Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk detailing outstanding actions from their last meeting.

Updates were provided as follows:

Ludgate Circus

The Transportation and Public Realm Director reported that he had recently met with the Director of ‘Vision Zero’ at Transport for London (TfL) who had indicated that they would be attending the May 2019 meeting of the Planning and Transportation Committee to present solutions to the problems faced at this dangerous junction.

The Chairman stated that he was very encouraged by this and would eagerly await the forthcoming presentation from TfL.

Daylight/Sunlight Training

The Chairman reported that Officers were working to set some suitable dates for Member training on this subject for May 2019.

Daylight/Sunlight – Alternative Guidelines

The Chairman emphasised that this matter had now been separated out from the Daylight/Sunlight Training at the request of Members and would be dealt with separately at Committee level. Members were informed that a report on the matter was now expected to be brought to the June 2019 meeting of the Planning and Transportation Committee.

Illegal Street Traders on the City’s Bridges

The Chairman reported that the Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee had met with the Mayor of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) early last week and had used the meeting as an opportunity to raise this matter and request that the LBTH expedite the signing of the Section 101 agreement. This had then been followed up by a letter signed by both the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee and the Chairman of the Port Health and Environmental Services Committee as instructed by Members. The letter had been sent in the latter part of last week and, to date, a response was still awaited. The Chairman undertook to continue to pursue this matter and was pleased to report that the Mayor of LBTH had indicated, at his meeting with the Chair of Policy and Resources, that he was supportive of and sympathetic to the City Corporation’s request.

A Member commented that he understood that the LBTH Cabinet had approved the Section 101 agreement and that he could therefore not understand the reasons for the delay in ratifying this at Officer level. The Chairman agreed with this point and emphasised that the argument for this had been made in very strong terms.

In response to questions, the Committee were informed that the City Corporation’s Assistant Director Public Protection had chased the matter further with LBTH this morning but that there was no further update to report. Officers went on to confirm that the City Corporation had staff ready to action the agreement as soon as it had been signed.

A Member expressed extreme concern at this and stated that she expected the LBTH to now progress this without any further delay whatsoever.

A Member questioned whether the Committee might receive a report on enforcement on Illegal Traders on the City’s Bridges with Southwark and how this was working. Officers undertook to bring such a report to the 24 May meeting of the Committee.

Fumes

The Chairman confirmed that a further report on this matter would be brought to the next meeting of this Committee.

Expansion of Heathrow Airport

The Chairman clarified that this matter came under the remit of the Policy and Resources Committee and, as such, suggested that this be removed from this Committee’s list of outstanding actions. He added that the Policy and Resources Committee would, however, be made aware of this Committee’s comments on the matter.

A Member stated that, whilst this was within the remit of the Policy and Resources Committee, it was still, in his view, something that this Committee should be kept advised of and have the opportunity to form an opinion on. It was agreed that any reports to the Policy and Resources Committee on this subject, alongside any decisions that that Committee may take on the matter should also be shared with the Planning and Transportation Committee for information.

RECEIVED.