Mayor of London Transport Strategy - Consultation Process - How many aware within LB Hammersmith and Fulham?

Dear Ms Black

REF: 2010/COR0036 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION- INFORMATION REQUEST

I acknowledge your request received on 18 January 2010

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

If appropriate, the information may be provided in paper copy, normal font size, or electronically. If you require alternative formats, e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let me know.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then the information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case.

There may a fee payable for this information. This will be considered and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, Telephone: 01625 545 700, http://www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Alison Ross-Dow
Senior Information Management Officer
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Information Management Team/Finance & Corporate Services
2nd Floor, Hammersmith Town Hall Extension
King Street
London W6 9JU
DL: 020 8753 2455

www.lbhf.gov.uk

Director of Finance & Corporate Services: Jane West

Dear Ms Black,

REF: 2010/COR0036 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION- INFORMATION REQUEST

Your request for information has now been considered and our response is set out below. Further to your email of Friday 12 February, I should inform you that as the Council officially received this email on 18 January 2010, as stated in my colleague's acknowledgement email to you, the due date for a response was today, 15 February 2010.

(1) What publicity was undertaken across LB Hammersmith and Fulham by TfL and by LB Hammersmith and Fulham?

Two significant stories pre-Christmas publicising consultation - linking to WEZ - and encouraging feedback. Stories were issued as press releases, H&F News and on web. Plus two reminder nibs after Christmas. One promoting Scrutiny Committee. One linking to WEZ.

http://www/Directory/News/Congestion_Zon...

http://www/Directory/News/Air_your_views...

(2) What was published that explained the Draft Strategy and the consultation process and how were these made available?

See above

(3) What steps were taken to try to ensure a balanced cross-section of the public was made aware of the process?

Went out in all media outlets available.

(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?

At the Council's request, Transport for London distributed consultation leaflets to the borough's libraries and reception desks

(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?

H&F news, which carried the stories detailed above, is distributed to all households in the borough.

(6) What consultation discussions took place between LB Hammersmith and Fulham 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?

The consultation process was determined by Transport for London and the council was not consulted on it. A meeting was held between TfL's Director of Borough Partnerships and the council's Deputy Leader in December, when the Council strongly pressed its views on the Mayors Transport Strategy. At the Council's request, TfL's Director of Borough Partnerships gave a presentation on the Mayor's Transport Strategy at the Council's Cleaner and Greener Scrutiny Committee on 13 January, The meeting took place just after the closing date for consultation but TfL agreed to consider submissions made during and after the meeting. The Cleaner and Greener Scrutiny committee is a public meeting and agendas are place on the councils web and on display at council reception desks and libraries.

(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 uncosted wish-list?

The Council's views are expressed in our press releases above. The Council is not happy that such a significant issue around C-Charge western extension was not given the prominence it deserved within the consultation.

(7) What steps were taken to inform and involve organisations likely to have an interest?

Community groups and organisations are represented at the Cleaner and Greener Scrutiny committee. We liaised with the West London Residents'' Association in relation to the articles reproduced above.

(8) What programme of meetings was organised? Did Hammersmith and Fulham Council ask TfL to attend meetings of the council's Neighbourhood Partnerships, and how many did receive reports on the consultation from TfL.

See 6 above. The Council does not operate a system of Neighbourhood Partnerships

(9) How many meetings took place within LB Hammersmith and Fulham between TfL and the council as part of the consultation process? What about with local groups in LB Hammersmith and Fulham?

See Section 6 above

(10) What pre-consultation took place with interested parties to ensure that the process was fair and balanced?

The consultation was undertaken by Transport for London, not the Council.

(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 Hammersmith and Fulham? Has the council expressed concerns over this unfair and unbalanced aspect of the consultation process?

See the Council's response to the MTS, reproduced below. Private car use is an essential part of the borough's transport system and economy. About half the borough's households own a car and 20% of borough residents travel to work by car. We support measures to improve traffic flow, particularly on north-south roads in the borough, and we support the Mayor of London's aim of smoothing traffic flow through measures such as the review of the timings of traffic signals and better co-ordination and planning of streetworks.

(12) 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?

The Council supports the promotion of cycling along with measures to improve its safety, e.g. through cycle training and awareness campaigns with HGV drivers. Increases in the numbers of people cycling can help to relieve the congested highway and public transport networks and help the city function more effectively while reducing the need for extremely expensive investment, e.g. in rail systems. Such an approach has been successful in continental cities such as Copenhagen or Munich.

(13) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which costings of various suggestions were not put forward, so that the public could see how much tax each would entail?

Our understanding of the MTS is that it sets out the Mayor's strategic policy approach. Transport for London's business plan deals with costings.

(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 has not taken a position on this matter

(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 has not taken a position on this matter

(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 will consider whether to make any representations on the consultation process when TfL produce their report of consultation and indicate what changes they intend to make to the MTS as a result of the consultation.

If you are dissatisfied in any way you may write to the Information Manager, Business Technology, 2nd Floor, Hammersmith Town Hall Extension, London W6 9JU

Once you have exhausted this procedure you may appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, Telephone: 01625 545 700, http://www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Jon Hill
Senior Information Management Officer
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Information Management Team/Finance & Corporate Services
2nd Floor, Hammersmith Town Hall Extension
King Street
London W6 9JU
DL: 020 8753 5865

www.lbhf.gov.uk

Director of Finance & Corporate Services: Jane West

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Black

Thank you for your email. I have passed your questions back to the original department and I hope to respond to you shortly.

Regards

Alison Ross-Dow
Senior Information Management Officer
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Information Management Team/Finance & Corporate Services
2nd Floor, Hammersmith Town Hall Extension
King Street
London W6 9JU
DL: 020 8753 2455

www.lbhf.gov.uk

Director of Finance & Corporate Services: Jane West

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Black,

REF: 2010/COR0036 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION- INFORMATION REQUEST

Please find as requested attached copies of the requested press releases and the text of Hammersmith & Fulham's response to the MTS. I apologise for the delay in providing this.

Yours sincerely.

Jon Hill
Senior Information Management Officer
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Information Management Team/Finance & Corporate Services
2nd Floor, Hammersmith Town Hall Extension
King Street
London W6 9JU
DL: 020 8753 5865

www.lbhf.gov.uk

Director of Finance & Corporate Services: Jane West

show quoted sections