Agenda item

The overarching theme for this session on the Health of the Borough review is 'Physical Health'; these are the sub- themes:

a)  The provision of cycle paths

b)  The provision of safe walking routes

c)  The provision of indoor & outdoor exercise space

d)  Availability of healthy eating establishments

e)  Availability of alcohol on our high streets and in pubs and bars

The meeting will start with a presentation by Public Health setting the scene and then Cllr Mark Williams, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, will introduce work the council is doing to improve active travel, including the draft cycling strategy. This can be accessed here:

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200107/transport_policy/3623/cycling_strategy#

The committee will then have a round table discussion on Physical Health. This part will be open to representatives from community organisations and active citizens. Representatives from Southwark Cyclists, Stop Killing Cyclists and Southwark Living Streets are attending and have submitted evidence.

5.1  The chair invited everybody to introduce themselves: Councillor Mark Williams, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport; Simon Bevan, Director of Planning; Dr Ruth Wallis , Director of Public Health ; Jin Lim, Assistant Director, Public Health; Rose Dalton –Lucas, Health Improvement Partnership Manager; Stop Killing Cyclists representative Professor Brendan Delaney (an expert on GP Practice) ; Southwark Cyclists representatives Alastair Hanton & Bruce Lynn (former professor of Physiology at University College London) and Jeremy Leach, Southwark Living Streets.

5.2  The chair then invited the cabinet lead, Councillor Mark Williams, to introduce work the council is doing to improve active travel, including the draft cycling strategy.  He opened by remarking that his brief: Transport, Planning and Regeneration,  all links to the reviews theme of improving physical health. Sustainable transport promotes active travel - for example cycling. The cycling strategy is now being consulted on and seeking a range of views - including those that do not cycle as the strategy wants to overcome barriers preventing more people cycling. There will be a grid and spine network of cycle lanes and provision. The delivery of this will be linked to regeneration by using a mix of funding from developers, Transport for London and the Mayor for London. The council will also be developing a walking strategy. The cabinet lead said that good quality Public Transport is also key to improving health and promoting active travel as people have to walk to access this. Public Transport also helps with air quality and promotes well-being as it links people and communities up.

5.3  The cabinet lead spoke about the importance of improving air quality and said this was killing 130 Southwark residents each year. The evidence is that fine particulates (PM 10) stunts children’s lungs for life. The council is lobbying the Mayor for London for an Ultra Low Emission Zone to cover a wide area, and to make it more robust as at the moment it is very fluffy. He said he was worried that a small Ultra Low Emission Zone could push more pollution around the periphery and the level of pollution around the Old Kent Road is already very high for fine and very fine particulates (PM10 and PM 2.5). He added that the council is looking at what we can do to improve the green space around Old Kent Road to reduce this. 

5.4  Simon Bevan, Director of Planning , commented that the Planning Department is not going solve some of these issues very quickly as the restrictions will only stop some proliferation of problems, rather than reducing existing ones . Walking routes are also about attractive routes that are safe and people want to use. Regeneration schemes will enable the council to act on long term plans like Old Kent Road.

5.5  The cabinet lead commented that the recent parliamentary report (Action on Air Quality) suggested moving schools and houses away from traffic, but the council think it is more straightforward to move the traffic.

5.6  A Southwark Cyclists representative suggested using all the parks to link up cycling throughout the borough and the cabinet lead assured the representative that there are many such plans in the strategy.

5.7  The issue of railings disappearing was raised and there was a suggestion that the council provide more bike hangers to ensure there is ample parking space for cyclists.

5.8  A member welcomed the strategy but commented that it was not nearly ambitious enough and suggested putting the target of increasing cycling up from 10% to 20 %. He went on to mention a recent presentation he had attended by Andrew Grieve of King’s College Hospital,  on Air Quality and how shocked he was by the levels of pollution in the borough , particularly that  caused by diesel engines and the concentrations around main roads – it is so severe that the sensible thing is to get off main roads and into side streets.

5.9  The cabinet lead responded to the proposal that the cycling strategy raise the target by remarking that now up to 4 and a half journeys are made by cycling,  so going to 10 percent would mean doubling the number of journeys taken. He said if the council make progress on reaching this target, then it could be raised to 20%.

