Agenda item
Report Called-In - Proposed Acquisition of Leasehold Interest at 585-593 Commercial Road, E1 and Temporary Relocation of Leven Road Car Pound
(Time allocated – 30 minutes)
Minutes:
Councillor Tim Archer, for the Call-In Members, referred to the reasons in their requisition and added that the location of the proposed car pound was less than 100 yards from Limehouse DLR and less than a mile from buildings in the City. Due to its location, the site was very expensive real estate. It could enable the provision of about 1,000 new homes in an area that had some 22,000 people on the housing waiting list.
He expressed the view that motor vehicles should be routinely ticketed, rather than towed away, when they were not causing an obstruction and this would result in a smaller car pound being needed.
Councillor Archer responded to questions put by Members, stating that
· The existing Leven Road car pound was an unattractive site and the same would apply to the proposed site on Commercial Road, which was on a major arterial road. This did not make a positive statement in the lead-up to the Olympic Games.
· Although the car pound was to be a temporary use, there was no indication of when this would terminate. He also felt it was a poor argument to say that the site was easily accessible for cars to be reclaimed.
Councillor Abdal Ullah, Lead Member Cleaner, Safer and Greener, pointed out that people were accustomed to the usage of the site as a large car storage area and its accessibility for reclamation of towed vehicles was logical. He indicated that the site would be used for housing at a future time and the car pound was to be temporary as the current Leven Road car pound had to be vacated. Mr J. Chilton, Head of Parking Services, commented that the car pound use was not anticipated to exceed five years and that was the period on the planning application.
Replying to further queries from Members, Councillor Ullah stated that
- Irresponsibly parked vehicles created problems for emergency services access and were a risk when vandalised, so it was necessary to remove them from the streets.
- The site would provide value for money and showed best use by a responsible Council. Mr Chilton added that the site of the parking contractors used by the Council was not easily accessible to residents. Payment of the towing fine was the actual punishment, rather than further inconveniencing people.
- The route to the Olympics site extended along Mile End Road, rather than Commercial Road.
The Cabinet Members then left the chamber and further discussion ensued on the points raised.
The Chair requested that future call-in reports should include exempt papers where appropriate. He added that regard must be had to routes to be used by towing vehicles, in view of residents’ parking in the streets surrounding the car pound site.
The Committee then voted on whether or not to refer the item back to the Cabinet for further consideration and it was
RESOLVED:
(1) That the alternative course of action proposed in the Call-In be not pursued and the decision of the Cabinet be confirmed.
(2) That a further condition be applied to the planning application for the car pound site requiring a traffic management risk assessment of the streets surrounding the site and, in particular, that towing vehicles should not access the site through Bromley Street because of the location there of Sir John Cass School and high levels of residents’ parking.
NOTE: Councillor Bill Turner indicated that, due to lateness, he had been unable to comment on the minutes of the previous meeting and asked that he might do so. The Chair indicated that Councillor Turner’s comments would be heard at the end of the meeting.
Supporting documents:
- Call in cover report Car pound, item 6.3 PDF 54 KB
- Leven Road Car Pound Unrestricted Final CAB 290709, item 6.3 PDF 67 KB
- CarPoundAppx1, item 6.3 PDF 105 KB
- CarPoundAppx2, item 6.3 PDF 67 KB