Agenda item

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

Question And Answer session at the meeting with the Cabinet Member for City Highways, Councillor Danny Chalkley.

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 Danny Chalkley, Cabinet Member for City Highways to the meeting.  Councillor Chalkley stated that other areas that he was particularly focussing on, in addition to the topics set out in his Cabinet Member Update such as the 20mph trial, included updating the car clubs offer and responding to market changes.  He was also keen to make progress in terms of lobbying on regulating pedicabs.

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

·           The Cabinet Member was asked about his rumoured plans to establish a highways panel.  He replied that he was establishing it in honour of former councillor Alan Bradley whose Council task group had previously recommended doing so.  In keeping with the recommendation, the highways panel would have some lay expertise which would scrutinise the annual highways programme.  Councillor Chalkley added that he was looking for three or four individuals who could contribute and were not councillors or currently employed by the Council.  He had written to the amenity societies to request that they put forward candidates.  One individual who had expressed an interest in scrutinising the programme was an experienced civil engineer.  

·           Councillor Chalkley was asked how much say a local forum would have in Community Infrastructure Levy (‘CIL’) money being spent on a particular street such as Great Portland Street for the annual highways programme.  It was believed that the Council managed 15% of the CIL money on the local forums’ behalf.  He replied that he would provide a written response to the question.

·           How would the success of the 20mph trial be judged?  Councillor Chalkley was also asked about the potential for residents to expect the 20mph speed limit to remain whatever the data suggested.  He responded that the primary function of the pilot was to collect data at the thirty sites.  There would be vehicle activated signs collecting the data.  Average speeds would be measured prior to the trial and also during it and an assessment would be made as to whether there had been an improvement or not.  Measuring average speeds pre-trial would provide evidence to residents as to whether the scheme was effective or not.  

·           Was it the intention for the 20mph trial to be in operation at all times, including when children were not at school?  The Cabinet Member confirmed that it would be operational at all times.  An assessment would be able to be made on a number of factors based on data from the trial.  He informed the Committee that there was a Council communications campaign being developed to notify that the pilot was taking place at the specific sites and also a dedicated website with a map of the sites.    

4.4      The Committee also discussed matters that related to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm and the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage’s Cabinet Member Updates.  The Chairman requested that a copy of the report, potentially in draft form, on the ‘Building Height: Getting the Right Kind of Growth’ consultation was provided to the Committee as soon as it was available in order that Members would be able to scrutinise the policy.  If this was before September when the Committee was next due to meet formally, Members could e-mail their comments.  It was agreed that officers would check on the current timetable for the report. 

4.5      The Committee noted that Councillor Astaire had included in his Cabinet Member Update that he had written to the Secretary of State requesting that the abuse of telephone kiosks for advertising was looked into.  Concerns were also expressed about the state of telephone boxes and it was requested that BT were invited to address the Committee, potentially in the autumn.

4.6      Councillor Davis’ written Cabinet Member Update had featured the Westminster Business Unit which aims to make it easier for businesses to navigate their way through council services and get the information, advice and guidance they need.  The Westminster Business Unit had held a drop in session on 30^th May.  Information was provided on sources of finance, networking opportunities and business mentoring.  The next drop in session was scheduled for 27^th June at Paddington Library.  The Committee requested that all Councillors and amenity societies were made aware of the drop in session at the end of June.

4.7   ACTION: The following actions arose:

·           That a written response is provided to the Committee in relation to the CIL question set out in paragraph 4.3 (Councillor Danny Chalkley, Joe Penny, Cabinet Officer and Andrew Barry-Purssell, Place & Investment Policy Manager).

·           That a copy of the ‘Building Height: Getting the Right Kind of Growth’ consultation report, potentially in draft form, is provided to the Committee as soon as it is available (Councillor Daniel Astaire, Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm, Madeleine Hale, Senior Cabinet Officer and Barry Smith, Head of City Policy & Strategy).

·           That BT be invited to address the Committee, potentially in the autumn (Muge Dindjer, Policy and Scrutiny Manager / Jonathan Deacon, Senior Committee and Governance Officer).

·           That all Councillors and amenity societies were made aware of the Westminster Business Unit drop-in session on 27 June (Greg Ward, Director of Economy).

4.8       RESOLVED:

That the contents of the Cabinet Member Updates be noted.