Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Liz Collins, Andrew Jones (Cabinet Member for the Economy) and Zarar Qayyum (Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Skills). Apologies for lateness were provided by Councillor Ashok Patel.

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter.  The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting and note any outstanding actions.

The minutes of the Economy, Arts, Sports and Public Realm Policy and Accountability Committee meeting held on 29 April 2025 were agreed.

This report provides an update on work that is in progress in response to the priorities set by the Cultural Compact reflective of the commitment in the borough’s cultural strategy to explore the feasibility of having a Black history hub to celebrate the heritage and contributions of Black communities within the Borough.

Val Birchall, Assistant Director, Culture Tourism and Sport introduced the item which provided an update on the work in progress on the community collecting and engagement project being co-produced with residents to generate black history content for exhibition, conservation and education purposes.

Daniel Waller, Libraries and Archives Service Manager provided a presentation which covered the following points:

• Information explaining how the Black History Project would be implemented.
• Details on the interactive family history event held at West London College.
• The Wendell Park Primary interactive workshop, the outcomes and how this made the students feel.
• Information on the Island Records Blue Plaque celebration.
• Information on The Black History Month Launch event held in Lyric Square.
• Details of the Windrush 75^th Anniversary celebrations held in Shepherd’s Bush Green and at Riverside Studios.
• The Phase 1 – activities currently under way in Fulham and plans for the Phase 2 And 3 Activities of the Community Collecting and Engagement work planned for Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith, taking place between October 2025 and October 2026.
• in the intention for a celebratory culmination event and the creation of a resource for the whole community.

Councillor Adam Peter Lang commented he was pleased with the work which had been conducted and cited it as a good example of co-production. He highlighted that he had attended several Black History events which had been excellent. He referred to Bob Marley who recorded in the borough and the Mercury Prize Winner, Arlo Parks who came from Hammersmith and Fulham which illustrated there was a rich history of culture within the borough. He echoed the Chair in thanking Councillor Sharon Holder for her work in the area and the need to continue it and develop it further. He asked where some of the Black History collections might be placed, so that the artefacts became a permanent resource for the London community, as well as for people from further afield. In response, Val Birchall explained the current thinking was that some elements of the collection would be exhibited in local communities as this would be a way of building an understanding of what had been happening there. In the longer term, it was hoped there would be an exhibition of materials which might take place in a library or the new civic campus. Currently, officers are working with local communities to try and establish the most appropriate location for materials, depending on what the content was. Councillor Adam Peter Lang agreed that using the civic campus for some of the materials was a good idea.

Councillor Chevoppe-Verdier agreed that the civic campus would be used but he also wished to ensure that the materials were available to residents across the borough. So, the use of roving collections was a possibility. The Authority also remained mindful of the cost implications of hosting a collection in the long term.

Councillor Amanda Lloyd-Harris thanked officers for the report and noted the progress which had been made. She noted that a major player in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

This report outlines how roadworks are currently managed and coordinated in the borough using the LBHF permit scheme. It describes the proposed enhancements to the London Permit Scheme, known as the Lane Rental Scheme, which provides additional protection for fifty of the borough’s key roads.

Ian Hawthorn, Assistant Director Highways and Parks provided a presentation which outlined how roadworks were currently managed and coordinated in the borough using the LBHF permit scheme. It described the proposed enhancements to the London Permit Scheme, known as the Lane Rental Scheme, which provides additional protection for fifty of the borough’s key roads.

The following points were noted:

• Background on roadworks and their management in H&F.

• Details on the multiple assets which make up the Highway network.
• Communication / collaboration and the co-ordination of works. To ensure effective works planning and minimised disruption.
• Details on the process by which works permits are issued and the conditions surrounding these.
• Information on penalties and fines for non-compliance / delayed works.
• Details on H&F future co-ordination, and the Lane Rental Scheme.
• The benefits of the Lane Rental Scheme including:

1.     Less roadworks on the busiest roads.

2.     Utilities contribute to highway maintenance funding.

3.     Reducing the days roadworks occupy key roads.

4.     Improved air quality.

5.     Reduced negative economic impact on local businesses.

6.     Improved contractor practices across the industry to work smarter.

7.     Improved bus journey times.

In relation to the Lane Rental Scheme, Councillor Ashok Patel asked what discretion Cadent Gas or Thames Water would have when carrying out works on the fifty roads cited in Appendix 1 of the report. In response, Ian Hawthorn confirmed it was a challenge for both these organisations, as a considerable amount of their main assets sat in those roads (such as large water mains, gas mains, sewers, electrical and telecoms infrastructure) as they had the most capacity for these services. And due to the way the organisations worked, it was very difficult for them not to be impacted by lane rental scheme. As a result, the implications of lane rental would drive both organisations to pre-plan their works and deliver maintenance and repairs in a very different way than today. Ian Hawthorn provided details of the current permit fees and explained the implications of moving to a daily charge under lane rental which would lead to different organisational behaviours.

Councillor Ashok Patel noted the consultation was planned for August to September when lots of people would be away and asked about its timing. In response, Ian Hawthorn explained the Council was on prescribed government timetable and if the Council wished to be included in the second phase, the consultation needed to be undertaken in these months so a submission could be made in October.

