Agenda and minutes

To note any changes to the membership.

1.1      Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Cameron Thomson and Jason Williams.

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      Councillor Jonathan Glanz declared that he had recently been appointed as a member of the Conservative Technology Forum which was looking at broadband coverage.       

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 10 November 2014.

3.1       RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 10 November 2014 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record of proceedings.

Question And Answer Session With The Deputy Cabinet Member For TheBuilt Environment, Councillor Richard Beddoe(7.05pm – 7.35pm)

4.1       The Committee received written updates from the Cabinet Member for the Built Environment, the Cabinet Member for City Management, Transport and Infrastructure and the Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Parking on significant matters within their portfolios.  

4.2       The Chairman welcomed Councillor Richard Beddoe, the Deputy Cabinet Member for the Built Environment, to the meeting.  Mr Beddoe was able to provide an update on one topic that had not been included in the Cabinet Member written update, the High Speed 2 railway.  It was proposed that Phase 1 would have a terminal in Euston.  The bill for this project was not expected to receive royal assent until 2016/17.  The Council had lodged its petition in relation to its concerns on behalf of residents and businesses.  The Cabinet Member was in favour of the principle of the project but research was taking place into what potential damaging effects there might be.  If the High Speed 2 Phase 1 bill was granted royal assent, the indicated opening date for the railway line to the West Midlands was 2026.  It was envisaged that Phase 2 from the West Midlands north would open in 2033.  The Environmental Statement consultation for the scheme had been published last year.  The final document was due to be published in September 2015.  It was hoped that this document would mitigate the concerns.     

4.3      The Committee put questions to and received responses from Councillor Beddoe on the following matters that were relevant to the Built Environment portfolio:

4.4      Development Planning – Councillor Rampulla asked about the number of new build properties that had been available for private renting on the open market and what the Council was doing to encourage affordable new builds.  Councillor Beddoe replied that this question was perhaps more appropriate for the Cabinet Member for Housing.  However, he advised that the Council was continuing to support affordable housing wherever possible in new developments.  These included at Chelsea Barracks and recently at St John’s Wood Barracks where 59 affordable new units had been approved.  There was not a precise figure for the number of new builds since 2010.  In the 2011 census, the private rented sector comprised 43% of housing stock.   

4.5      Councillor Karen Scarborough asked what the Cabinet Member’s response was to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s (‘DCLG’s’) proposals which were seen as restricting the ability of the Council to apply its short-term letting policy in the future and also to propose the removal of the exemption currently granted to the Central Activity Zone for offices to become housing as permitted development subject to prior approval.  Councillor Beddoe stated that he and the Cabinet Member were working hard with MPs and the Lords in opposing the proposals regarding short term lets.  There was cross party support for this and Karen Buck MP had been particularly helpful.  In respect of the DCLG’s proposed removal of the Central Activity Zone exemption, a response from DCLG to the Council’s consultation submission was awaited.  Councillor Beddoe also emphasised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Presentation of the Waste and Recycling Manager.

6.1.     The Committee received a presentation on the procurement strategy for the waste disposal contract from Phil Robson, Waste and Recycling Manager.  Members were aware that a version of the presentation had been included in the agenda papers which did not include commercially confidential information.  The presentation being given at the meeting did include some commercially sensitive information at the end of the slides and the Chairman suggested that as much of the presentation as possible was heard in public with the few more sensitive aspects raised towards the end in private session.     

6.2      Mr Robson was asked by the Chairman what he hoped to achieve in providing the presentation.  Mr Robson replied that he was aware that waste as a topic had not been discussed at the Committee or scrutinised since the Council elections in May 2014 and only one Councillor had been a member of the Committee prior to that date.  The presentation was therefore an opportunity to give the Committee an up to date concept of the market place, some background to the waste strategy and what the planned next steps were.

6.3      During the presentation, Mr Robson advised that the current waste disposal contracts expired in September 2016.  Three key stages had already been undertaken over an eighteen month period.  These were internal scoping, public consultation on the draft waste strategy and Greater London Authority approval for the final waste strategy.  The procurement phase was now being taken forward.  Mr Robson confirmed that the procurement phase for the contracts expiring in September 2016 did not include waste collection, only disposal.  The three key service drivers for the procurement phase were that the needs of residents and businesses were met, that it was compliant with national and regional waste strategies and it was affordable, particularly given the current climate.

