Listening to and Speaking up for Residents
It’s still lockdown for most of us (schools excepted) but things do look brighter. We can now meet one other person outside. The vaccine programme has gone well. I only hear praise. The latest figures I have for the City of London are that 1,700 people have had their first vaccine and that over 80% of those over 65 years have been vaccinated. I’m told that Barts isn’t doing any more first vaccines but will now concentrate on getting the second vaccines to those who had their first vaccine at Barts. We all still need to stay indoors, wear masks and wash our hands frequently but if it helps us get out of lockdown sooner it will definitely be worth it.
Great news! Improvements to air quality and the environment.
I am very pleased to be a member of our Port Health and Environment Committee which is taking innovative action to reduce air pollution in the City. I hope you’ve seen the news in the press about the first of the fleet of 5 new environmentally friendly trucks arriving at the Guildhall. Working with Veolia UK (who manage our waste and cleansing services) we will become the first UK governing body to run a full fleet of Electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (ERCVs) following recent successful trial of the new technology. These vehicles will collect residents’ waste and recycling in the Square Mile.
The new 18-tonne and 26-tonne trucks will be powered by lithium-ion batteries, rather than diesel, and will help to further reduce air pollution in the City. They are part of the City Corporation’s plan to ensure at least 90% of the Square Mile meets World Health Organisation guidelines for nitrogen dioxide by 2025. Let’s hope other local authorities follow our lead as air pollution is the largest environmental risk to public health with up to 36,000 people dying prematurely every year in the UK.
The City Corporation is taking a number of bold and ambitious actions to fight back against toxic air in London.
We are piloting the UK’s first 24/7 zero emission street at Beech Street and will turn other parts of the Square Mile into zero-emissions zones by 2022.
New diesel vehicles have been banned from the City’s fleet, where there is a clean market alternative, and it is leading a London-wide crackdown on drivers who leave their engines idling when parked. The City Corporation’s CityAir app provides over 35,000 Londoners with low pollution travel routes and it has introduced an Emissions Reduction Bill which would give the capital’s local authorities tough new powers to tackle air pollution caused by boilers, construction machinery and diesel generators.
I supported the adoption of a Climate Action Strategy, which will make the Square Mile net zero carbon-emission by 2040, 10 years earlier than government goals. As part of the plans, the City Corporation, has committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its own operations by 2027and 2040 across its investments and supply chain.
A small claim to fame
As it’s International Women’s Day it seems appropriate to mention that a colleague pointed out to me the other day that I am the first Labour councillor of the City of London Corporation to be a deputy chairman of a committee. I actually have two claims to this ‘fame’ as I am Deputy Chairman of the Housing Management and Almshouses Sub Committee which is a sub committee of the Community and Children's Services Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board. Of course it was my fellow councillors who elected me to these positions and it is to them that I am grateful. I hope I live up to their expectations. It is certainly a privilege and I hope to use these positions to further help our residents, workers and visitors to our great city.
Lord Lisvane’s report on the structure of the City of London Corporation.
There is a petition from 4 Common Councillors (including two from Cripplegate) supported by the Barbican Association (BA) and the Golden Lane Residents Association (GLERA) arguing against some of the changes suggested in the Lisvane report for the Planning Committee. The petition calls for the retention of the current voting system on planning applications where decisions are taken by the whole Planning Committee. One of the new suggestions is that small panels of members from the Committee deal with these applications with no member from the ward in which the development is situated being on the panel. This is similar to the Licensing Committee arrangements and the same as arrangements in other local authorities. Of course the public and Members from the affected ward would be allowed to speak but voting would be the responsibility of the panel. There could be Resident Advocates to put the case for residents. I wrote about this in my January newsletter. I am still of the opinion that panels may be the better option but I shall listen to residents’ views and to the debate we will have in Court before finally deciding. I’m disappointed, therefore that both sides of the debate were not put to residents before they were asked to sign the petition. I would have preferred that residents were consulted first and given an opportunity to hear all views. Consultation on this occasion seems to be missing. The petition will be circulated to all City residents associations, house groups and BA and GLERA members for presentation to the Court of Common Council in April.
Elections
Don’t forget that the Mayoral and Greater London Assembly elections are on 6th May 2021. Sadiq Khan is standing for a second term as Mayor of London.
The Labour candidate for the City and East London in the London Assembly is Unmesh Desai (see photo) who is a great guy who deserves to be re elected. Unmesh has represented City and East in the London Assembly since 2016.
He served as a Councillor on the London Borough of Newham from 1998 until 2016, representing East Ham Central. He is now the spokesperson on Policing and Crime and Chair of both the London Assembly Audit Panel and the Police and Crime Committee. During his time on the Assembly, he has campaigned on issues including police pay and conditions, anti-fascism, and hate crime at football grounds. I would urge everyone who can, to get a postal vote. As the virus will still be about on election day, none of us want to not be able to use our vote.
Financial Support for Small and Medium Enterprises
I’m sure that everyone is aware of the difficulties Covid and the subsequent lockdowns have created for many of our small businesses. The City does not feel the same with so many closures. The businesses need us residents and we need them. I was one of about 50 Councillors who proposed a motion to last week’s Court of Common Council to create a new Covid Business Recovery Fund of up to £50 million using its reserves. It was agreed unanimously by Members that grants from the Fund will be made available to small and independent retailers and hospitality businesses together with those providing clinical and professional services (e.g. dentists and opticians) necessary for the successful return of all those who work in businesses in the City.
Businesses applying for support from the Fund will be expected to demonstrate that they are capable of surviving on a viable and going concern basis and that owners have taken other steps to maintain their viability including, where possible, making financial contributions to their own business. Grants from the Fund would normally be dependent on the businesses receiving substantial financial support (not just rent deferrals) from their landlords. Please urge anyone who needs help to contact the Corporation.
Please keep safe.
Please get in touch if you need my help.
My contact details are:
Cripplegate Ward
City of London Corporation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 02073746599 or 07966505643