Agenda and minutes

To note any changes to the membership.

1.1      Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Paul Dimoldenberg, Cameron Thomson and Jason Williams.  Councillor Guthrie Mckie replaced Councillor Dimoldenberg.

To receive declarations by Members and officers of the existence and nature of any personal or prejudicial interests in matters on this agenda.

2.1      There were no declarations of interest.

To sign the minutes of the Business, Planning and Transport Policy and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on Tuesday 21 March 2017

3.1      RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Business Planning and Transport meeting held on Tuesday 21 March 2017 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record of proceedings.

Written updates from the Deputy Leader / Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage (to follow), the Cabinet Member for City Highways (to follow) and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm.

Question And Answer session at the meeting with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage, Councillor Robert Davis MBE DL.

4.1       The Committee received written updates from the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage, the Cabinet Member for City Highways and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm on significant matters within their portfolios.  

4.2       The Chairman welcomed Councillor Robert Davis MBE DL, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage to the meeting.  Also in attendance were Greg Ward, Director of Economy, Graham King, Head of WEP Place Programme and Daniella Bonfanti, Private Secretary to Councillor Davis.

4.3       The Committee put questions to and received responses from Councillor Davis on a number of matters that were relevant to his portfolio.  These included the following topics:

·           City of Sculpture – what was the process for determining which sculptures were commissioned?  Councillor Davis replied that the City of Sculpture programme was a project he had started in the period leading up to the London Olympics.  It had been successful so it had been decided to continue it.  The project was cost neutral except for one officer’s time who co-ordinated it as part of an overall role.  Galleries and sculptors were encouraged by Councillor Davis / the Council to offer sculptures that were large enough to be seen from the street but at safe locations, such as Danse Gwenedour by Bushra Fakhoury at Marble Arch.  The sculptures were in the main loaned for a temporary period to Westminster at the galleries’ or the sculptors’ own expense.  The only permanent sculpture was the ‘Still Water’ horse’s head sculpture in Marble Arch.  Councillor Davis added that if a Member knew of a gallery or sculptor who could provide a piece and also an appropriate location for it, they should get in touch with him.

Councillor Davis was also asked whether the City of Sculpture programme was advertised.  He replied that it was promoted and the artists/galleries knew about it.  The Committee recommended that the Council’s Communications department provide another feature on this topic, including in the arts press.  

·           Employment – Further information was requested on the Westminster Employment Service.  The Cabinet Member advised that Mr Ward, Director of Economy, had put together teams who were working on both short term and long term employment for residents.  In 2016 190 people had been found employment and so far in 2017, 452 people had been found employment.  Recruit London had a partnership with Westminster and other London boroughs and was training and placing out of work residents into jobs across Central London.  The staff of Recruit London worked in the offices of the Business Improvement Districts (‘BIDs’).  The BIDs not only provided workspace but also access to their database of contacts.  There would be further communications from the Council on how out of work residents were being found employment in Westminster.

It was queried whether the employment initiatives were effective in the areas with the greatest deprivation in the borough.  Councillor Davis advised that Mr Ward and his teams were indeed helping long term unemployed get into work in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of the Director of Policy, Performance and Communications

5.1      The Committee was asked to review the draft list of suggested items for the 2017/18 Work Programme.  The following suggestions were made by Members:

·           The Committee noted that an option set out within the work programme was a potential task group on assets of community value / pubs.  It was requested that before a decision was taken on whether to proceed with a task group, a follow up report was provided to the Committee.  It was recommended that this was scheduled for the 15 November 2017 meeting.

·           A task group on the evening and night time economy was suggested, potentially to be held jointly with the Adults, Health and Public Protection Policy and Scrutiny Committee.  Jonathan Deacon, Senior Committee and Governance Officer advised Members that the Licensing Committee had recently looked at this topic and had recommended that full Council consider it.  It was agreed that it would be investigated with the Chairman of the Adults, Health and Public Protection Policy and Scrutiny Committee how best to take forward this topic. 

·           Members of the Committee were asked whether they preferred having an agenda item scheduled for the Work Programme on the night tube which kept to the transport aspect of the portfolio or have a joint task group with the Adults, Health and Public Protection Policy and Scrutiny Committee.  The Committee requested that before a decision was taken on this matter, the Committee be provided with information as to when relevant data was likely to be made available on the night tube in order to effectively scrutinise the topic.

5.2      The next meeting of the Committee would be taking place on 12 June and would include an item on the examination of the impact of revaluation of business rates on Westminster businesses.  There would also be a question and answer session with Councillor Danny Chalkley, Cabinet Member for City Highways. 

5.3       ACTION: The following actions arose:

·           A follow up report to be provided on assets of community value / pubs (Barry Smith, Head of City Policy & Strategy).

·           Investigate how best to take forward the evening and night time economy item (Jonathan Deacon / Muge Dindjer, Policy and Scrutiny Manager to discuss with Councillor Jonathan Glanz, Chairman of Adults, Health and Public Protection Policy and Scrutiny Committee in addition to the Chairman of the Business, Planning and Transport Committee).

·           Information to be provided to the Committee as to when relevant data was likely to be made available on the night tube (Jo Lodge, Head of Westminster Business Intelligence and Dominic Baker, Business Intelligence Business Lead).

5.4       RESOLVED: That (i) the work programme be updated; and

That (ii) the action tracker be noted.

6.1      There was no additional business for the Committee to consider.

12 June 2017, 13 September 2017, 15 November 2017

7.1      The dates of future meetings are 12 June 2017, 13 September 2017 and 15 November 2017.