Minutes for Council meeting, Nov 25 2009, 7.00PM official page

This is the time for Members to declare any personal or prejudicial interests, or dispensations they may have in any matter being considered at this meeting having regard to the guidance attached to the agenda.

‘The Year 5 children at London Fields Primary School would like to make Hackney the first plastic bag-free borough in London. They would like to present the arguments for this to the councillors (this will include environmental reasons as well as financial reasons). They would like to get the Council to agree their proposal.’

Deputation to be introduced by Cllr Vernon

Speakers: Year 5 Children from London Fields Primary School.

‘A high proportion of Hackney’s fatal and serious road crashes involve large commercial vehicles colliding with people who are cycling or on foot. The Metropolitan Police’s Commercial Vehicle Education Unit (CVEU) undertakes essential work to reduce the risk of such collisions. This small specialist unit has proven to be the only practical mechanism for implementing the requirement to ‘manage work-related road danger’ as is now required under Health and Safety regulations.

Yet the Mayor of London has now decided to withdraw Transport for London funding for this unit, effectively disbanding it.

The London Cycling Campaign in Hackney and Hackney Living Streets are asking Hackney Council to call on the Mayor of London to reinstate funding for the CVEU, without which there is little chance that the improving casualty rates for walking and cycling in Hackney can be maintained.

We are also asking the Council to ensure that the LGV safety working group convened by Streetscene earlier this year will continue to meet regularly with the specific brief of investigating how the dangers presented by heavy lorries in the borough can be reduced and eliminated.’

Deputation to be introduced by Cllr Stops   Speaker:  Trevor Parsons.

6.1 From Cllr Rathbone to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods:

‘What measures does the Council have in place to keep Hackney streets clean and what improvements have been made over the past three years?’

6.2 From Cllr Borris to the Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Sustainability:

‘A recent study highlighted by the 10:10 Campaign, which this Council supports, concluded that meat-based diets and meat agriculture amounted to 51% of greenhouse emissions.  As part of its contribution to the 10:10 campaign, which advocates reducing meat consumption to help combat climate change, and given that a vegan diet can be eaten by everyone regardless of faith (if prepared in appropriate ways) and so is very inclusive, will the Council instruct its caterers to serve only animal-free food at its events including training sessions and before Council meetings? Will the Council also support and sign up to the Meat Free Mondays initiative as recommended by the 10:10 Campaign, as a positive step to reducing food related emissions, and encourage Hackney schools and its other partners to do likewise and so serve only animal-free food on Mondays?’

6.3 From Cllr Plouviez to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods:

‘How much decluttering of unnecessary street furniture has taken place in Hackney over the past year and what plans are there to continue to make our high streets more friendly for pedestrians?’

6.4 From Cllr Levy to the relevant Cabinet Member:

‘What is the annual spend on ICT, and does the Council procure its ICT in collaboration with other Authorities to benefit from economies of scale?’

6.5 From Cllr Webb to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods:

‘What steps is the Council taking to encourage more residents to cycle and also to improve cycle safety in the dark winter months?’

6.6 From Cllr Odze to the Mayor:

‘What is the Mayor doing to ensure that Hackney Homes fulfil their obligations under the Regulatory Reform Act 2005 on Fire Safety with particular regard to the works recommended for the De Beauvoir Estate in the fire risk assessment schedule of June 2007?’ 

6.7 From Cllr Thomson to the Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Sustainability:

‘What is the Council’s green procurement strategy and what plans are there to build on this over the next few years?’

6.8 From Cllr Stops to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods:

‘Mayor Johnson has prioritised changing the shape of the bus on route 38 at a cost of over £2.5million per annum.  What would Hackney bus passengers’ priorities be if they had £2.5million per annum to spend on better buses?’