Andrew Dismore

Noise pollution through the night on the Northern Line

Question No: 2016/3391

Andrew Dismore

For many months, there has been a seriously noisy bit of track on the Northern Line, northbound between West Finchley and Woodside Park stations, approximately 100 metres before the track goes over Holden Road. Every time a train goes over this portion of track there is a pronounced clanking noise which is very disturbing for residents living nearby. Will you arrange for this to be investigated and remedial action taken promptly?

 

Written response from the Mayor

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. TfL’s team of noise experts have now investigated this location and will endeavour to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. I understand that LU’s maintenance team will remove the rail joint responsible for causing the noise experienced by your constituents, and weld in a short section of rail to replace it.

 

I encourage anyone disturbed by Tube noise to contact TfL’s 24/7 Customer Service Centre on 0343 222 1234. Everyone is guaranteed a personal response and an effective, speedy investigation. This often involves visits to residents’ homes to get more information and to keep them up to date with the action being taken.

 

 

Police Commissioner’s visit to Grahame Park

Question No: 2016/3410

Andrew Dismore

Further to your answer to Question No: 2016/2383, ‘A visit is already planned for the Commissioner to visit the Grahame Park Estate later this summer.’ Has this taken place yet; and, if so, what were the Commissioner’s findings?

Written response from the Mayor

The Commissioner visited the Grahame Park Estate on 3^rd August. He spent three hours patrolling the estate with local officers and met residents and business owners. Though the estate has its challenges, with crime and anti-social behaviour, the Commissioner was impressed by the dedication and commitment of the local community and police, who are working together to tackle them.

 

Barnet police will continue to work with the local community to address the local issues.

 

 

CS11 (3)

Question No: 2016/3899

Andrew Dismore

How many people objected to TfL’s plans for CS11 and how many supported them, if those signing petitions are counted individually and not en bloc?

Written response from the Mayor

The published factual consultation report provides a summary of the responses to the public consultation undertaken earlier this year. The report is available on the TfL website at https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/cycling/cs-11.

 

TfL does not count individual petition signatories in the overall figures of supporters or opponents of a scheme as part of its consultation. This is because TfL need to be certain that all respondents have had the opportunity to read and understand the detail of TfL’s consultation documents, which can be difficult to verity in the case of petition signatories.

 

However, a full breakdown of the number and nature of the petitions submitted is provided in the consultation report. TfL and I would urge anyone with strong views on any proposal being consulted on by TfL to ensure they complete an individual consultation response.

 

 

Consultation on bus services on the Finchley Road

Question No: 2016/3905

Andrew Dismore

Further to Question No: 2016/3398

Transport for London has been consulting on bus services on the Finchley Road. The consultation proposes to “extend route 13 to North Finchley in the north and divert it to Victoria in the south (replacing route 82)” as part of an effort to reduce traffic flow through the Finchley Road. However, these proposals in effect rename the 82 bus as 13 while scrapping the existing 13, a proposal that was heavily rejected in a consultation which was cancelled just before the 2015 election. Why is TfL trying to pull the wool over the eyes of local bus users, by reintroducing a previously unpopular plan in this way?

Your response being:

‘Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly’.

Will you now give a substantive reply?

Written response from the Mayor

Please see my response to MQ 2016 /3398.

 

 

 

Fire appliances and fire stations were off-the-run

Question No: 2016/3906

Andrew Dismore

How many fire appliances and fire stations were off-the-run for a whole shift during August due to a lack of officer cover?

Written response from the Mayor

During August there were 77 occasions where an appliance was not available for a full shift.

 

This equates to 1.7 per cent of the total availability. These appliances were off the run due to lack of crew which would include officer cover. On these occasions available appliances were re-distributed to ensure that every fire station had emergency cover.

 

I am informed that LFB is undertaking a number of actions to address this, including a current promotion round, to promote staff into the watch manager role and a recent firefighter recruitment campaign to address vacancies at firefighter level.