6.4      Mr Robson stated that of the 184,000 tonnes of waste collected per year, 10% was litter, 40% from households and 50% from businesses.  4% of the waste was currently going to landfill, 14% was being recycled and 82% being taken to energy from waste facilities.  Mr Robson provided some background to Members of the Committee’s role with the waste strategy in the past.  This included a Members Task Force which had provided useful recommendations on the structure and content of the public consultation exercise and incentives that would assist in residents and businesses ‘doing the right thing’ in terms of recycling.  The public consultation involved knocking on the doors of over 12,000 residents.  There had also been 450 residents’ responses to an online questionnaire and 49 business responses to the questionnaire.  The responses gave a clear impression that people wanted to recycle more food waste and also battery and waste electrical and electronic equipment.  Mr Robson explained that Westminster did not have garden waste collections.  Only 9% of properties in the borough have gardens and most that do have gardeners to collect the waste so there was a lack of take-up for the service when it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Report of the Head of Economic Development.

5.1      The Chairman stated that the purpose of the item was to get a good understanding of the obstacles and risks to achieving high speed broadband access throughout the borough.  It would then be for Steve Carr, Acting Head of Economic Development, Business & Growth and the Committee to look at what additional work could be done, potentially with the providers, to take this matter forward.

5.2.     Mr Carr introduced the report.  Officers were receiving representations from Members, businesses and residents in relation to cases of poor connectivity and poor broadband speeds.  Currently 47% of premises were receiving superfast broadband.  This was an improved figure from the year before but still remarkably low.  There was a high demand for superfast broadband in Westminster.  There were 47,000 businesses, 65% of which were small firms.  84% of businesses stated in a Council survey that connectivity was very significant for them.  There was a particularly significant digital media presence in the borough.  The Government was promoting broadband connectivity, including with the Broadband Connection Voucher scheme but the rate of take-up was variable.  The Government had permitted broadband street cabinets and other infrastructure to be installed without the need for planning permission. There was a healthy market with huge competition.

5.3      Mr Carr advised that the Council was working with providers currently to examine ways to improve connectivity.  Ideas included using premises and assets in a more proactive way.  Officers were particularly aware of the City of London’s pilot regarding ‘fibre to basement’.  The Council would continue to work with landlords and the property sector.  The Greater London Authority’s (‘GLA) ‘Wired Property Scheme’ with ratings for premises’ connectivity was expected to stimulate demand for broadband.  The Council was liaising with Ofcom and Broadband UK.  Broadband UK was keen to address the issues relating to low levels of connectivity in Whitehall and Soho, including the small micro companies that may not be able to afford the lease lines.  The current meeting was a useful forum to hear from the providers what they believed the barriers to improving connectivity and take-up rates for superfast broadband were.  A connectivity working group had been established to look at some of these issues.  Ben Goward, Interim Chief Information Officer added that in respect of using Council assets, he had been involved in the previous deal with O2 regarding the use of street furniture as locations for 4G and WiFi.  Other local authorities had been looking at maximising use of street assets and other sites such as rooftops, new developments and partnerships with landlords and agencies to provide extra coverage.  Mr Goward was part of a GLA forum examining poor levels of superfast broadband connectivity in London

5.4      Councillor Glanz spoke in his capacity as the Lead Member for Connectivity in addition to being a Member of the Committee.  He described the issues for the large numbers of smaller companies in the creative industries based in West End Ward (particularly Soho), which he represents, who were struggling to achieve the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Committee to consider whether it wishes to issue any press releases in relation to its work.

7.1      The remainder of the meeting was held in public session.  The Chairman advised those present that he had been communicating with Mark Ewbank, Scrutiny Manager and Ellie Caine, Media Officer, regarding the broadband item prior to the meeting and they would discuss the following day the merits of a press release on this topic.  Councillors Rampulla and Scarborough recommended that there was a press release to state who had given evidence at the meeting and inform people of the range of providers offering a service to Westminster customers.

Report of the Scrutiny Manager.

8.1      The Committee considered that it was appropriate to retain two way traffic schemes and the Walking Strategy as items for the next meeting scheduled for Monday 2 March.   The Committee also decided the progress of the Westminster Community Infrastructure Levy would remain on the Work Programme for the April meeting and that an item on climate change would specifically focus on reducing emissions in the borough.        

8.2      It was proposed that the last scheduled meeting of the Committee in the Council year 2014/15 would be held on Monday 13 April.  This had been the original date of the meeting.  This appeared to be a date when many Members of the Committee were able to attend and it was noted that the Cabinet Member for the Built Environment was available.  It was agreed that the Minority Party Chief Whip would be consulted on the proposed date of the April meeting.

8.3      ACTION: That the Minority Party Chief Whip be consulted on the proposed date of the April meeting.

8.4      RESOLVED: That the Annual Work Programme 2014/15 be amended accordingly.

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