Agenda item

Written updates from the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage (Appendix 1), the Cabinet Member for City Highways (Appendix 2) and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm (Appendix 3).

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.  The Committee put questions to and received responses from Councillor Chalkley on a number of matters that were relevant to his portfolio.  Kevin Goad, Director of City Highways, was also in attendance for this item.  The matters raised included the following topics:

·           Surface Water Management – Councillor Chalkley was asked for an update on the maintenance of gulleys.  He replied that there had been issues regarding gulleys being blocked last winter.  A new contractor had since been employed and was doing a very good job.  A combination of the new contractor and an investment of £250,000 in the current Highways Programme approved in April 2017 had led to significant improvements in respect of the gulleys.   

·           The Cabinet Member was asked to provide further clarification on the removal of vehicles on single and double yellow lines by a recovery vehicle in order to access gullies.  Councillor Chalkley replied that he had re-instated the ability to relocate any vehicles which block gulleys as the cost of clearing gulleys on a reactive basis is approximately four times the price of a planned process.  The removal/recovery vehicle is shared with the Parking team.

·           Were there any measures which could be taken to move foreign owned vehicles which are parked illegally for extensive periods of time?  Councillor Chalkley advised that the Council’s options in this regard are very limited.  The Council could not be expected to pursue and fund cases against owners of foreign vehicles through international courts.      

·           When would the annual highways programme be published?  Councillor Chalkley replied that this would be published shortly and would take into account a report from the lay panel which he had established in order to ensure that the programme was more reflective of the needs and experience of residents and businesses.

·           Effective Neighbourhood Working Programme – Clarification was sought on the Programme.  The Cabinet Member responded that staff in City Management and Communities, Growth Planning and Housing and Public Health were being consulted on the remodelling of the structure of their sections until 7 March 2018.  He added that the purpose of the Programme was to improve the all-round skills of individuals in order to provide a better service for residents.  He also informed the Committee that there would not be a loss of City Inspectors.  One aspect was to improve the skills of City Inspectors so that they were able if necessary to carry out highways inspections.

Councillor Chalkley was asked about the likelihood of significant redundancies and whether there was the potential for the service to be less effective as a result.  He replied that there would be some people leaving the organisation.  In relation to the posts that would be deleted there were a number of vacant posts.  The feedback he had received from staff responding to the consultation was that they were largely positive that they would be provided with additional skills and have the opportunity to undertake different aspects of the work that were not currently in the remit of the roles.    

·           The Chairman referred to an article published on 7 February 2018 by Tom Edwards, Transport Correspondent for London at BBC in response to a leaked e-mail at Transport for London (‘TfL’).  The article confirmed that TfL was facing significant challenges in balancing its budget.  It was likely that TfL would be providing less financial contributions to the City Council’s projects.  Councillor Chalkley/Mr Goad were requested to set out in a written response what the risks associated with this would be.

·           20mph trial zones – Further information was requested on the monitoring of the 20mph trial zones.  Councillor Chalkley stated that there was electronic monitoring equipment in place which showed the speeds of the vehicles and recorded the data.  The data was being collected over a twelve month period until September 2018.  No analysis had yet been carried out.  It was intended that after September 2018 the project would be evaluated and residents and Ward Councillors would be consulted on what should happen regarding the zones.  The Cabinet Member clarified that only the Police had a role in enforcing the 20mph speed limit in the trial zones.

·           When would the CityWest Homes Traffic Management Orders be established for parking in their Estates such as Churchill Gardens Estate?  Councillor Chalkley responded that he would communicate with CityWest Homes on this matter and would then write to Councillor Williams. 

4.3       ACTION: The following actions arose:

·           That a written response be provided to the Chairman on the risks associated with TfL potentially reducing their financial contributions to the City Council’s projects (Councillor Chalkley, Olivia Chadelle (Cabinet Officer) and Kevin Goad).

·           That the Cabinet Member for City Highways communicate with CityWest Homes regarding when Traffic Management Orders will be established for parking in their Estates and write to Councillor Williams with a response (Councillor Chalkley and Olivia Chadelle).

4.4       RESOLVED:

That the contents of the Cabinet Member Updates be noted.