Agenda item

Questions from Mark Bostock in relation to Bernard Morgan House

I would like the Committee to have an Update on the BMH application 16/00590/FULL and specifically the legal action. Is CoL defending the action?

An application for leave to Judicially Review the planning permission has been made on a number of grounds. The City will be filing Grounds of Resistance against all the grounds and this is likely to be later this week.

What is the amount of compensation the CoL will be claiming for the loss of legal rights of light to Bowater house? How much of this will be paid to the lessees and tenants there?

The Planning and Transportation committee does not have within its remit the ownership and management of Bowater house or of compensation in relation to its ownership. However the city surveyor has undertaken to respond to Mr Bostock in writing and this will be circulated to all Committee Members.

If it is still the case that the demolition may begin before the Hatching Dragons nursery has been relocated, does the CoL accept full responsibility for any death or injury occurring as a result?

Arrangements relating to the nursery are being made in full liaison with the nursery and it would not be appropriate for the city to accept liability.

With regard to the Demolition Method Statement, and in view of both the Mayor’s new T charge and the creation of the Barbican area LEN, can officers please assure local residents and school children that only the lowest polluting engines will be used in both wagons and on-site machinery? Also can officers ensure that all possible best practices to reduce pollution on site will be adopted?

The commitment within the Demolition Method Statement is for full compliance with the new 8^th Edition City of London Code of Construction Practice which requires the best available equipment and practices to be utilised at all times. The CoL will require a list of all equipment to be submitted as part of the requirements for Non Road Mobile Machinery which will be audited on site alongside the site vehicles and their relevant emission standards to ensure best practices are in place. The audits will be carried out by CoL officers alongside officers appointed as part of the Mayors Air Quality Fund.  

The Logistics and Traffic Management Plan proposes a new route for the large 8-wheel tippers and articulated vehicles.  This will place significant pressure on the Golden Lane pedestrian crossing used throughout the day, not only by users of Fortune Park but also children going to and from Prior Weston School and the Children’s Centre, as well as the park. Can Officers assure us that this new route constitutes the safest possible one and that the pedestrian crossing will be manned at all times whilst work continues on the site?

Yes, this is the best route as it avoids the nursery, and anyone wishing to safely cross Golden Lane has the zebra crossing.  The DLP is very clear on the potential conflicts and a number of measures have been put in place by the contractor:

1. Staging areas to ensure the driver checks that they can safely arrive at the site.
2. A delivery management system to regulate vehicle numbers.
3. Weekly delivery schedules will be issued to CoL Officers for monitoring purposes.
4. Deliveries will be prioritised between 9.30 and 3.30 to avoid school drop-off/pick-up times.
5. Traffic marshals will be deployed at the site entrance and at the junction with Golden Lane.
6. The marshal positioned at the junction with Golden Lane will monitor and control all construction movements along this stretch, which includes the pedestrian crossing.

We will be keeping this site under surveillance to ensure that they do what they have promised, and in particular to assist the main contractor to develop the construction phase plan. 

Question from Graham Harrower

‘Does the Chairman agree that the Chairmen of all the major residents’ associations in the City should be invited to all future dinners of the Planning and Transportation Committee, in recognition of the fact that the residents whom they represent are also stakeholders in the planning process?’

The Chairman advised that on the advice of the Remembrancer, each dinner had a purpose and strategic theme which for this year had been ‘A future City meeting the needs of new occupiers and emerging technologies’ and it was necessary to promote this to a particular group. Therefore, the need to invite Chairmen of residents’ associations to any future dinner would be considered each year, depending on their relevance to the strategic aims.

In response to a further question asking why the Committee was not asked to decide what the strategic theme would be, the Chairman advised that he would be happy to take suggestions based on topics of future relevance.

Suggestion from Marianne Fredericks

In previous years the Police and local contractors such as Riney have gone into local schools to raise awareness of safety around construction sites and it would be helpful if they could be asked to do this again.