This meeting included a progress report from Thames Water on its activities in the borough, a progress report on the ongoing Dockless Bike Hire scheme, and the annual report of the Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment.

Thames Water Update

The report¹ details the various works carried out by Thames Water in Camden in the last year.

It explains the extent of the problem of leaks in Camden and the works that Thames Water have done to try and fix them, saying

Since 2000, we have replaced approximately 240km of mains across Camden, including several kilometres in the last year.

It provides some data about the age and condition of the pipes in Camden, and what this means for future pipe replacement works:

Our own investigations found the primary cause of the December 2022 burst was ground movement following a long, dry summer and then a wet winter, which caused ground movement that in turn disturbed the pipe. The 42-inch pipe has a relatively low burst history beyond the 2022 incident and is in relatively good condition. There are therefore no plans to replace this pipe in the coming five years.

It explains what was done to reduce the risk of future sewer flooding, saying:

Following the extreme storm which hit Camden and other boroughs in 2021, we carried out our Sewer Flooding Resilience Programme across the impacted area. We contacted residents living in the area affected by the storms through a combination of letters, door-knocking, drop-ins and social media posts, as well as directly engaging with community groups.

It details how Thames Water will continue to support the health of the river Thames, saying

This month will see the activation of the third stage of improvements which in total will reduce discharges into the Tidal Thames River by 95%.

Finally, it notes the extent of customer support for water bills provided by Thames Water, and explains why bills are scheduled to rise.

Dockless Bike Hire

The report² describes the ongoing success of the Dockless Bike Hire scheme, and its role in achieving the ambitions of the Camden Transport Strategy by promoting cycling and reducing car use, quoting its description from the strategy as:

shared mobility, and micro-mobility, is an increasingly important part of the transport mix in the Borough.

It outlines the agreements with the operators Lime and Forest, and details their performance in the borough, saying

The DBH scheme has been brought to the Culture and Environment Scrutiny committee meetings twice (in May 2023 and January 2024). Topics discussed at these meetings included: ... How and where users were parking e-bikes, including ... How this was not happening appropriately on some instances.

It explains the recent decision made by Richard Bradbury, the Director of Environment and Sustainability, to extend the contract with the operators, saying

On 10 February 2025, a decision was taken by the Director of Environment and Sustainability that a 1-year extension be granted to the DBH operators

It explains some of the challenges that the council is facing with managing the scheme, saying

As a result of a combination of increased parking-bay compliance and the number of rides (and bikes) increasing, overspill remains an issue at some bays, particularly in the vicinity of key trip generators, for example universities, and in particular (though not exclusively) in the south of the borough.

It sets out the lobbying being done by the council for government regulation of the sector, and the government's response, quoting a recent white paper:

Local Transport Authorities will be empowered to regulate on-street micromobility schemes (like hire bikes), so local areas can shape these schemes around their needs, connect people to public transport, and tackle the scourge of badly parked cycles and e-cycles.

It describes the council's plans to increase the number of parking bays available for dockless bikes, and the additional measures that operators will put in place to address parking issues, quoting Forest's action plan:

Forest has embedded Captur’s innovative artificial intelligence technology into its end-ride photo process, meaning it can identify when a user has parked an e-bike in a way that may be obstructive and nudging them to re-park.

Finally it details the progress that is being made on developing a London-wide dockless bike hire scheme.

Annual report of the Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment

The report³ describes the work done over the last year by Councillor Nasrine Djemai in her role as Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment.

It details the various projects that have been completed in the last year as part of the Community Investment Programme (CIP), and describes what has been done to increase the number of affordable homes delivered in Camden in recent years, saying

Since the CIP’s inception, over 1,750 homes have been delivered, 70% of which are affordable, demonstrating the impact of a Council-led housebuilding programme. Camden’s delivery record must be understood in the context of the wider housing market in London.

It explains what progress has been made on delivering the commitments made in the Labour administration's 2022 manifesto, saying

Our Community Investment Programme will build 400 new social rent and living rent homes in the next four years, starting work on 200 more

It describes the new Camden Living Group, explaining why it was created, saying

To increase flexibility, in 2023, the Council set up a Camden Living Group of Companies, with the original Camden Living Ltd. now sitting alongside a new Registered Provider company Camden Living Housing Association.

It details how the council has been trying to increase the number of homes built in Camden through the planning system, saying

The Government’s Housing Delivery Test measures local authorities' performance over a three-year period. The latest results show that, from 2021/22 to 2023/24, 1,539 homes were delivered in Camden against a target of 2,927.

It explains the plans for the redevelopment of the Regis Road area in Kentish Town, saying

Yoo Capital has been acquiring additional land beyond the Camden sites through agreements with neighbouring landowners. They are working closely with Joseph Homes, who have also assembled sites, resulting in a significant land interest in the Growth Area.

It sets out the progress that has been made on the One Kilburn project in partnership with Brent Council, saying

The One Kilburn Community Fund, co-produced and designed by local people, has been supported by the Area Regeneration Team and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) grant funding, focusing on building citizen capacity.

It details the ongoing work on pedestrianising Camden High Street, saying

To create a safer, healthier, and more enjoyable environment, preparations are underway for a pedestrianisation trial of part of Camden High Street for up to 18 months, alongside improvements, including streateries⁴ on Jamestown Road.

It describes the ongoing work to develop neighbourhood spaces and activate vacant spaces on council estates, saying

An additional 10 vacant space sites will be progressed following these two pilots. A prospectus for these sites will also be released in spring 2025 to soft-market test the sites and inform strategy and phasing.

It outlines the work that has been done to promote street markets and street trading in the borough, saying

In November 2024, the Licensing Committee approved updated street trading terms and conditions. These changes are designed to support Camden’s strategic aims and help street traders adapt more quickly to changes in the public realm and shopper requirements.

It describes the council's work to support young traders, saying

Over the summer, we hosted local heats of the Young Traders Market campaign at Leather Lane and Chalton Street markets, aiming to find the UK’s best young market trader of 2024.

It sets out the recent work done to reduce air pollution from ice cream vans, saying

2023 witnessed the implementation of a Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Air Quality Fund project aimed at addressing emissions from ice cream vans. Five ice cream trading sites were equipped with electric bollard connections, enabling licensed trading sites to engage in emission-free trading

Finally it describes the challenge posed by unlicensed trading from ice cream vans, and the difficulties faced by the council in enforcing against them.

Work Programme

The report outlines the committee's proposed work programme for the coming year, and an action tracker for issues raised at previous meetings.