avoiding any interruption to their legibility.  

The meeting heard that a meeting on 31 May would encompass a deep dive into Bank Junction plans and heard an overview of design plans submitted so far, a major deliverable being more pedestrian space.  

A Member commented on the appeal of illuminated cycle lanes in other places that used sunlight to charge. The meeting heard that dedicated space in the City was limited, and consideration was being given to reducing traffic to enhance the cycling experience among other things.

The meeting heard that the Chairman of the parent Committee would attend the Considerate Contractor Award event later in the month.  

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 draft non-public Minutes of the meeting held on 15 February 2022.

Members considered the non-public minutes of the meeting of 15 February 2022.