5.10  The Stop Killing Cycling representative said that the steps outlined in the cycling strategy were good, but did not go nearly enough. He emphasised the need to set a much bolder target, and said to do that we need to be re- prioritise transport away from cars. He said that as a GP he recommends cycling for health and when he asks people why they do not cycle people say it is too dangerous. We therefore need to change our provision so people feel safer to cycle. Another cycling representatives also welcomed the strategy and the recommendations but agreed it was not nearly ambitious enough.

5.11  The proposals to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone were discussed and the impact on areas outside the congestion zone, and it was suggested that it would be possible to improve conditions on Jamaica Road by banning cars, or pressurising TFL to do this. The Director of Pubic Health said that a Southwark Congestion Zone has been muted.

5.12  Cycling representatives asked if Public Health money could be invested in this. The Public Health Director said that out of a budget of £22 million about a third spent on sexual health, a third on drugs and alcohol and a third on health checks, smoking prevention and obesity. It was suggested more be spent on active transport as it would prevent obesity, which is a root cause of much ill health. The Director of Public Health commented that money is committed to active travel and agreed with the importance of tackling obesity. Public Heath officers reported that there were programmes supporting cycling. The Public Health Director said that about 20% of the population are not moving much.

5.13  The cabinet lead explained the pressures that the council budget faces; out of a former council budget of £400 million, £90 million has already been lost and the council is due to lose £35 million every year. The opportunities to make infrastructure changes now come from leveraging in developers money and also TFL.

5.14  A cycling representative said he was not suggesting raiding the £22 million Public Health budget but emphasised the importance of tackling ill health by promoting clean air and active travel.

5.15  A cycling representative referred to the Clinical Commissioning Budget and its current expenditure on things that do not make sense rather than tackling the root causes of ill health. He suggested accessing that. The cabinet lead commented that this is a very large budget of £400 million per year. Another cycling representative agreed it was madness to put half the population on statins and perform Bariatric Surgery rather than improve the environment.

5.16  A member said that she was preoccupied by the attainment gap and interested in the links between obesity, lack of exercise and the impact on education. She said that the council do need to think how about how we communicate with people. Another member agreed and pointed out the benefits of social media.

5.17  A cycling representative produced a graph which showed that children in Southwark are the most obese in thein UK and only 1 out of 150 are cycling to school, whereas 5% cycle to school in Richmond and obesity is much lower. The cabinet lead commented that the council will know we have got it right if parents let their children cycle to school. He said there was a "Bike It" officer in post to promote cycling in Dulwich.

5.18  A member commented that the Publish Health money is well spent as the council is at the wrong end of performance on sexual health and drugs & alcohol. He asked if Section 106 money, which developers pay to the council, has to be spent on capital. The cabinet lead responded that some can be spent on revenue, and that better use could be made of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding. He said that money from this has been used to improve walking and inward investment around the Tate Modern.

5.19  Jeremy Leach commented that embedding walking is very important and congratulated the council on the 20 mile an hour borough, which is a very bold step. He advocated reducing permeability for motor vehicles, investment in local high streets and in play streets and making them work in more difficult areas. He said that road pricing is back on agenda and that we need to recognise the dis- benefits of motor vehicles and face that.

5.20  A member commented that the community perception can be that a small minority have moved into the area and promoted an anti car, pro-cycling & walking agenda, but this is not true; actually 70 percent are in favour of promoting walking, cycling, public transport and reducing the role of cars. He said that we do need to ensure that local advocacy and community groups are representative and that we need to reach out to a broader group of people.

5.21  A member asked the Director of Planning if the Marmot Indicators on Public Health are used to judge developers proposals. The Director said that more could be done; there are sustainability appraisals for larger schemes and the planning department encourage developers to provide a cycle store in housing schemes as this really does support people. The member suggested a Public Health assessment be done on every development. Another member commented that when the planning committees looks at developments the assessment of the impact on air quality and sustainably often do not say much – councillors and officers could be more demanding. Members agreed and also about being more robust in the defence of car free planning with the public. The cabinet lead commented that now only about a third of the population  actually have a car.

5.22  A member raised the issue of alcohol and the expressed disappointment that minimum alcohol pricing was not agreed at national government level, and expressed concern that the council’s alcohol planning policy is not working at a cumulative level and effecting individual planning decisions sufficiently.