Agenda item
TO RECEIVE ANY PETITIONS
Details of the petitions received for presentation at this meeting are set out in the attached report.
Decision:
5.1 Petition from Mr. Matthew Smith and others re: touting on Brick Lane
Mr. Matthew Smith and Mr. Philip Vracas addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners and responded to questions from Members. Councillor Ohid Ahmed, Deputy Mayor, then responded to the issues raised.
DECISION
That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
(Action by: Stephen Halsey, Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture)
5.2 Petition from Parents, Grandparents, Carers and Children of Olga SureStart Centre opposing the closure of the centre
Mr. Pierre Fabri and Ms. Raquel Aguado addressed the meting on behalf of the petitioners and responded to questions from Members. Councillor Oliur Rahman, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, then responded to the issues raised.
DECISION
That the petition be referred to the Acting Corporate Director, Children, Schools and Families for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
(Action by: Isobel Cattermole, Acting Corporate Director, Children, Schools and Families)
5.3 Petition from the Save King Edward Park Campaign re: Thames Water’s proposed works at the park
Ms. Emma Dunsire addressed the meting on behalf of the petitioners and responded to questions from Members. Mayor Lutfur Rahman then responded to the issues raised.
DECISION
That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
(Action by: Stephen Halsey, Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture)
Minutes:
5.1 Petition from Mr. Matthew Smith and others re: touting on Brick Lane
At the invitation of the Chair of Council, Mr. Matthew Smith and Mr. Philip Vracas addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners and replied to questions from Members.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed, Deputy Mayor responded to the petition. Councillor Ahmed said that he was totally against any form of touting for custom by restaurants. It was tainting the reputation of the borough. The Council had so far prosecuted over 70 touts and was taking action against 7 businesses for touting offences and seeking a review of their licences.
The Council was committed to rid the Brick Lane area of touting and Council officers would work with the police raising the levels of enforcement especially targeted at persistent offenders.
RESOLVED
That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
5.2 Petition from Parents, Grandparents, Carers and Children of Olga SureStart Centre opposing the closure of the centre
At the invitation of the Chair of Council, Mr. Pierre Fabri and Ms. Raquel Aguado addressed the meting on behalf of the petitioners and replied to questions from Members.
Councillor Oliur Rahman, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, thanked the petitioners for coming to the meeting. As a parent himself he was looking forward to sending his daughter to a centre in the borough and wanted to make it clear that no children centres in Tower Hamlets would be closing. The centres would be made more efficient, no frontline workers would be losing their jobs and in some cases family support would be increased. If anyone had any concerns, both Councillor Rahman and the Mayor would be happy to meet and discuss these.
RESOLVED
That the petition be referred to the Acting Corporate Director, Children, Schools and Families for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
5.3 Petition from the Save King Edward Park Campaign re: Thames Water’s proposed works at the park
At the invitation of the Chair of Council, Ms. Emma Dunsire addressed the meting on behalf of the petitioners and replied to questions from Members.
Change to order of business
Councillor Rabina Khan then MOVED and Councillor Alibor Choudhury SECONDED – “That under Procedure Rule 14.1.3 the order of business be varied to allow motion 12.2 to be considered after item 5.3.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and agreed.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman thanked the petitioner for bringing the petition to the Council meeting. He stated that he took seriously the concerns raised and lessons had been learnt from the Crossrail saga. All opportunities needed to be explored to negate the impact on the community and the Mayor was happy work with Ms. Dunsire and officers to make sure that all current suggestions were looked at and to work with the Ward Councillors get a solution.
RESOLVED
That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
12.2 Motion proposed by Councillor Rabina Khan regarding King Edward VII Memorial Park
With the consent of the meeting under Procedure Rule 15.8.1, Councillor Rabina Khan altered the text of her motion.”
Councillor Rabina Khan MOVED, and Councillor Alibor Choudhury SECONDED the revised motion as follows:–
“The Council notes:
1. That Thames Water is planning to deface one of Tower Hamlets key community assets, King Edward VII Memorial Park, a landmark of the East End both for its historical significance and its social value;
2. That at present the park is well used by the community all year round and it provides an oasis in an area where green spaces are scarce;
3. That King Edward VII Memorial Park is vital to the community life of Shadwell, Wapping, Limehouse and Stepney and that damaging it in any way or reducing its accessibility and possibility of enjoyment for any period of time would bear an immediate and irreparable impact on said communities;
The Council recognises:
1. The extensive proposed works will damage the mature vegetation and wildlife habitats beyond repair and will make the park, its amenities and the Thames river path unusable for the duration of the Tunnel build;
2. Once the works are completed, the community will be left with a concrete promontory on the foreshore and huge buildings that will deface the beautiful riverfront, spoil the park view completely and erode the use the community makes of the park and its inherent heritage value;
3. That the proposed Thames Water plans for the park and its foreshore are unacceptable as the impact they will cause far outweighs the benefits it would bring to Tower Hamlets’ community;
4. That there are alternative Brownfield sites that Thames Water has failed to examine;
5. That Thames Water’s current plans for construction in King Edward VII Memorial Park and on its foreshore appear to be in blatant contravention of the approved Council’s strategy for open spaces based on the principles of impact on health, quality of life and preservation of biodiversity;
The Council resolves:
1. To protect King Edward VII Memorial Park and its foreshore from Thames Water’s proposed plans and any future plan that may damage the park and the use the community makes of it;
2. To oppose and challenge to the full extent of its capacity said plans at every level of consultation and to obtain independent technical advice to support the continuing scrutiny of emerging proposals;
3. To continue to oppose and challenge Thames Water to use Brownfield sites where sustainable and technically feasible.”
Councillor Dr. Emma Jones MOVED, and Councillor Zara Davis SECONDED, a tabled amendment to the motion as follows:-
“Further to ‘This Council notes’, insert:
4. That Thames Water is planning an upgrade of London’s sewer system and has recently consulted on a number of proposed routes for the proposed Thames Tunnel sewer from Tower Hill to the sewage treatment works at Beckton;
5. That King Edward VII Memorial Park was opened in 1922 by King George V and has been one of the green lungs of the borough for nearly 90 years.
