The Wandsworth Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss a range of issues, including corporate plan performance, budget monitoring, traffic petitions, updates on major schemes, and the work programme for the committee. Councillors reviewed progress on the Queenstown Road Improvement Scheme and other major projects, and discussed ways to improve engagement with residents on planning and transport issues. The committee also reviewed the annual report on traffic and engineering petitions, and discussed the criteria for addressing resident concerns.

Corporate Plan Actions and KPI Performance

Jamie Fisher, Head of Policy and Strategy, presented a report on the council's performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) and Corporate Plan Actions. Of the nine indicators for the committee, eight were on track, with one, the percentage of trips made by borough residents using active modes of transport, slightly below target at 47% against a target of 49%.

Christine Cook, Head of Spatial Planning, updated the committee on the progress of the local plan partial review, noting that the examination in public is expected in the autumn. She explained that the Mayor of London is keen to have a threshold approach which is consistent amongst the entirety of London. Councillor Leonie Cooper, London Assembly Member for Merton and Wandsworth, noted that the Mayor's comments were publicly available on the Greater London Authority website.

Councillor Tony Belton asked if the council had submitted any views on the government's proposed planning legislation changes. Ms Cook confirmed that the council had responded to a number of consultations and publishes all responses on the council website.

Councillor Annamarie Critchard asked for an update on how well the new viability criteria were working. Ms Cook said that it was still early days, but that the team were embedding viability right at the heart of all planning application discussions. Paul Moore, Interim Director of Place, added that the team had helped members deliberate on some pretty complex planning applications where affordable housing has been a balancing factor.

Councillor Daniel Hamilton asked for an update on the e-scooter trial. David Tidley, the head of transport strategy, said that usage was around 3,500 trips per week and that the council had received very little comment or complaint or concern from other road users relating to the trial of the e-scooters.

Councillor Caroline de La Soujeole raised concerns about the enforcement of parking regulations for the Line bike scheme. Mr Tidley responded that the system works on the basis of geofencing, but that the sensitivity of the app isn't that perfect in every single location.

Councillor Emmeline Owens raised concerns about the ongoing congestion on Putney High Street, and asked how much had been spent so far. Henry Chung, assistant director of engineering, said that the scheme is still a work in progress and that the council is aware of further congestions on Putney High Street itself and on roads like Putney Bridge Road and Lower Richmond Road.

Councillor John Locker said that he was being inundated with residents concerns about the impact on the adjoining residential streets. Mr Chung said that the traffic signals junction was completed at Christmas, but that the signalised modelling and the scooting will form part of the resurfacing works which was completed around February time and early March.

Councillor Critchard asked about the new engagement strategy template and whether there had been any particular successes. Ms Cook responded that the engagement team are applying the raising the bar guidance which was adopted by the transport OSC and that they were already seeing developers doing a lot more than they would have before.

Councillor Critchard also asked about charge points and the strategy to address cold spots. Mr Tidley challenged the premise, stating that there are a lot of charge points around and that he didn't think there are any areas that are missing charge points.

Councillor Locker raised concerns about the Jews Row contraflow cycling scheme. Mr Tidley responded that that will be implemented as part of the ones with bridge cycle corridor scheme.

Budget Monitoring

Alex Moylan, Assistant Director of Finance and Performance, presented the outturn against revenue budgets for the services falling within the terms of reference of the committee. The position for the committee at outturn 2024/25 is a net income of -£728,000 against a budget of -£930,000 leaving a residual overspend of +£202,000.

The Place overspend was largely due to Development Management services which overspent for the year by +£741,000. This overspend is constituted of a combination of a shortfall of planning application income, combined with additional staffing costs caused by recruitment and retention pressures for the service, as well as the project costs associated with the implementation of the combined planning software system.

Within the overall underspend of Traffic and Engineering, there is an overspend of +£509,000 for all of the Engineering Services teams, largely driven by additional expenditure for both reactive highways maintenance and other defect repairs for street furniture, such as lighting.

The Housing Management overspend of £151,000 on CCTV is due to a shortfall of income against the approved budget for traffic management camera monitoring which is no longer covered by the control room (+£81,000), There was also a new income target of £90,000 for the income expected to be generated by solicitors and Insurers requesting information relating to road traffic incident resulting in insurance claims.

The Concessionary Fares service receive a charge for Concessionary Fares (Freedom Pass use) from Transport for London which is administered by London Councils. London Councils agreed to provide a rebate for 2024/25 of £436,000 for Wandsworth.

