London Councils
Minutes of the meeting of the Leaders’ Committee held on 10 June 2008
Cllr Merrick Cockell chaired the meeting
Present:
BARKING AND DAGENHAM -
BARNET Cllr Mike Freer
BEXLEY Cllr Teresa O’Neill
BRENT Cllr Bob Wharton
BROMLEY Cllr S. L. Carr
CAMDEN Cllr Keith Moffitt
CROYDON Cllr Mike Fisher
EALING Cllr Jason Stacey
ENFIELD Cllr Mike Rye
GREENWICH Cllr Chris Roberts
HACKNEY Mayor Jules Pipe
HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM Cllr Alex Karmel
HARINGEY Cllr George Meehan
HARROW Cllr David Ashton
HAVERING Cllr Michael White
HILLINGDON Cllr Douglas Mills
HOUNSLOW Cllr Peter Thompson
ISLINGTON Cllr James Kempton
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA Cllr Merrick Cockell
KINGSTON Cllr Derek Osbourne
LAMBETH Cllr Jackie Meldrum
LEWISHAM Mayor Sir Steve Bullock
MERTON Cllr David T. Williams
NEWHAM Cllr Pat Murphy
REDBRIDGE Cllr Ronnie Barden
RICHMOND UPON THAMES Cllr Serge Lourie
SOUTHWARK Cllr Nick Stanton
SUTTON Cllr Sean Brennan
TOWER HAMLETS Cllr Lutfur Rahman
WALTHAM FOREST Cllr Clyde Loakes
WANDSWORTH Cllr Maurice Heaster
WESTMINSTER Cllr Colin Barrow
CITY OF LONDON Mr Stuart Fraser
LFEPA Cllr Brian Coleman
MPA -
Ex officio (under the provisions of Standing Order 2.2):
HOUSING Cllr Jamie Carswell
Ex officio (under the provisions of Standing Order 2.3):
TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT Cllr Daniel Moylan
Ex officio (under the provisions of Standing Order 2.4):
EQUALITIES Cllr Anjana Patel
Apologies:
BARKING AND DAGENHAM Cllr Liam Smith
WANSDWORTH Cllr Edward Lister
Officers of London Councils were in attendance.
1. Declarations of interest
None were made.
2. Mayor of London, Mr Boris Johnson
The Chairman welcomed Mayor of London Mr Boris Johnson and Deputy Mayor Mr Ian Clement. The Chairman looked forward to a period of all parties working positively with the new Mayor and explained the background to a Memorandum of Understanding that had been agreed between London Councils and the Mayor. It was designed, he went on to say, ultimately to lead to a charter between the two parties and had come out of a document, Trusting Devolution, that had been produced by London Councils in the run-up to the Mayoral election and sent to all candidates. Boris Johnson had responded favourably and the first stage of working towards the charter would be a congress of borough leaders later in the year and the establishment of a delivery board for London
Mayor of London, Mr Boris Johnson gave a presentation:
He thanked the Chairman for all the hard work put into getting the memorandum agreed between the parties and the beginnings of the charter and cited the case of the introduction of trams into London in the early twentieth century as a lesson from history as to why a document like the concordat was needed. A political and technical disagreement had blocked the expansion of the tram network even though it was desired both by the boroughs and the regional tier of government, the London County Council. As we look back we are surely entitled to speculate that London’s first tram network would have run more smoothly if our predecessors had had the benefit of the City Charter we are moving towards agreeing today. We cannot iron out the democratic higgledy-piggledyness of our system, nor would we want to, what we can do is work together in the interests of London.
Mayor Johnson then answered questions:
Question / Mayor Johnson...Mayor Sir Steve Bullock (Labour, Lewisham) asked how the charter might help in the area of shared responsibility for policing? For a long time boroughs, the Mayor and the Assembly had been looking at how best to drive down decision-making to borough level. Also a close relationship has developed in most boroughs with the borough commander / ...would like to see more systematic public meetings involving borough leaders and borough commanders and such an approach could be progressed through the charter. The police could be invited to the proposed London delivery board in an effort to make policing more responsive to borough needs.
Cllr Sean Brennan (Liberal Democrat, Sutton) asked whether the charter could be used to achieve a more flexible approach to the Mayor’s Housing Strategy? / ...reflected that it had been the principal question in the election campaign and he considered that he was as one with the vast majority of borough leaders on the issue. He was flexible on the 50% target at Borough level and would not be doctrinaire, especially if it would inhibit good developments. He hoped the charter would assist in moving all parties forward without polemics.
