Agenda item

Interview with Cabinet member interview Cabinet Member for Leisure, Environment & Roads, Cllr Catherine Rose, with Deputy Cabinet Member for Low Traffic Southwark, Cllr Radha Burgess, in attendance.

The cabinet members have been asked to provide:

•  An update on the Low Traffic Southwark strategy, and how it seeks to address traffic volumes (and thus air quality) on main roads; the Movement Plan

•  An update to date on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) schemes funded by London Streetspace Programme (LSP) and the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity (GSTTC) Southwark Healthy Streets Programme; including piloting of air quality monitoring.

•  An update on consultation with emergency services.

Their portfolios are attached.

The commission interviewed the Cabinet member the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Environment & Roads, Cllr Catherine Rose, and Deputy Cabinet Member for Low Traffic Southwark, Cllr Radha Burgess.

The following issues were covered:

·  Blue badge exemption

·  The timetable for monitoring Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and consultation with ward members

·  Local engagement with residents and utilising local knowledge

·  Data protocols used to measure car volume inside and outside LTNs, and variability of importance depending on vehicle volumes 

·  Making data open source and communication  with the public

·  Officer capacity to deal with the volume of work generated by LTNs , including resident enquiries, and the appointment of new officer

·  Impact of LTNs on main roads

·  Green screens

·  Next generation of School Streets

·  Transport For London (TFL) work on main roads

·  Reducing the dominance of the car

·  Selection process for choosing an LTN and origins in TFL , pandemic and community organising

·  The importance of taking account of the Equity Framework , Climate Emergency, and Southwark Stands Together in delivering Low Traffic Southwark

·  Potential for launching a Public Health campaign for air quality

·  Differential charging for cycling and car parking on estates

·  Public transport provision in the south of the borough, which is poorly served.

·  Future plans for delivering Low Traffic Southwark

·  Work with emergency services and highways, including  fortnightly meetings and  visiting various schemes

·  Ensuring LTNs do reduce emissions

Darren Farmer, Assistant Director of Operations - South East Area London Ambulance Service (LAS)  

The chair invited the Assistant Director of Operations to give evidence. He started by explaining that the combined impact on ambulances of traffic schemes and the pandemic had been very complex with massive peaks and troughs. Overall there has been  more traffic on the road with an average increase of 2 minutes in response time overall. The cumulative impact of all schemes including LTNs, pop-cycle lanes, school streets, utility works and loss of major infrastructure impacts on the Trust times overall.

The volume of schemes pan London is placing pressure on teams to review plans and provide constructive feed back. Southwark Council has implemented a larger number of schemes than most, and in a short period of time, which speaks to a high level of ambition as some councils, such as Islington, have only one.

 Crew staffs are asked to report any delay due to traffic congestion, road layout or schemes that impact on their ability to respond to patients or egress patients to hospital, for patient safety monitoring. The total number of reported incidences pan London is 171, and in Southwark this is 51. An incident does not necessarily mean something adverse has happened. Ambulance times remain good in Southwark.

The engagement in early stages was not what all partners would have wanted, and was impacted by first wave of Covid. Engagement has significantly improved, with fortnightly meetings now in place, which are very useful  .He encouraged Southwark to continue to engage closely with LAS during the design phase. This has led to the use of cameras in certain schemes.

The chair then invited questions and the following points were made:

·  Cameras are the London Ambulance service  preference , as hard closures prevent unhindered emergency vehicle access

·  It is not just blue light responders who are impacted by schemes,  there are   also community responders, and other health and social care services

·  The London Ambulance service does recognise the benefits of low traffic and safe streets so it is about striking a balance.

RESOLVED

The expected briefing on car parking will be provided for next meeting.