Agenda and minutes

Introductions

The Town Clerk opened the meeting by introducing herself.

The Town Clerk highlighted that the meeting was being recorded as well as live streamed and would be made available on the City Corporation’s YouTube page for a period of time after the meeting had concluded. It was confirmed that all personal data would be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The Town Clerk highlighted that, for further information on this, viewers could contact the City Corporation using the details provided on the public webpages.

The Town Clerk also reminded Members, and any members of the public observing the meeting on-line, that this was an informal meeting and that any views reached by the Committee today would therefore have to be considered by the Chief Operating Officer or those deputising for her after the meeting in accordance with the Court of Common Council’s COVID Approval Procedure and that they would make a formal decision having considered all relevant matters. The Town Clerk highlighted that this process reflected the current position in respect of the holding of formal Local Authority meetings and the Court of Common Council’s decision of 16^th December 2021 to recommence hybrid meetings and take formal decisions through a delegation to the Town Clerk and other officers nominated by him after the informal meeting has taken place and the will of the Committee was known in open session. Details of all decisions taken under the COVID Approval Procedure would be available online via the City Corporation’s webpages.

A roll call of Members present was undertaken.

The Chairman then welcomed all in the room and online to the meeting. He went on to pay a special tribute to Debbie Howard, Superintendent of Spitalfields Market at this, her last meeting of the Markets Committee, before her

The Chairman declared a personal interest in relation to Agenda Item 16 and stated that he intended to leave the room whilst this matter was discussed.

A Member questioned why Item 16 could not be considered in public session and would not be in the public interest. The Town Clerk highlighted that the relevant reason for exemption was highlighted at the top of that report

To agree the public minutes of the meeting held on 03.11.21.

RESOLVED -  That  - the public minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2021 be approved as a correct record, subject to recording apologies submitted from John Scott, Philip Woodhouse and Michael Hudson.

Matters arising

Members noted that, because this meeting had been convened as a hybrid, in accordance with the Court of Common Council’s Covid Approvals Procedure, then it would need to proceed on this basis, even if a quorum of Members were present in the room.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members received the outstanding actions log and noted that they would receive an update on the New Spitalfields Market barrier in the non-public part of this meeting.

RESOLVED – That the Outstanding Actions Log be noted.

The Superintendents to be heard.

The Committee received the Superintendents updates and noted the following :

Billingsgate

The London Fish Merchants Tenants Association had recently elected a new Chairman and Council. The Superintendent had met with the new Chairman in respect of the action plan, and tenants remained supportive of moving to a co-located site.  A programme of meetings had been set up to retain engagement. 

The Metropolitan Police had not been able to provide support in the run up to the Christmas period.  However, the Billingsgate Constabulary had worked with partners in respect of traffic management, with exceptional results; i.e. - no complaints from tenants or customers and a 50% increase in pay and display revenue on last year.   

Standard operating procedures were being updated in respect of the most recent Government advice on Covid and risk assessments were being monitored.   The Market had hosted many testing sessions on behalf Tower Hamlets, including a pop-up clinic from 3 am, making the facility fully accessible to market staff.  More clinics would be held in the coming weeks. 

Spitalfields

The Christmas period had not been as busy as the tenants would have liked but trade had been brisk in the week before the Christmas closedown.  Vehicle numbers for paying customers in November and December were 7% up on the same period in 2020, but data was not available in respect of any additional volumes purchased.   HGV entry figures for November and  December were down 23% on the same period last year, suggesting that either less produce was entering the site, or that tenants had been consolidating deliveries from the EU to save costs. 

The Market had been assisting an ancillary tenant, who sells fuel on the market, by engaging a company to supply bio fuel for fork lifts, thereby improving air quality in the market hall.

Report of the Markets Director.

The Committee received a report of the Markets Director regarding the Draft High Level Business Plan 2022/23.

In response to a question, officers agreed that any works should be shown as a risk until they had received full approval.   It was suggested that the Health and Safety matters be highlighted as part of the approvals process.

Members suggested that, in terms of energy consumption on the Major Work Streams, the objective should be re-worded to reflect the fact that the desired outcome was ‘to achieve good value for tenants as well as reducing carbon footprints’. 

Members also suggested that the central section on the Major Work Steam template be amended to show which areas the Committee should focus on.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

·         Note the factors taken into consideration in compiling the Markets Business Plan; and

·         Approve, subject to the incorporation of any changes sought by this Committee, the departmental Business Plan for Markets Department for 2022/23 (or the elements therein that fall within this committee’s Terms of Reference)

Report of the Markets Director.

The Committee noted a report of the Markets Director regarding the Markets Business Plan Update Period 2 2021/22 (August-November).

Once the Energy Team from City Surveyors had concluded their meetings with high energy users at the market, the Chairman asked if their findings could be presented to a future meeting of the Committee.

The Condition Survey for the roof at New Spitalfields had been conducted using a drone, which had highlighted some water ingress.  An intrusive survey would now be undertaken with any repairs covered by the 10-year plan. 

Officers were compiling statistics which demonstrated the Market’s good work in reducing waste to landfill, and this would be passed to the Comms Team.

Although Smithfield Occupancy is at 100%, there would be lettable space once the Poultry Market roof is completed.

RESOLVED -  That the report be noted.

Report of the Markets Director.

The Committee received a report of the Markets Director concerning the Wholesale Markets Risk Update Report.The report had been scaled down as requested, showing just amber and red risks.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Markets Director.

The Committee received a report of the Markets Director concerning the Wholesale Markets Food Hygiene Risk.

In response to a question about the target risk rating, Members noted that this was the best outcome that could be achieved, given the current infrastructure, and until a purpose built facility became available.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee noted a report of the Town Clerk concerning a Report of Action Taken Between Meetings – City’s Cash – Poultry Market – Areas to be Declared Surplus to Requirements and Areas to be Licensed.

As the Markets Committee was not scheduled to meet again until 19th January 2022, the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chair and the Deputy Chair of the Markets Committee, had approved the above decision under Urgency.  This had enabled the areas to be used by the Museum of London, in connection with their proposed use of the General Market, and the City of London Corporation’s conversion of the Annexe into a commercial building.

Gemma, it says delegated in the report but it seems to have been an urgent decision?

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

There were no questions.

There were no urgent items.

The Chairman recognised this at the last meeting of the Committee before the elections and therefore wished all Members well.

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.

RESOLVED – 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 Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act as follows:-

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 03.11.2021.

RESOLVED - The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2021 were considered and approved as a correct record.

The Superintendents to be heard.

The Committee heard an update of the Superintendents.

Report of the Markets Director.

The Committee received a report of the Markets Director concerning Debt Arrears – Markets – Period Ending 30 November 2021.

Report of the Markets Director.

The Committee received a report of the Markets Director detailing Tenancies at Will that have been granted at the City of London’s Wholesale Markets and on lease assignments.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the advising Members of action taken by the Town Clerk since the last meeting of the Markets Committee, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman in accordance with Standing Order No. 41(a).

There were no questions raised in the non-public session.

There were no urgent items.

To agree the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 03.11.2021.

The confidential minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2021 were considered and approved as a correct record.

Report of the Chief Operating Officer.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Chief Operating Officer on the recommended Target Operating Model proposal for the Markets Department.

The City Surveyor to be heard.

Officers provided an update to the Committee on the Markets Co-location Programme.