The Planning and Transportation Committee met on Wednesday 6 May 2026, where they elected a new Chair and Deputy Chair, and approved the appointment of sub-committees. The committee also approved overseas travel for the Chair of the committee to attend the World Cities Summit in Singapore.

Election of Chair and Deputy Chair

The committee proceeded to elect a Chair and Deputy Chair for the ensuing year. Deputy Tom Sleigh was elected as Chair, having been the only Member to express willingness to serve. Following a ballot, Deputy Madush Gupta was elected as Deputy Chair.

Appointment of Sub-Committees

The committee received a report on the appointment of its sub-committees. Following ballots, the following Members were appointed to the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee: Deputy John Edwards, Deputy John Fletcher, Alderman Alison Gowman CBE, Shravan Joshi MBE, Deputy Deborah Oliver TD, Matthew Waters, and Jacqui Webster. The following Members were appointed to the Local Plans Sub-Committee: Deputy Keith Bottomley, Deputy John Edwards, Shravan Joshi MBE, Charles Edward Lord OBE JP, Deputy Alastair Moss, and Deputy Henry Pollard. The terms of reference for the Planning Applications Sub-Committee were also approved. A minor correction was made to the terms of reference for the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee regarding ex-officio members.

Overseas Travel for the Chair

The committee received a report seeking approval for the Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee's travel to Singapore to attend the World Cities Summit. The visit also included engagement with the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority and external stakeholders. The committee approved the travel, which was estimated to cost £7,789.58 and would be funded by the City Fund Revenue Budget. The report highlighted that the visit would provide an opportunity to showcase London's planning achievements, including its winning of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, and to share knowledge and best practices with other global cities.

Questions on Matters Relating to the Work of the Committee

A question was raised by a Member regarding the climate resilience of the City's infrastructure. The Senior Sustainability & Lead Environmental Resilience Officer responded that progress had been made against the Climate Resilience Review published in July 2024. In response to a follow-up question on leveraging utility companies, the City Operations Director confirmed good relationships with utility companies and requested assistance from the committee in identifying operational problems, particularly concerning power and water. A form for reporting issues would be shared with committee members.

Date of Next Meeting

The committee noted that the next meeting was scheduled to take place on Thursday 22 June 2026.