Councillor Dan Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Public Realm (Job Share) – Lead on Public Realm, introduced the report following a consultation exercise on liveable streets proposals for the Old Ford Road West area. The report set out details on the proposals which balanced the desires of different groups of residents to reduce traffic in some areas whilst keeping the borough moving. It was noted that the scheme would continue to be monitored and could be amended if needed.

The Mayor then heard a number of contributions including from:

·       Councillor Mohammed Pappu – including tabled Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions and officer responses

·       Councillor Peter Golds

·       Local residents John Griffiths and Neil Thompson

During discussion of the report a number of issues were mentioned including:

·       The Equalities Impact Analysis

·       The Impact of road closures

·       The long-standing campaign to reduce traffic in the area

·       That discussions with local people had been extensive and would be ongoing

·       Investment in the public realm would make the area more pleasant for local residents.

·       Enforcement actions would be used where appropriate.

·       Emergency services were being consulted on the proposals and would gain the access to the area they needed.

The Mayor welcomed the report, thanked officers for their hard work on the project and indicated that he was minded to approve the recommendations that were set out in the report.