Cllr Michael White (Conservative, Havering) asked what the new Mayor’s approach would be to Waste and Recycling? / ...would chair the London Waste and Recycling Board and would release the money earmarked for it. He hoped that some lively competition could be set up between boroughs within the system.
Cllr Serge Lourie (Liberal Democrat, Richmond) responded to the Mayor’s proposal about public meetings with borough commanders by saying that that already happens in the form of the Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP) which were not mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding / ...hoped that LSPs would dovetail into the meetings he proposed.
Cllr Jamie Carswell (Labour, Housing) recommended the Housing Vision for London published by London Councils as a cross-party consensus last year that looked at a number of areas including homelessness and sustainable communities. He welcomed the Mayor’s manifesto commitments about London-wide targets and heard the clear message about not wishing to be doctrinaire but wanted to know if the mayor would be setting housing targets? / ...wanted to build the affordable housing that was needed. There was a housing crisis in the City but he was adamant that he did not want the approach he adopted to be doctrinaire.
Cllr Mike Rye (Conservative, Enfield) asked about local authority’s place-shaping role in London. In his borough there were a large number of brownfield sites that would benefit from re-designation for mixed development. The over-supply of one and two bed, rather than family, homes in his borough has meant the introduction of a transitory community into his borough. / ...agreed that there was a need to go in the direction that Cllr. Rye had indicated.
Cllr Clyde Loakes (Labour, Waltham Forest) asked the Mayor to listen to the concerns of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) before allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes. / ...replied that he had read the TfL report which had argued that there were no real dangers created by motorcycles in bus lanes, in fact, the evidence – if anything – was to the contrary.
Cllr Serge Lourie (Conservative, Richmond) called upon the Mayor to repeat the concerns he had voiced over the third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport to the Conservative party’s national leadership and, in particular, to persuade the national spokeswoman, Theresa Villiers, to cease prevarication on the issue. / ...….agreed that he and the boroughs need to work together on this and that he could be counted on to put this point across
Cllr Chris Roberts (Labour, Greenwich) asked whether the Mayor would consider delegating some of TfL’s roads budget to the boroughs as part of a better devolution of planning. / ...had heard much of the argument about the failure of TfL on individual roads and would discuss devolution further.
Cllr James Kempton (Liberal Democrat, Islington) asked what methods would TfL use to reduce speeds on residential streets? / ...was emphatic that there would be no more speed humps and that there are other measures that can be used
Cllr Mike Freer (Conservative, Barnet) asked about the difficulties experienced of homes ‘blighted’ by the North Circular Road in his borough. / ...well understood the difficulties experienced and was aware of the 79 three and four bedroom homes affected but did not have a final solution at this stage
Cllr Ronnie Barden (Conservative, Redbridge) asked whether traffic lights have been re-phased since it seemed that extra time had been added to the red phase. / ...pragmatic solutions are needed and the Mayor stated he was committed to ensuring traffic runs smoothly. He also explained he was committed to re-phasing traffic lights but without prejudicing the rights or safety of vulnerable road users.
Cllr Jason Stacey (Conservative, Ealing) asked the Mayor about his predecessor’s commitment to build a tram down the Uxbridge Rd and about his commitment to Crossrail / ...reassured that he would not pursue the idea of a tram down the Uxbridge Rd. but that he was committed to Crossrail.
Cllr Sean Brennan (Liberal Democrat, Sutton, Sustainability) asked what were the mayor’s top priorities in his Transport Strategy? / ...gave his view of the history of transport in London in the previous sixteen years as one geared to using the surface to deliver mass transportation because of the expense of projects on the underground. His first priority was to get the underground network moving people around London. The surface was not an alternative but there was a need to link the overground and underground networks.
Cllr Derek Osbourne (Liberal Democrat, Kingston) applauded the Mayor’s commitment to Crossrail but argued that the tube was primarily a north London service and in south London local economic viability was dependent on orbital travel and he would like an investigation mounted into transport in south London. / ...saw the potential for huge gains to be made and thought orbital bus links should be trialed.
Mayor Jules Pipe (Labour, Hackney) remarked that the Mayor’s predecessor had been committed to Crossrail 1 but also to Crossrail 2 as his next big project, the Hackney – Chelsea link. Was the new Mayor committed to this project over a 10-20 year cycle as well? / ..considered it a wonderful project that he would throw his weight behind when the time came but argued that there were other issues that also need consideration. In particular he felt that there had to be a debate on more eco-friendly transport solutions in the Thames estuary.