 

 

Bees

Question No: 2016/3921

Andrew Dismore

Do you share my concerns about the health of the bee population? Have you considered the Bee kind website http://beekind.bumblebeeconservation.org/ and will you use your office to promote good practice in bee friendly gardens?

Written response from the Mayor

I am aware of the importance of pollinators, including bees, to the wellbeing of the capital’s natural environment and the efforts being undertaken to conserve them in the London.

 

I would wholehearted recommend that all Londoners use websites like the Bee Kind website to find advice on how to they can make their gardens and community spaces Bee friendly.

 

I will also promote the conservation of London’s important insect pollinators through my future programme to improve London’s green space and environment strategies.

 

 

business rate revaluation

Question No: 2016/3929

Andrew Dismore

Further to Question No: 2016/3376

What assessment have you made of the potential impact on London of a business rate revaluation?

Your response being:

‘It is difficult to predict with certainty the precise impact of the business rate revaluation in London. Forecasts suggest that the total in London could increase by around 10% £700 million but the precise details will not be known until the valuations for each property are published by the Valuation Office on 30 September. These assumptions were reflected in my predecessor’s final budget.

The largest increases are likely to be in central and inner London; some – mainly in outer London – could fall. I am committed to ensuring that any increases in bills are phased in as slowly as possible – ideally with limited changes in 2017-18 – and I will work closely with business organisations in London to campaign against any rises that will damage the city’s competitiveness.’

The valuations for each property were published by the Valuation Office on 30 September as you anticipated, can you now give a clearer answer as to the impact especially on SMEs in London generally, and on businesses in central London; and what representations if any do you propose to make?

Written response from the Mayor

The draft 2017 rating list was published on 30 September and the Government’s consultation on the transitional relief scheme to phase in the impacts on rates bills was published two days before.

 

Rateable values in London will increase by an average of 23 per cent – well above the national average increase of 9 per cent. As revaluations are revenue neutral London business rate payers will see their underlying rates bills increase by £909m or 11% – with every other English region seeing average bills fall.

 

However this masks significant variations across the capital as the highest increases are concentrated in central and inner London boroughs with retailers and licensed premises in the West End and other parts of inner London seeing relatively large rises. By contrast average rates bills in several outer London boroughs will change only marginally and in some cases fall.

 

The Government’s preferred transitional relief scheme will result in some larger properties in London facing increases in rates bills of nearly 50% as soon as next April. The GLA will be joining with the business community to encourage the Government to introduce a much lower cap on increases in 2017-18.

 

Once London boroughs and the GLA gain some limited additional control over setting business rates from 2019-20, we will be able to take steps to improve the fairness of the tax – including reviewing the thresholds below which small businesses are exempt from paying business rates as these are the same in London as in the rest of England.

 

 

Capital 500 Quarterly Economic Survey (1)

Question No: 2016/3941

Andrew Dismore

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) published the third quarter results of its Capital 500 Quarterly Economic Survey including a conclusion that, 6% of companies decreased investment in plant and equipment, a Capital 500 record-low. And that against the backdrop of rising costs and staling investment indicators, the Mayor of London should work with business groups to assess the potential impacts of significant new ratings on London businesses across differing boroughs and across various sectors.  Will you do so?

Written response from the Mayor

I assume that your question is referring to business rates increases arising from the 2017 business rates revaluation. I am committed to working with the business sector to lobby the Government to ensure that investment and growth in London is not affected by the very large rises in bills many ratepayers will see from 1 April 2017.

 

The Government’s preferred transitional relief scheme will result in some larger properties in London facing increases in rates bills of nearly 50% as soon as next April – such large increases with only six months’ notice are unacceptable.

 

Once London boroughs and the GLA gain some limited additional control over setting business rates from 2019-20, we will be able to take steps to improve the fairness of the tax – including reviewing the thresholds below which small businesses are exempt from paying business rates as these are the same in London as in the rest of England. I am therefore supportive of the efforts which the Federation of Small business is undertaking to highlight how small business rates relief could be reformed to take into account London’s higher rental levels.