Councillor Critchard asked when the committee would get to see the budget for 25 26. Mr Moylan responded that it should be available on the council's website.

Councillor Critchard asked when the committee would start to see the benefits of the new planning software. Mr Moylan responded that he would expect to see efficiency improvements gradually from this calendar year.

Councillor Critchard asked if the planning software offered benefits to residents who are trying to make comments on planning. Mr Moore responded that the website will go live at the point that the planning system goes live.

Councillor Critchard asked how many homes the number of applications would equate to. Mr Moore responded that he would circulate that to the committee.

Annual Review of Traffic and Engineering Petitions

Henry Chung presented the annual petition paper, highlighting the number of petitions received between June last year and May this year. There were a total of eight in total.

Councillor Owens asked about pedestrian crossings at Honeywell School. Mr Chung responded that both crossings are going ahead.

Councillor Critchard suggested that the council provide a reminder to residents about what the rules are for doing petitions.

Councillor Hamilton asked for clarification about the 50 plus one trigger point for the petitions to be looked into. Mr Chung responded that it's based on household.

Councillor Cooper asked whether, in the case of a CPZ¹, the number of households that get to make a decision would include households who've already got their own off street parking. Nick O'Donnell, the director of traffic engineering, responded that particularly in the case of CPZs there's a separate consultation process that follows.

Councillor Cooper asked about Bolingbroke Grove and Elmborne Road and whether the residents who live on one side of the road conducting a petition have the right to decide what happens to the other side of the road. Mr O'Donnell responded that the 51 is just a trigger for investigation and that the council will look at the detail of that.

Councillor Critchard asked about Adelaide Street and the speeding. Mr Chung responded that the council had installed a speed indicator device.

Major Schemes Projects Update

Henry Chung presented an update on the major schemes that are on site.

Councillor Hamilton raised concerns about Old York Road and the flower beds not being well segmented from the footpaths. Mr Chung responded that there isn't a border around it to restrain people walking, dogs walking or even the foxes to get into it.

Councillor Hamilton asked about Totterdown Street and the vibrancy of the scheme so far. Mr Chung responded that it's been relatively successful in a sense it's provided a good space outside Tooting market.

Councillor Owens asked if the permanent structures would give Totterdown Street a much better look and have we definitely taken into account the concerns that businesses have about loading bays nearby. Mr Chung responded that as part of the permanent scheme the council are redesigning the area creating more in situ greening and providing more marked pitches and dedicated loading base.

Councillor Locker thanked officers for their work on these schemes. He said that the temporary measure on Old York Road was really beneficial because the council were able to work out the design first before they made it permanent.

Councillor Belton said that he was a fairly regular use of the 44 bus and that it can be incredibly slow as it winds its way around the back streets of behind Old York Road. Mr Tidley responded that the council's preference would be to move to a system whereby the buses are running two way on the same roads.

Councillor Owens said that she was always confused why the line bikes seem to be at the bike racks which are the normal bike racks for people.

Queenstown Road Improvement Scheme

David Tidley presented proposals to consult on improvements to the southern section of Queenstown Road.

Councillor Cooper asked what the arrangements might be for ensuring that the council gets some feedback from the local councillors in the neighboring ward. Mr Tidley responded that the council have made connections with Lambeth Council.

Councillor Critchard asked how the council was going to make sure that residents who aren't particularly good with commonplace can actually feed back. Mr Tidley responded that the council will look at alternatives and yes the council will look at the full range of media in addition to using commonplace.

Councillor Tiller said that he was seeing cyclists really not pay any attention to pedestrians at Queen's Circus. Mr Tidley responded that the enforcement against illegal cycling rests with the police rather than with the council.

Councillor Locker said that he worried that the council sometimes create these routes which are used and the council encourage pedestrians and cyclists to use and the council end up almost designing in conflict.

Councillor Belton said that he always worries that this conversation always gets a little bit too anti-cyclist.

Councillor Owens said that the 20 mile an hour situation in London now means that cyclists effectively behave like cars.

Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

Marianna Ritchie, Democratic Services Manager, presented the new process for setting the work program for the committees.

Councillor Locker asked to double check that the committee wouldn't lose the richness of resident engagement. Ms Ritchie responded that the new scrutiny model that the council are engaging in is really trying to encourage new formats of scrutiny as well as new ways of putting together the work program.