Cllr Alex Karmel (Conservative, Hammersmith and Fulham) argued that the District line was the most economically important in London and yet it was not to be overhauled until 2017. Could that date not be brought forward? / ...undertook to make that request directly to TfL and argued the need to lobby together on the issue.
Cllr Clyde Loakes (Labour, Waltham Forest) pointed out there was a lot of unused capacity in the orbital rail system and despite the strong emotional attachment in London to the underground, it was the rail system that was under-used. Specifically he wanted to know if the Mayor could bring forward the reopening of the Hall Farm Curve / ...argued the need to look at unexplored solutions to the problems of the overland network. He would look at the question of the Hall Farm Curve.
Cllr. Colin Barrow (Conservative, Westminster) pointed out that Oxford Street was strategically important to London, attracting many visitors. One issue that needed to be resolved was the retailers’ desire to pedestrianise Oxford Street, a project not supported by Westminster CC. He asked the Mayor to ensure that Tfl engaged properly with the issue and in particular the needs of the radial bus network. / ...was fully aware of the problem but had not yet had the opportunity to get the relevant TfL people around the table.
Cllr Michael White (Conservative, Havering, Improvement) wanted a commitment to a general discussion of the importance of the Thames Gateway to London / ...agreed and saw the area as key to solving some of London’s housing problems. There is an inadequate grip on this issue and it could be something that the proposed delivery board looks at
Cllr Nick Stanton (Liberal Democrat, Southwark) asked whether the Mayor was satisfied with the MPA’s consultation over police station closures? / ...said he was not. Kit Malthouse has since announced that he will be reviewing plans for the Met’s estate over the summer and nothing will be done in haste
Cllr Jackie Meldrum (Labour, Lambeth) talked about the Guns and Gangs work done in Lambeth and asked whether the Mayor planned to continue the GLA’s strategic work on the life chances of young people? / ...saw this work as a huge priority. Where there were good projects they would continue to be supported by the LDA and he would set up a Mayor’s Fund to support groups working with children.
Cllr Douglas Mills (Conservative, Hillingdon) thought that Safer Neighbourhood Teams often spent too long in town centres. / ...was in favour of as much local flexibility as possible to determine priorities but was also committed to the Safer Neighbourhood Teams approach.
Mayor Jules Pipe (Labour, Hackney) pointed out that Safer Neighbourhood Teams had brought crime down in Hackney by 34% and in the light of this success wanted a commitment from the Mayor not to change Safer Neighbourhood Teams / ...did not want to pre-empt any measures that may be brought in but reassured that he was a great believer in Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
Cllr David T. Williams (Conservative, Merton) argued that many outer London boroughs were starved of money from the LDA / ...was clear there was no witch-hunt in the LDA and was adamant that much of the spending in recent years had been well-directed and had achieved excellent results. However, he wanted to ensure that stories about miss-direction of funds were never repeated.
Cllr Chris Roberts (Labour, Greenwich) asked what could be done to raise the status of borough commanders within the MPS as well as devolving control to them: they currently do not even have control of their own staff budgets. / ...agreed and thought the idea of promoting greater devolved responsibility was something he would like to pursue with London Councils.
Cllr Derek Osbourne (Liberal Democrat, Kingston) suggested that the guidance on the disposal of police stations needed to be examined as there could be a conflict if, for example, a borough commander objected to a disposal for conversion to, say, a public house on potential public nuisance grounds. / ...undertook to look at the question raised and thought the question of how far a borough commander could be overruled by other London-wide agencies needed to be examined.
Mayor Sir Steve Bullock (Labour, Lewisham) argued that the violent deaths of young people were caused by a complex series of inter-locking issues and that immediate reactions can lead to the demonising of all young people and the impression that all streets are unsafe. / ...argued that public feeling about the issue needed to be mobilised and expressed a concern that people erroneously thought that politicians did not take the issue seriously. It was a question that needed to be examined in a quiet, non-hysterical way.
Cllr Stephen Carr (Conservative, Bromley) argued that a reconstruction of the former Crystal Palace on the Crystal Palace site would be positive for the people of the boroughs of Bromley, Croydon and Lambeth and would provide opportunities for young and old alike. / ...said that Cllr Carr would be more than welcome to come and make the case for the proposal to him and hoped that his would be a mayorality in which Londoners would feel confident in their ability to come to present the case for such schemes to him.
Mayor Johnson’s final comment was to ask how leaders felt about a Mayoral visit to Boroughs and when there was general agreement the Chairman closed the session by thanking Mayor Johnson for his presentation, his answers to questions and for his agreement to the Memorandum of Understanding and expressed his hope that the Mayor would be able to attend a Leaders’ Committee on at least an annual basis.