Questions from the Public for Written Response:
1) The Cargo Revolution Borough Charter is an opportunity for Local Authorities to be part of the transition to a greener economy and help make sure businesses and residents have the best possible chance of making the switch to cargo bikes. Will Bromley Council sign up and if not, then why?
We will not be signing this charter. We do not want to encourage the use of these slow moving and wide cargo bikes on busy roads which will impede other road users.
2) Does Portfolio Holder agree that, given changing demographics, it is incumbent on Bromley Council to:
(a) ensure borough fit for post-ICE future;
(b) enable active travel for all in transition to sustainable transport modes, e.g. walking, wheeling, shared mobility, public transport;
(c) endorse behaviour change, e.g. Pageant of Sustainable Mobility?
Bromley has a comprehensive set of transport policies designed to ensure a fair balance between the needs of all road users
3) On 31 March 2021, the Council established a Carbon Neutral Initiatives Fund, with £875,000. To date, none of that fund has been spent. Can the Portfolio Holder provide examples of the sort of projects this fund will be used for, and when he expects to bring papers describing them to this Committee for scrutiny?
The Council allocated £7k of the Carbon Neutral Fund to measure and analyse its Scope 3 procurement emissions following a Council motion. The Carbon Neutral Fund was set aside to support delivery against the Carbon Net Zero Action Plan and is managed by the Executive. To date, much of the funding used to deliver the initiatives in this plan have been from grants or invest to save monies. However, the Carbon Programme Manager is working with the Council’s Property Team to develop proposals that will make use of this fund through the delivery of the Operational Property Refurbishment Programme, with these being brought forward in due course.
4) Robbie Moore, the Minister for Flooding, stated (5/1/24) that : ‘The Government is spending £5.2 billion over the next cycle to better protect homes’… Will Bromley Council receive any funding, if so, how much; on which sites is it planned to be spent; and what works are to be carried out?
To date no details have been circulated to local councils.
5) Our roads and pavements are often in need of repair to keep the surfaces safe for use.Can you provide separate figures, for the latest available years data, showing how much was spent on repairing (1) pavements, and (2) roads? Also, how do you decide how much to spend on each?
Reactive and emergency highway repairs are arranged following routine safety inspections or customer enquiries. The 2023/24 budget includes;
Reactive footway repairs – £691k
Reactive carriageway repairs – £788k
Planned road and footway resurfacing are based on priorities identified by annual condition surveys. The annual budget for planned maintenance is £2.5m, which is allocated to carriageways and footways depending on priorities.
