Agenda item

8.46 pm – Councillor Nicholas Botterill moved, seconded by Councillor Rachel Ford, the special motion standing in their names:

           

“This Council notes that:

 

1.         Transport for London (TfL) commenced works on the Hammersmith Flyover several weeks ago.

 

2.         On Friday 23 December 2011, a decision was made following an overnight inspection by TfL engineers to close the flyover to traffic pending full scale structural assessments.

 

3.         Although this route and the structure of the Hammersmith Flyover form a strategic London route and that they are therefore under the full control of TfL, the resulting adverse impacts of closure to the residents of Hammersmith & Fulham (in economic and social terms) are severe.

 

This Council calls on TfL to:

 

·            Seek to reopen the flyover at the earliest opportunity when it is safe to do so,

·            Carry out all remedial works to the structure of the Hammersmith Flyover sufficient to extend the life span and allow unrestricted operation in as timely a manner as possible,

·            Continue to share all information and engineering assessments on the flyover with officers of this Council as soon as they are available, and

·            Continue to liaise with the affected boroughs on the traffic management implications of closure.”

 

Under Standing Order 15 (l), Councillor Nicholas Botterill moved, seconded by Councillor Rachel Ford, an amendment to their motion, to which the meeting agreed, as follows:

           

“Delete paragraph 3 and add after “severe”

 

“3.  Although the flyover was reopened to single file light traffic in each direction on the 13^th January 2012, there is still considerable consequent additional congestion having an adverse impact on travelling in the borough, in particular westbound traffic in Hammersmith.

 

4. TfL is proposing a programme of works (full details should be available by the end of January) which will allow full reopening of the flyover to all traffic in time for the London Olympics in July 2012. These works will most likely continue after the Olympics.

 

5. The remedial works (when fully complete) will give the flyover an additional expected life of seven to ten years.”

 

Delete bullet point 1 and insert

 

“Convene a consultative panel which will include representatives of business and commerce, the Council and local residents to consider options for full replacement of the flyover in particular the potential for a tunnel.”

 

Speeches on the special motion (as amended) were made by Councillors Nicholas Botterill, Rachel Ford and Lucy Ivimy (for the Administration).

 

Under Standing Order 15 (e) (vi), Councillor Michael Cartwright moved, seconded by Councillor Stephen Cowan, an amendment to the motion as follows:

 

“Add the paragraph below after the following words: “of closure” in the final paragraph…

 

“Request the Greater London Authority to carry out an investigation into the circumstances regarding the deterioration and closure of the flyover.

 

Request that the Mayor carry out a feasibility study into putting the A4 into a tunnel through central Hammersmith, and pending receipt of the study, put the pedestrian bridge to Furnival Gardens into abeyance.

 

Notes that this Council was warned about the problems with the Hammersmith Flyover last summer and that included the possibility of closure. It therefore is concerned about the lack of a proactive approach taken by the Council’s Conservative Administration and the London Mayor Boris Johnson (Con). The Council therefore calls for an inquiry into how the incompetence associated with this closure meant that:

 

• The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham had no traffic management plan to deal with the resulting problems in subsidiary residential streets when the Hammersmith Flyover was closed.
• There was little to no effective communication between the London Mayor, Transport for London and this Council which meant the Council was taken by surprise when the Hammersmith Flyover closed.”

 

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Michael Cartwright and Stephen Cowan (for the Opposition) and Councillor Nicholas Botterill (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

 

FOR                            13

AGAINST                   27

NON VOTING            0

 

The motion was declared LOST.

 

 

 

 

The substantive motion (as amended) was put to the vote:

 

FOR                            Unanimous

AGAINST                   0

NON VOTING            0

 

The motion was declared CARRIED.

 

9.19 pm – RESOLVED:

 

This Council notes that:

 

1.         Transport for London (TfL) commenced works on the Hammersmith Flyover several weeks ago.

 

2.         On Friday 23 December 2011, a decision was made following an overnight inspection by TfL engineers to close the flyover to traffic pending full scale structural assessments.

 

3.         Although the flyover was reopened to single file light traffic in each direction on the 13^th January 2012, there is still considerable consequent additional congestion having an adverse impact on travelling in the borough, in particular westbound traffic in Hammersmith.

 

4.                  TfL is proposing a programme of works (full details should be available by the end of January) which will allow full reopening of the flyover to all traffic in time for the London Olympics in July 2012. These works will most likely continue after the Olympics.

 

5.                  The remedial works (when fully complete) will give the flyover an additional expected life of seven to ten years.

 

This Council calls on TfL to:

 

·            Convene a consultative panel which will include representatives of business and commerce, the Council and local residents to consider options for full replacement of the flyover in particular the potential for a tunnel.

·            Carry out all remedial works to the structure of the Hammersmith Flyover sufficient to extend the life span and allow unrestricted operation in as timely a manner as possible,

·            Continue to share all information and engineering assessments on the flyover with officers of this Council as soon as they are available, and

·            Continue to liaise with the affected boroughs on the traffic management implications of closure.