Verbal update
Minutes:
The Panel received a verbal update on Crouch End Liveable Neighbourhoods, following the publication of feedback responses to the initial trial period on the 13th December and a meeting with ward councillors on 16th December. The update was provided by Sam Neal, Streets and Spaces Consultant and Peter Watson, Major Schemes Project Manager.
a. Officers advised the Panel that the results of the trial had been published online and they had also met with the stakeholder forum to go through the results and consider consultation proposals for the next stage.
b. Throughout the course of the trial 4000 people had been engaged with. The Liveable Neighbourhoods Project Board had requested that officers go back and re-engage with these people on the aims and objectives of the scheme.
c. Officers advised that there were also going to invite stakeholders back for another meeting in January to agree the content of the public questionnaire. The questionnaire would then be released for public responses over four weeks until early February. The purpose of the questionnaire was to get a better understanding of which direction to take and the public’s appetite for change.
d. Once the responses to the questionnaire had been compiled and analysed, officers would develop further proposals for the next stage of the scheme and submit these to TfL for approval. A formal public consultation process would then begin in the summer.
The following was noted in discussion of this agenda item:
a. The Panel sought clarification around which wards were represented at the ward councillor meeting. Officers advised that this involved the neighbouring boroughs of Muswell Hill, Stroud Green, Crouch End and Hornsey. In response to a question around communications activity undertaken by the Cabinet Member, Cllr Hearn advised that as well as attending the stakeholder meetings, she had also responded to a large number of emails and had recorded a couple of video updates for the website.
b. In response to a question about whether the Cabinet Member was happy with the trial, the Panel was advised that one of the main purposes of the trial was to iron out any concerns and understand the type of issues that would arise. In that context the Cabinet Member advised that she was happy with the trial and that officers had learnt a lot as a result, particularly in terms of traffic flow and peak traffic levels. The Cabinet Member advised that there was an overall reduction in traffic of around 9-10% and that if this could be replicated long term that would constitute a marked success. Officers added that one of the other main aims of the trial was around raising the profile of the scheme and that this had demonstrably been achieved. Officers set out that contact details for 4000 local residents would provide an invaluable basis for further consultation and engagement work.
c. In response to a question around whether phase 2 was going ahead, the Cabinet Member advised that it was her intention to do so but that the final decision would be taken by the project board, following the outcome of the consultation process. This would help identify possible schemes and locations for further rollout as part of phase 2.
d. In response to a request for a ward councillor from Muswell Hill to join the Board, the Cabinet Member advised that she was still considering how best to ensure effective representation and whether, for instance, Stroud Green would also need to be represented. The Cabinet Member agreed to come back to the Panel on this when she had given it further consideration. (Action: Cllr Hearn).
e. The Panel noted the successful implementation of a similar scheme in Waltham Forest and Cllr Culverwell urged that the Council should persevere with the scheme.
f. In response to a query, officers acknowledged that they had factored in the upcoming mayoral elections into the funding window and the overall timescales for the scheme.
RESOLVED
The Panel noted the verbal update in relation to Liveable Neighbourhoods.