In relation to the graphics in the presentation, Councillor Amanada Lloyd-Harris noted that the first arm of the five major roads that caused congestion were on the boundary or in her ward. She asked whether these statistics had arisen due to the closure of Hammersmith Bridge and what the impact of this had been. She asked what percentage of road works and utilities works were conducted at night and given the congestion, asked if there was scope for works on the major roads to be conducted at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The report sets out the progress made in our waste and recycling services through the on-going roll-out of food waste recycling, introduction of wheeled bins and garden waste recycling and other service developments. 

Annie Baker, Assistant Director, Street Environmental Services provided a presentation on the progress made in Hammersmith and Fulham’s waste and recycling services through the on-going roll-out of food waste recycling, the introduction of wheeled bins and garden waste recycling and other service developments.

The following points were highlighted:

• The context of where Hammersmith and Fulham stood for waste minimisation and recycling in comparison to other London Boroughs.
• The benefits of a wheeled bin and food collection service.
• Details of the service roll out, the community engagement work which had been conducted and flexibility of the service.
• A sample of the feedback the service had received from residents.
• Details on the garden waste recycling service.
• Details on the food waste recycling service, including its uptake by residents.
• Performance metrics – Noting household recycling rate was up 5 percentage points, due to increased food and dry mixed recycling.
• Details on the social value implications of the service and how this had benefited communities.

Councillor Amanda Lloyd-Harris welcomed the proposal about small electrical goods as outlined in the report. She explained there was an issue with a number of bins not being returned on to the property which highlighted (to potential burglars) that the householder was absent. She asked if this issue could be passed to the collection teams as a security concern. In addition, she asked about the cost of the garden waste collection service, as in her view, this was an additional service charge for a pre-existing service within a Council Tax bill. She asked how she should reply to residents about the additional charge for a service that was already included in their Council Tax.

In relation to the bins, Annie Baker, Assistant Director Street Environmental Services asked Councillors to report any instances of bin misplacement so this could be communicated to the crews. The best place for bins was as close to a householders’ gate as possible within the boundary of the property. However, all bins should be returned to where they were presented.

With regards to the garden waste collection service, Annie Baker confirmed that the service was a new service for recycling the garden waste, whereas previously it was collected as refuse. As a next step she explained officers would be looking at instances where garden waste was combined with refuse to ensure this was managed. Councillor Amanda Lloyd-Harris confirmed that her garden waste was still being collected as part of her refuse collection, although she was still paying for the optional garden waste collection service. She felt refuse and garden waste collection services were not consistent. Annie Baker confirmed that this needed to be looked at to ensure garden waste was not collected as general refuse. She acknowledged that behavioural change took time, but garden waste recycling collection was for subscribers only.

Bram Kainth, Executive Director – Place commented that previously all waste was being presented in black bags. The Council was actively taking steps to improve its recycling and minimise its waste disposal / waste  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

This report provides the details and rationale for having a new H&F Markets & Street Trading Licensing Policy and updates to the prescribed standard conditions and the list of commodities. The overview provides an opportunity to discuss the proposals and the consultation timetable and process, prior to formal adoption.

Valerie Simpson, Assistant Director Environmental Health and Regulatory Services provided a report which provided the details and rationale for having a new H&F Markets & Street Trading Licensing Policy. This also provided an update to the prescribed standard conditions and the list of commodities. The presentation covered the following points:

• Key Functions and the remit of the Markets and Street Trading Team.
• The Council’s five priorities and aspirations:

1. Attracting and retaining new traders.
2. Addressing the economic challenges of the market.
3. Demonstrating the wider value of markets.
4. Professionalising Market management.
5. Improving relationships with Traders.

The key benefits for adopting a Markets and Street Trading Licensing Policy.

• Key updates to the standard conditions for Street Trading Licenses.
• Details on the revised commodities list.
• Information on the following:

1. Shop front licences.
2. The declaration of Market Rights.
3. Designating the whole borough for regulated street trading activities
4. Details on the Market and Street Trading consultation proposals and the revised timetable for formal adoption.
5. Details on the Enforcement Policy and speaking to Traders.

Councillor Adam Peter Lang noted the points in the report concerning protecting the environment, protecting traders and the importance of aesthetics for traders (pitches and coverings). He asked who would monitor the policy and enforce it when it was implemented. In response, Valerie Simpson, Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Regulatory Services confirmed the Enforcement Team was very small and so it would need to work in conjunction with the Law Enforcement Team (LET), Street Trading, Public Protection and Highways (concerning shopfronts) and be a collective approach. And when the policy was rolled out it would initially be to those areas in the borough which were most visible or most problematic first as it was unrealistic to assume all issues could be solved immediately.

In terms of the shop fronts and people using the pavements, the Chair asked if the LET could assist, as the use of the pavement was usually one metre from a premises and so they could speak to the shop owners. In response, Valerie Simpson explained the main requirement was to clearly set out what the expectations were, and what non-compliance looked like because of anomalies such as private forecourts. So, when the expectations were clear, a pan-council approach could be taken to enforcement. The Chair agreed that the rules and regulations need to be clear to all concerned so there was better compliance.

Councillor Amanda Lloyd-Harris welcomed the presentation and commented that in her view, the introduction of a Markets and Street Trading Licensing policy was long overdue. She felt enforcement was paramount but did not see how the LET could be involved with their myriad of other roles and responsibilities. In relation to long term absences mentioned in paragraph 16.3 of the report (of absences of more than 4 weeks, the Council would intervene to ensure the pitch was managed), she asked why the Council would have a role to play under these circumstances when traders were self-employed. In response, Valerie Simpson confirmed the Council did not want  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.