Geoff Connell
Resources Directorate
Divisional Director
Information Governance
ICT
Ian Gibbs
Head of Information
Governance
Ms Ruthlyn Black
Ask for: Information
Information Governance
request-27077-
Governance
Newham Dockside
[email address]
1000 Dockside Road
London
Your ref :
E16 2QU
Tel: 020 8430 3737
Fax: 020 8430 1504
Our ref: FOI/E5542
Email:
[email address]
Date: 12/03/2010
v.uk
Web: www.newham.gov.uk
Dear Ms Black,
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Request for Information: Information Supplied
Please quote our reference: E5542.
Subject: Mayor of London Transport Strategy - Consultation Process.
We write with regard to your request for information held by the Council under the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and apologise for our late
response.
We trust that the information provided is satisfactory. You are free to use the
information for your personal use only. Any other type of re-use, for example,
publishing the information or issuing copies to the public will require permission of the
copyright owner. If the Council is the copyright owner, a licence can be applied for
under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005.
For future reference we publish information on our website, including the Freedom of
Information Publication Scheme and summary of Freedom of Information requests
and responses that may be of help to you in searching for information. Our website is
mentioned above.
It is important to note that under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC
Directive) Regulations 2003 the Council asks not to receive unsolicited marketing
communication.
Request & Response
Our response is:
(1) What publicity was undertaken across LB Newham by TfL and by LB
Newham?
The Mayor’s Transport Strategy is a document produced by the Mayor of London and
Transport for London. The Council has no role in publicising this document on behalf
of the authors. The Council did publicise the launch of the strategy on the Council
website, but was under no obligation to do so.
The Council consults on the detailed Local Implementation Plan submitted for
funding to Transport for London, which contains the detailed transport policies and
programmes for a five year period for the Borough, which is intended to deliver some
of the key objectives of the current Mayor’s Strategy document. This consultation
process will be undertaken by the Council in the summer/autumn of 2010.
(2) What was published that explained the Draft Strategy and the consultation
process and how were these made available?
This question will require to be redirected to Transport for London.
(3) What steps were taken to try to ensure a balanced cross-section of the
public was made aware of the process?
This question will require to be redirected to Transport for London.
(4) Where were leaflets distributed, and how was this decided? What analysis
suggested this would lead to a fair and balanced distribution across the
community?
This question will require to be redirected to Transport for London.
(5) What steps were taken to ensure that hard-to-reach sections of the
community, such as those who travel exclusively by private car, were made
aware of the consultation process and encouraged to participate in it?
This question will require to be redirected to Transport for London.
(6) What consultation discussions took place between LB Newham and TfL
over how this process would operate? To what extent was the council
consulted over the detail of the consultation, and what views did it express?
This question will require to be redirected to Transport for London. The Council had
no discussions with Transport for London or the Mayor’s Office about how the
consultation on their document should be conducted.
(7) Is the council happy with the consultation process? Was the council happy
that the online questionnaire was so flagrantly biased? Was the council happy
that were responders allowed to pick as many as they chose from an un-costed
wish-list?
The Council takes no particular view on the consultation process undertaken by a
third party or the nature of the questionnaire contained therein. The Council’s role is
to consult on the translation of that document into local policies and programmes in
its LIP document. However, the Council considers that an indication of public
aspiration is an important element of any consultation process and considers the
approach taken perfectly valid.
(8) What programme of meetings was organised? Did Newham Council ask TfL
to attend meetings of the council's Neighbourhood Partnerships, and how
many did receive reports on the consultation from TfL?
The Council was a stakeholder in this process – not the originator – and therefore did
not organise any meeting specifically for this purpose. The Transport Strategy was
widely publicised elsewhere.
(9) How many meetings took place within LB Newham between TfL and the
council as part of the consultation process? What about with local groups in
LB Newham?
None as far as were are aware
(10) What pre-consultation took place with interested parties to ensure that the
process was fair and balanced?
No pre-consultation took place.
(11) Does the council support a MTS consultation on the Draft Mayor of London
Transport Strategy that offers so little for the driver - private motorist or
professional driver of taxi, minicab, van, lorry or bus? How important are
private drivers in the overall use of transport in Newham? Has the council
expressed concerns over this unfair and unbalanced aspect of the consultation
process?
The consultation process to which Newham responded as a stakeholder was used to
raise a range of concerns and issues which it believed needed to be either
addressed or clarified by the Mayor and a full response can be found on the
Council’s website.
Does the Council support a MTS in which the promotion of cycling within the
draft MTS does not also include warnings on the dangers of this mode? Does
the council support the proposition that a mass switch to cycling would be
beneficial justified, and on what evidence?
While generally supportive of the promotion of cycling for its health and sustainability
benefits the Council has raised some concerns over some of the cycling policies in
the draft strategy. The details can be found in the paper following the link above.
(13) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which castings’ of various
suggestions were not put forward, so that the public could see how much tax
each would entail?
The Council in its response to TfL was critical of the lack of detail in both the scheme
programming and scheme costing areas. The Council considers the Mayor’s Strategy
to be weak in this regard.
(14) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which there was no
question on the level of subsidy that each mode should receive?
The Council did not respond in relation to modal subsidy levels as this level of detail
was not presented in the draft strategy.
(15) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which no question is
asked as to whether the users of a mode should bear all, most, some or
whatever proportion of the costs of providing that mode?
The Council did not respond in relation to modal pricing levels as this level of detail
was not presented in the draft strategy.
(16) What representations has or will the council make regarding the
consultation process into the Draft MTS as a result of this enquiry or
otherwise?
The Council has made its response to the draft strategy. The Council does not intend
to make further representations to TfL at this time, either as a result of this enquiry or
otherwise. However, further representations will be made in the emerging sub-
regional transport plans, in the development of which we would expect a higher level
of stakeholder involvement. The Council will continue to use the Mayor’s Transport
Strategy to inform local transport policies and programmes but not to dictate them.
Aspects of the Mayor’s Strategy are more applicable to some London Boroughs than
others and Newham will continue to develop and implement the policies it considers
most appropriate for its community, based on ongoing consultations with our own
Community Forums. Elected Members and other community groups, with due
cognisance of the overarching Mayoral Strategy, where appropriate.
If you require any further information or are not happy with our response please do
not hesitate to contact a member of our team on (020) 8430 3737 or email us at
[Newham Borough Council request email].
Yours Sincerely
Information Governance
Newham Council