Further to ‘The Council recognises’, add:
6. That Thames Water’s preferred ‘Abbey Mill’ route includes overflow points on the foreshore of the King Edward VII Memorial Park in Shadwell, and part of the back of Narrow Street;
7. That Narrow Street is a historical thoroughfare through Shadwell and Limehouse, containing rare examples of Georgian terracing;
8. That the alternative ‘River Thames’ route includes shaft sites at Sir John McDougal Gardens and Bellgate Place on Westferry Road;
9. That the borough has a shortage of open space and that the area around Sir John McDougal Gardens is one of the most densely populated in the borough;
10. That Thames Water has also shortlisted sites at Shadwell Basin, Limehouse Basin and School House Lane.
Further to ‘The Council resolves’, add:
4. To object to the River Thames route which would involve shaft sites at Sir John McDougal Gardens and Bellgate Place on Westferry Road;
5. To object to the shortlisting of the Shadwell Basin, Limehouse Basin and School House Lane sites;
6. To call upon Thames Water to give consideration to the many public objections to the proposed route via Shadwell and Limehouse, and the alternative River Thames route via Millwall;
7. To ensure that the Executive Mayor meets with Thames Water to discuss the route of the Thames Tunnel and to urge them to rule out the proposed route and the River Thames route in favour of the alternative via Rotherhithe.”
Following debate, Councillor Rabina Khan indicated that she accepted the amendment moved by Councillor Dr Emma Jones.
The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was agreed with no Member voting against. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
The Council notes:
1. That Thames Water is planning to deface one of Tower Hamlets key community assets, King Edward VII Memorial Park, a landmark of the East End both for its historical significance and its social value;
2. That at present the park is well used by the community all year round and it provides an oasis in an area where green spaces are scarce;
3. That King Edward VII Memorial Park is vital to the community life of Shadwell, Wapping, Limehouse and Stepney and that damaging it in any way or reducing its accessibility and possibility of enjoyment for any period of time would bear an immediate and irreparable impact on said communities;
4. That Thames Water is planning an upgrade of London’s sewer system and has recently consulted on a number of proposed routes for the proposed Thames Tunnel sewer from Tower Hill to the sewage treatment works at Beckton;
5. That King Edward VII Memorial Park was opened in 1922 by King George V and has been one of the green lungs of the borough for nearly 90 years.
The Council recognises:
1. The extensive proposed works will damage the mature vegetation and wildlife habitats beyond repair and will make the park, its amenities and the Thames river path unusable for the duration of the Tunnel build;
2. Once the works are completed, the community will be left with a concrete promontory on the foreshore and huge buildings that will deface the beautiful riverfront, spoil the park view completely and erode the use the community makes of the park and its inherent heritage value;
3. That the proposed Thames Water plans for the park and its foreshore are unacceptable as the impact they will cause far outweighs the benefits it would bring to Tower Hamlets’ community;
4. That there are alternative Brownfield sites that Thames Water has failed to examine;
5. That Thames Water’s current plans for construction in King Edward VII Memorial Park and on its foreshore appear to be in blatant contravention of the approved Council’s strategy for open spaces based on the principles of impact on health, quality of life and preservation of biodiversity;
6. That Thames Water’s preferred ‘Abbey Mill’ route includes overflow points on the foreshore of the King Edward VII Memorial Park in Shadwell, and part of the back of Narrow Street;
7. That Narrow Street is a historical thoroughfare through Shadwell and Limehouse, containing rare examples of Georgian terracing;
8. That the alternative ‘River Thames’ route includes shaft sites at Sir John McDougal Gardens and Bellgate Place on Westferry Road;
9. That the borough has a shortage of open space and that the area around Sir John McDougal Gardens is one of the most densely populated in the borough;
10. That Thames Water has also shortlisted sites at Shadwell Basin, Limehouse Basin and School House Lane.
The Council resolves:
1. To protect King Edward VII Memorial Park and its foreshore from Thames Water’s proposed plans and any future plan that may damage the park and the use the community makes of it;
2. To oppose and challenge to the full extent of its capacity said plans at every level of consultation and to obtain independent technical advice to support the continuing scrutiny of emerging proposals;
3. To continue to oppose and challenge Thames Water to use Brownfield sites where sustainable and technically feasible;
4. To object to the River Thames route which would involve shaft sites at Sir John McDougal Gardens and Bellgate Place on Westferry Road;
5. To object to the shortlisting of the Shadwell Basin, Limehouse Basin and School House Lane sites;
6. To call upon Thames Water to give consideration to the many public objections to the proposed route via Shadwell and Limehouse, and the alternative River Thames route via Millwall;
7. To ensure that the Executive Mayor meets with Thames Water to discuss the route of the Thames Tunnel and to urge them to rule out the proposed route and the River Thames route in favour of the alternative via Rotherhithe.
Supporting documents: