The Islington Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the final report of the 2024-25 scrutiny review, and to select a new scrutiny topic for 2025-26, deciding to focus on waste reduction, recycling and the circular economy. The committee also agreed its work plan for the coming year.

Dockless Bikes

A member of the public, named Chaim, raised concerns about the obstruction of pavements by dockless bikes, specifically those operated by Lime and Forest. He said that the bikes were often scattered around streets, blocking pavements and creating safety issues for pedestrians, especially those with disabilities and parents with young children. Chaim suggested that the council should enable parking wardens to issue fines for dockless bikes parked illegally, similar to how they treat motor vehicles.

Councillor Owen Shampion, Executive Member for Environment, Equity and Transport, acknowledged the challenges posed by dockless bikes, despite their popularity and the opportunities they provide for cycling. He noted that the council is working with Lime and Forest to address these issues, including the rollout of bike bays to keep pavements clear and tackling bike hacking.

Councillor Clare Jeapes, Recycling Champion, raised concerns about people using the bikes to travel to pubs and then leaving them after drinking. She asked whether there could be checks to stop people from cycling while drunk. Councillor Shampion responded that while the council does not have the power to breathalyse cyclists, he would raise the issue of public safety with community safety colleagues.

Councillor Caroline Russell, Business Manager, Independent and Green Group, suggested a road danger reduction approach, focusing on information and campaigns to make people think about the dangers of drinking and riding a bike. She also highlighted the issue of people leaving bikes after drinking, which leads to bikes being left all over the pavement.

Councillor Shampion said that the council is expanding the number of bike bays, and working with Lime and Forest to manage the spaces correctly. He also said that the companies do a lot of digging into behaviour, and that the council can ask them to what extent drinking is a problem.

The committee noted that one of the recommendations in their report is to monitor dockless bikes programmes and support the council's efforts to regulate Lime and similar dockless bike services, ensuring they are accessible, well managed and do not impede pedestrian access.

Chaim responded that the bike bays are not being used or enforced, and that the companies are disincentivized to do anything because there is no consequence for users who park illegally. He said that their only motivation is revenue.

Councillor Shampion responded that the companies do feel a reputational hit, and that with the devolution bill coming, there will be more power to regulate and potentially a pan-London agreement.

The committee agreed to include the contribution of Councillor Gary Heather in the report, and to send the report to the executive.

Selection of New Scrutiny Topic

The committee then moved to the selection of a new scrutiny topic. Councillor Ruth Hayes, Chair of Environment, Climate Change and Transport Scrutiny Committee, proposed that the committee look at recycling, as recycling rates have plateaued. She noted that the council has made investments in physical infrastructure on estates and has done some pilot work, such as food waste recycling for people above flats.

Councillor Russell suggested that the committee could do something on resilience building in extreme heat conditions, such as expanding water fountains and ensuring there is more shade everywhere. Councillor Shampion said that this could be woven into a planned public meeting on climate action.

Councillor Russell said that if the committee is going to look at recycling, it should also be looking at reducing the overall volume of waste produced in the borough. She suggested looking at how other boroughs manage waste and increase their collection of food waste, and what councils are doing to reduce the overall waste that gets produced.

Councillor Shampion suggested that the committee could review how officers and the team are responding to the recommendations of Islington's resident climate panel. He said that the climate panel had made recommendations about how to make the infrastructure more resilient and how to have an approach to extreme weather.

Councillor James Potts, Reading Champion, suggested that the committee could tie together waste reduction, recycling and fast fashion under a circular economy banner. He also suggested that the committee could look at furniture and bulkier items.

The committee agreed to focus their new scrutiny topic on waste reduction, recycling and the circular economy, picking up some particular threads. Emma Taylor, Senior Democratic Services Officer, will draft a scrutiny initiation document over the summer, which will come to the September meeting for approval.

Committee Work Plan

The committee then discussed the draft work plan for the year. Councillor Hayes noted that the plan sets out the dates for future meetings and the specific reports that will come to those meetings. She said that the committee would like to see the citizens climate panel progress, as well as updates on recycling.

Councillor Hayes said that the committee has a broad remit, and that almost everything that affects everybody also relates to the environment. She said that the committee wants to see the work not as a standalone, but in terms of how it relates to other things, such as the built environment, people's health and leisure.

Councillor Hayes said that the committee should all have some input into determining who they might want to invite to listen to on the scrutiny topic. She noted that Councillor Tricia Clarke had mentioned that the committee wanted Lime and Forest to come back at some point to update them.

Councillor Russell said that it seems that dockless bikes are a very live issue within the borough, and that it would be good to check out what impact the work that is already happening is having on the ground. She also said that the committee wanted to monitor how successful Kingstown is in reducing waste in the form of litter.

Councillor Jeapes asked for clarification about what had been agreed about the reports that the committee may want to see. Councillor Hayes said that the committee would like to see those reports, and additionally might want to have some reports from Lime and Forest, and a report on the work that Kingstown has been doing.

Councillor Hayes said that some of these reports will be more reports that the committee does not have a lot of debate around, but that they are brought here for information so that the committee is aware. She said that on some of these, the committee will not get through the scrutiny topic if they spend a lot of time on additional reports.

Councillor Russell said that leisure is a huge amount of issues that lots of residents have a lot of interest in, and that it is useful for the committee to be able to ask questions to those officers when they bring those reports.

Councillor Shampion said that subjects like the SPD can be woven into officer reports around climate action. He also said that with the e-bike subjects, thinking about the November meeting where the committee is discussing active travel, there may just be some opportunities to weave those in together.

Councillor Russell asked where the council is with things like the transport policy plan, and whether any of those are up for renewal in this next year. Councillor Shampion said that he does not know the answer to that, but that there is some work going on in the background.

Councillor Shampion said that one of the visits may be to the North London Waste Authority, both in terms of recycling and waste, and that this would be good to open up to other councillors as well. He said that for the committee, it would be really interesting to understand what happens to recycling and how it gets dealt with.

Councillor Hayes said that she will liaise about some dates for a visit and open that up. She thanked everybody for lots of ideas and said that it is always a committee that's got a real passion about what it does.

The committee agreed the work plan, subject to the inclusion of the reports discussed.