Issue - decisions

2.       Recommendations

2.1      The Deputy Leader (Delivery) and Cabinet Member for Environment and City Management approved the four Street Types and that they are incorporated within the design and implementation stages of all Highways, Public Realm and Parking schemes on the street from 2019/20 onwards.   

2.2       The Deputy Leader (Delivery) and Cabinet Member for Environment and City Management noted that the proposed Street Types should be regarded as flexible to the circumstances of each scheme or project during their design stage and that the criteria is reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect any changing council priorities.

2.3       The Deputy Leader (Delivery) and Cabinet Member for Environment and City Management approved the delivery of an annual monitoring/ intelligence plan and Annual Traffic Forum, as set out in Section 9 of the report.

3.        Reasons for Decision  

3.1      Over the past 10-20 years, there had been substantial changes in the travel patterns and behaviours of residents, workers and visitors in Westminster and across central London at large. From an already low base-line, many of central London’s residents no longer use their private vehicle to commute to work and instead more are walking, cycling, using private hire vehicles or working from home. However, at the same time there has been a rise in the number of people shopping online and therefore receiving more deliveries to their home address leading to an increase in small delivery vehicles. Londoners are also increasingly more aware of their own responsibilities, with respect to how they travel and the impact that their behaviours have on: air quality, noise pollution, pedestrian safety, and health and wellbeing.

3.2      It is therefore important that the City Council reviews how the already congested kerbside and road space will be managed into the future, particularly in line with changing residents, businesses and visitors travel and shopping behaviours, to ensure effective operation of the city.