Agenda item

Written updates from the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm (Appendix I), the Cabinet Member for City Highways (Appendix 2) and the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage (to follow).

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, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage, to the meeting.  The Committee put questions to and received responses from Councillor Davis on a number of matters that were relevant to his portfolio.  Greg Ward, Director of Economy, Graham King, Head of WEP Place Programme and Sara Sutton, Director of Public Protection and Licensing were also in attendance for this item.  The matters raised included the following topics:

·           Market Curator – More information was sought on this role.  Councillor Davis advised that it was currently a part-time role, three days a week.  The role was not currently a permanent one.  It would be assessed in the New Year.  The Market Curator had been brought in to co-ordinate and support the improvement of Westminster Council’s markets.  The postholder had started the job and she had significant experience in operating markets. 

·           Apprenticeships - Was there scope to increase the number of Westminster Council apprentices mentioned in the Cabinet Member Update and particularly for people who are Westminster residents?  Mr Ward clarified that the 12 apprentices referred to in the report were the current wave of recruitments at Westminster.  It was hoped that the number in this wave would reach 14.  Overall the Council had recruited more than 100 apprentices over a number of years.  Two years ago only 10% of apprentices were residents of the borough but this was now 25% and growing.  Mr Ward also informed the Committee that it was against the law to ‘positively discriminate’ in order to ensure that Westminster residents were selected as Council apprentices.  What officers were able to do was to encourage as many people as possible, including residents, to apply.  When candidates did not succeed, they received support and training with the aim of putting them before future interview panels.

Councillor Davis spoke about the training and placing of out of work residents via Recruit London, a free local recruitment service for businesses.  Mr Ward added that there was a campaign commencing looking at recruiting 30 additional residents into the Council who have disabilities.  

·           Oxford Street District Transformation – Concerns were expressed that pedicabs could enter the side streets if they were not able to go up Oxford Street. How could this be prevented?  Councillor Davis responded that there was work taking place behind the scenes in order to try and avoid this scenario.  Mr King explained that seeking to effectively legislate against pedicabs was a common cause of the Mayor of the London, the Greater London Authority, Transport for London and Westminster Council.  The GLA had been looking to insert the relevant clauses into draft London local authority bills that either they are responsible for or combined local authorities are responsible for.  Attempts to persuade Central Government of the need to legislate continued.  There was currently a legislative void both in respect of pedicabs and private hire vehicles. 

Mr King added that in the management plan that would accompany any Oxford Street scheme that might emerge from the current consultation, it would set out precisely what could and could not be done.  Discussions had also taken place with the London Borough of Camden who had achieved some success in using noise legislation to control some pedicabs who sought to provide music to their customers.

Councillor Davis stated that if the Oxford Street transformation project was to be successful it needed proper enforcement to take place at all times, including in respect of pedicabs.  He would continue to work with the Mayor of London’s office to seek to lobby for a licensing scheme for pedicabs.

·           Evening and Night Time Economy – Would the Deputy Leader/Cabinet Member be working towards Berkeley Street becoming a Cumulative Impact Area due to the number of licensed premises there? Councillor Davis replied that it was being monitored and reviewed.  Ms Sutton advised that work had been undertaken with policy officers to investigate the case for this and to gather a localised evidence base for the Evening and Night Time Economy strategy.  There were challenges with some licensed premises in the Berkeley Street area.  The aim was to improve the management of the area, working with premises to address specific issues such as patrons’ behaviour and parking.  The Licensing Charter was a voluntary scheme where the Council would be working with the entertainment industry to be mindful of the impact on communities.

·           Licensing Charter – For how long would the Licensing Charter be piloted in the Heart of London Business Alliance (‘HOLBA’) Business Improvement Area (‘BID’) and how long would it take to roll the Charter out across the borough? Ms Sutton replied that the pilot would start in the HOLBA area.  The BIDs had all been invited to the launch of the Licensing Charter on 30 October.  It was intended that a range of initiatives, including the Best Bar None scheme would be rolled out in other areas.  It was planned that the assessments of businesses for the Best Bar None scheme would be completed in February / March 2018.  The dialogue was continuing with the other BID areas alongside that work.   

·           Green Plaque Scheme – What was the criteria for determining these?  Councillor Davis replied that it was open to anyone to apply.  Consents were required of the property owners and there was a budget the applicants had to contribute towards.  Applications were encouraged and he took the decisions in his role as Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage.  Provided the application was appropriate and not offensive and the criteria was met, including the relevant property owners’ consent given, the plaque was likely to be permitted.  

·           Did the Council wish for shisha to become a licensing activity?  Ms Sutton advised that the Licensing Act 2003 did not permit this.  The Government had responded recently to the House of Lords Select Committee where it had been suggested that health should be a licensing objective.  They had decided not to take this idea forward.  There were different powers to manage any problems arising from shisha use, such as those relating to the Health Act where smoking was taking place inside venues.  The Council was actively progressing a number of enforcement cases and would continue to assess its position in terms of future lobbying.  Ms Sutton added that an event was being organised with Marble Arch BID to talk about best practice in relation to shisha.  Shisha operators would be invited.  Health and safety would be discussed.

It was clarified that Councillor Acton was the relevant Cabinet Member in terms of the Council’s approach towards shisha and the health implications. 

·           Should there be a limit on restaurants, cafés or other similar commercial activities in Oxford Street?  The Deputy Leader/Cabinet member replied that the consultation was currently taking place.  There were proposals to have commercial activities in side streets such as pop up theatres and within Oxford Street to have public art or cafés or performances.  Retail was seen to be changing and it was necessary to engage with people to come to Oxford Street for an experience and be able to enjoy themselves, including having the option to eat, drink and be entertained.

4.3       The Committee also discussed matters that related to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm’s and the Cabinet Member for City Highways’ Cabinet Member Updates.  It was agreed that the Cabinet Member for City Highways would be asked how long the 20mph trial outside of schools would be taking place.  Councillor Scarborough was keen to propose Portland Place as a location for the 20mph trial as there are a number of schools there.  There was also a request that Members were made aware of the papers for the Cabinet CIL Committee when they were available. Councillor Dimoldenberg requested information as to why charges had gone up for electric vehicle owners.  The Chairman stated that he believed that he and Councillor Glanz had previously received a response which provided some clarification on this issue.  It was agreed that the response would be obtained and sent to the Members of the Committee. 

4.4       ACTION: The following actions arose:

·           That the Cabinet Member for City Highways be asked how long the 20mph trial outside of schools would be taking place and whether it was possible to propose an additional location for the trial (Councillor Danny Chalkley, Cabinet Member for City Highways and Olivia Chadelle, Cabinet Officer).

·           That a link be sent to Members of the Council when the papers for the Cabinet CIL Committee are available (Jonathan Deacon, Senior Committee and Governance Officer).

·           That a response which had been sent to Council Members in respect of charges for electric vehicle owners be forwarded to the Committee (Stuart Love, Executive Director for City Management and Communities and Linda Wadkin, Executive Assistant to Chief Executive).

4.5       RESOLVED:

That the contents of the Cabinet Member Updates be noted.