Agenda item

Councillor Mark Williams, the cabinet member for regeneration, planning and transport, to present the theme for the meeting.

(see pages 1 - 4 of the main agenda and page 1 of supplemental agenda 4)

The cabinet member for regeneration, planning and transport, Mark Williams, presented the motion on the themed debate.

Councillor Damian O’Brien, the lead opposition spokesperson for transport, responded to the cabinet member’s motion and proposed Amendment A.

Following debate (Councillors Leo Pollak, Peter John, Charlie Smith, Lisa Rajan, Helen Hayes, Kieron Williams, Jamille Mohammed, David Noakes, Evelyn Akoto, Catherine Dale, Nick Dolezal, Eliza Mann, Barrie Hargrove and David Hubber), the cabinet member for regeneration, planning and transport responded to the debate.

Amendment A was put to the vote and declared to be lost.

The substantive motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

RESOLVED:

Traffic and transport including cycling and public transport

1.  That a well resourced, well maintained and accessible transport system can improve the lives of our residents, expand economic growth, improve public health and make the borough a more pleasant place to live. Council assembly recognises the need for a robust transport policy that enables people to travel around the borough and access services as freely and easily as possible, while at the same time minimising the environmental impact of transport and making the borough a safer, cleaner, healthier and more attractive place to live.

2.  That council assembly believes that transport policy should reflect an emphasis on public transport, including improving walking and cycling routes, increasing bus capacity and improving transport links for people living in outreach areas of the borough, who are currently poorly served by National Rail.

3.  That council assembly recognises the key role played by the council in promoting and encouraging sustainable forms of transport, such as walking and cycling, to improve health and air quality, and to improve the public realm, including streets, parks and open spaces.

4.  That council assembly welcomes the progress made by the council to reduce traffic and encourage more environmentally friendly forms of transport. In particular, council assembly welcomes the launch of the new cycling strategy for consultation, which aims to both improve cycling experiences and increase the number of people cycling in the borough.

Economic growth

5.  That council assembly recognises the potential for improvements in transport to unlock economic growth by increasing employment opportunities, opening up connectivity across the borough and improving links between Southwark and the rest of London.

6.  That with a projected population increase of 19% over the next fifteen years, it is essential to ensure capacity and affordability of public transport in Southwark by maintaining and improving the existing transport network, to ensure that those who live and work in the borough are able to make journeys as freely and easily as possible.

7.  That council assembly recognises that significant public transport improvements are needed in parts of the borough which are currently under-served and in need of additional investment.

8.  That council assembly fully supports Labour’s campaign to extend the Bakerloo line south of Elephant and Castle and welcomes the cross party support for this campaign. Council Assembly welcomes that after more than 100 years since the extension was first proposed, a consultation is now being undertaken by TfL to consider options for the route.

9.  That council assembly supports the expansion of the Bakerloo line to serve both Camberwell and the Old Kent Road and calls on Cabinet to continue pushing for a two-branch extension with Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London and to push for a more ambitious timetable for the delivery of the Bakerloo line extension.

10.  That council assembly calls on the cabinet to support small businesses in Southwark and encourage people to shop locally by supporting the small business Saturday campaign, including suspending parking charges to encourage people to shop locally.

Public health

11.  That council assembly recognises the potential to improve public health through transport policy, by encouraging residents in the borough to make more active journeys walking and cycling. Council assembly believes that sustainable journeys should be prioritised and encouraged through transport policy.

12.  That over 100 people in Southwark die prematurely each year from poor air quality. Council assembly supports the implementation of an Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in London, but believes that the current ULEZ proposal by TfL will not go far enough to improve air quality across the capital. Council assembly calls on the cabinet to press the Mayor and TfL to consider Labour’s proposed revisions to the scheme, including widening the zone beyond the Central London Congestion Charge boundary, committing to levy increased charges for more polluting vehicles, introducing a scrappage scheme to provide targeted assistance to drivers and cleaning up the TfL bus fleet.

13.  That council assembly welcomes the launch of the borough’s new cycling strategy, which aims to increase the number and quality of cycling journeys made in Southwark. Council assembly welcomes the cabinet’s commitment to more than double cycling in the next ten years by proving the infrastructure, education and information needed to get more people cycling. Council assembly also welcomes the fact that more money is being spent on cycling in Southwark than ever before, with £2 million funding committed for cycling over the next four years.

14.  That council assembly calls on the cabinet to:

1)  Continue investing in cycling, both to make roads safer and to promote  cycling as a healthy more of transport.

2)  Invest in cycling infrastructure, including:

·  Introducing new cycle routes

·  Closing off roads to motor vehicles to make routes more accessible for cyclists

·  Identifying areas where segregated cycle lanes could be introduced to improve cycle safety

·  Pressing TfL for an expansion of the cycle hire scheme.

Making the borough a more pleasant place to live

15.  That prioritising sustainable modes of transport and designing roads and public spaces to be more pedestrian friendly has a positive impact on the public realm, making the borough cleaner, greener and a more attractive place for people to live and work.

16.  That closing off roads to enable children to play outdoors can promote healthy activities and bring together the community in a positive way. Council assembly calls on the cabinet to continue to promote play streets, making it easier and safer for children to play outdoors in Southwark.

17.  That council assembly welcomes the steps taken by the council to ensure we have a transport system that works for all, by improving disabled access and making Southwark an age friendly borough. Council assembly believes that significant access improvements are needed across the London transport system and welcome’s the Mayor of London’s recognition of the need for improved step free access in the London Infrastructure Plan. However, council assembly believes that the Mayor’s commitment to step free access in two thirds of stations by 2050 is not sufficient, and calls on the cabinet to push the Mayor of London to commit to a more ambitious target of step free access across the London transport network by 2030.

18.  That council assembly welcomes the council’s ambitious step to become a 20mph borough, making Southwark a pioneering council in London committed to reducing road casualties and creating a more pleasant environment for people in the borough.

19.  That council assembly recognises the potential for transport improvements to transform communities; making improvements to streets and public spaces by opening up areas and making them even better places to live, work and visit.

20.  That council assembly welcomes the cabinet’s commitment to transform the Elephant and Castle area through one of the biggest regeneration projects in London. Council assembly calls on the cabinet to work with TfL to deliver proposals to remove the northern roundabout and create a major new public space, to improve walking and cycling routes and to make the area feel cleaner and greener.

21.  That council assembly welcomes the cabinet’s commitment to transform the Old Kent Road, making it more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists. Council assembly welcomes the designation of the Old Kent Road as an opportunity area, but recognises that the area is desperately in need of better public transport links. Council assembly calls on the cabinet to lobby the Mayor of London for infrastructure improvements, improved public transport connections and the extension of the Bakerloo line to support the development of the area. Council assembly welcomes the consultation on options for the area.

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.