Agenda item

A question was raised in the context of the upcoming development of St Alphage House as to whether our arrangements could be improved to ensure nuisance to stakeholders (including residents) was kept to a minimum.

Reference was made to the development currently in progress at Moorgate exchange where intervention by a Member had resulted in the duration of the deconstruction work in terms of days being reduced in return for an extension of the hours worked. It appeared to him that this had been a successful change and that such flexibility could be advantageous in other developments. In the case of this latter development another Member observed that, despite the changes referred to above, a good deal of inconvenience had still occurred due to dust affecting properties and that pre-consultation had been inadequate

The Assistant Director Environmental Health & Public Protection, Markets & Consumer Protection advised that at present the St Alphage House development had been taken over by Brookfield but as yet there were no definite plans to proceed either with demolition or subsequent construction.  It had been referred to that there potentially may be demolition planned to start in January 2013.

Discussion ensued regarding the hours of work around the Barbican, which were normally 0800-1800 Monday to Friday and 0900 – 1400 Saturday with Quiet Hour periods applied 1000-1200 and 1400-1600 weekdays except where variations were agreed or for engineering necessity.

Members noted that the documents agreed to follow our Code of Practice (COP) and liaison with local neighbours was critical to compliance with the COP.  In addition, Keltbray, the prospective de-constructor, were well aware of the need to speak to the Barbican Association as well as local House groups and it was something the Corporation would undoubtedly ensure happened; checking with them when there may be something more definite about the work starting.

The Chairman observed that it appeared to him, both from the foregoing comments and from other representations made directly to him, that inconsistency of application and /or adequacy of the Code in relation to stakeholder consultation was a more general issue across the City and worthy of the Committee's attention.

The Committee requested that a report should be submitted to the November 2012 Committee meeting in respect of the general arrangements for consulting all stakeholders (including residents) on the mitigation of both noise and dust nuisance from demolition, development and in what circumstances could these general arrangements be varied and what the relevant Committee responsibilities were.