To receive any questions from members of the public which have been submitted in advance of the meeting in accordance with the cabinet procedure rules. The deadline for the receipt of public questions is midnight Wednesday 1 June 2016.
Minutes:
Public Question from Fay Walker
Given infrastructure at Canada Water is already at capacity, can you guarantee that further residential development will not be allowed before all necessary provision has been made in terms of transport, GPs surgeries, schools, leisure facilities etc?
Response from Cabinet Member for Regeneration and New Homes
The council is expecting to receive planning applications which will deliver its vision for the highest quality new town centre at Canada Water which will deliver quality shopping and public realm, jobs, homes and new open spaces. The applicants will be required to submit material in support of the application including details of the impact on transport and other local services for assessment by the Local Planning Authority [LPA]. The LPA will consult relevant statutory agencies responsible for services such as TfL, NHS Southwark, and Southwark Children’s Services, and the outcome of this process will form part of the report which will be considered by the planning committee. In anticipation of the application the council is working actively with its partners to plan services to meet the additional demand created through the anticipated development. We are confident that these measures summarised below will meet planned growth at Canada Water; however we will continue to monitor the impact of development through the planning process and modify plans as necessary.
Transport
Our current approach is to address capacity through a multimodal interventions as follows;
· TfL have increased Jubilee line trains to 30 per hour at peak times in 2015, and have committed to increasing this to 36 per hour serving Canada Water station during the busiest periods by 2019. This upgrade will result in one train every 2 minutes at peak periods. The opening of the Elizabeth line (formerly Crossrail) in 2018 and improved services on the Overground will also help to relieve congestion. Canada Water station is experiencing higher than normal levels of usage at the moment due to works at London Bridge Station, and these will be completed in 2018.
· The council has recognised that traffic congestion around Lower Road and Jamaica Road is a problem for residents on the peninsular. The council continues to work with TfL to bring forward plans for improving this highway corridor. Rotherhithe roundabout has now been included in TfL’s better junctions programme which will provide investment to transform this unsafe and unwelcoming section of the local highway network.
· TfL are considering options to improve bus routes to better meet the needs of residents and to improve capacity for the future. The plans will be set out in a "bus network plan" to be published later this year. It is expected to focus on improved services for Canada Water station and local shops. The plans will include improvements to roads and infrastructure and measures to improve bus routes such as the 188.
· The council is currently working with TfL on their proposals for a new Cycle Superhighway running from Tower Bridge to Greenwich via Surrey Quays, and on extending the Santander Cycle Hire scheme through Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, as well as the proposed cycle and pedestrian bridge linking the peninsular with Canary Wharf.
Schools
The council considers education as one of its priorities and has taken steps to make sure there are sufficient school places in Rotherhithe. The council keeps under constant review the demand for school places; this includes anticipated population growth from developments. Based on these projections the council is in the process of implementing a significant investment programme to meet anticipated school place demand. The investment programme includes expansion of Albion, Redriff and Rotherhithe Primary Schools and the building of a new primary school on the former Galleywall Primary School site. The council will continue to monitor the impact of development to ensure local schools can meet anticipated demand. We also support local residents who are calling for Bacon’s College to move to a more local admissions policy.
Health
The council is working with NHS Southwark to plan provision of GP surgeries at Canada Water. The Surrey Docks Health Centre was recently provided new premises to accommodate an additional 5,000 patients, and we are working with the NHS on a proposal to re-house the Albion Street Health Centre into new and larger premises close by. The council and NHS Southwark will continue to monitor the impact of development to ensure local facilities can meet anticipated demand.
Leisure
The council is currently consulting about plans for a new leisure centre on a site within the proposed town centre. The proposal would be significantly larger than the existing Seven Islands facility and would comprise an eight lane pool, learner pool, four courts sports hall, three studios and a 150 station gym. The council’s cabinet will make a final decision on whether to proceed with the preferred site later this year.
Supplemental question
Fay Walker asked a supplemental public question on how the proposed numbers of new residents would be planned for by the council and external agencies.
Councillor Mark Williams confirmed that the Canada Water masterplan would go into greater detail, including how transport would be improved throughout the area and where funding would come from.
Public Question from Toby Eckersley
What lessons have been learned from the report and recommendations of the Local Government Ombudsman in respect of the council's maladministration and failure to comply with the law in the matter of the compulsory purchase and eviction of a Heygate leaseholder?
Response from Cabinet Member for Regeneration and New Homes
The Ombudsman did criticise the council for being a day late in paying the leaseholder concerned advance compensation.
As a result of the Ombudsman’s findings, a compensation payment was made to the leaseholder together with a written apology.
The lesson to be learned is to tighten up on recording and dissemination of documentation internally. The procedure that applied to advance payments of compensation is being superseded by revised provisions contained in the recent Housing and Planning Act 2016 and these will be applied in future cases.
Supplemental question
Toby Eckersley asked whether, following the Ombudsman's report, proper compliance should be moved towards immediately.
Councillor Mark Williams confirmed that the council were proceeding with this, and that the council had found the Ombudsman's report very helpful.