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London Assembly Environment ReportsReports may be downloaded, free of charge, in PDF and RTF formats - the site help page provides information about these formats.
For further information on reports below please contact Danny Myers, Scrutiny Manager, email: danny.myers@london.gov.uk. Making it in London conference reportMarch 2008 This report sets out the proceedings of a conference held on behalf of the London Assembly's Environment Committee at City Hall in October 2007. For the first time in London, this conference bought together a range of speakers from across academia, the private and public sector to discuss the barriers to further growth of London's eco-friendly manufacturing sector. Response to the Government's consultation 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' February 2008 The Committee's responses stresses its opposition to the expansion of Heathrow airport, following an investigation into the proposals' environmental impact. It argues that the economic benefits of Heathrow expansion are exaggerated, expansion plans would breach EU air quality standards, and projections for noise impact levels are false. The Committee found that expansion at Heathrow should not proceed until certain criteria are met, including:
Tannoying: Tackling Tube station PA noise for local residentsFebruary
2008 Complaints about loud public address (PA) announcements around the capital’s Tube stations are no longer falling on deaf ears, according to our report. It welcomes efforts by London Underground Ltd (LUL) to deal effectively with nuisance noise from loud PA systems. The report acknowledges measures taken by LUL to reduce the frequency of announcements and get to grips with problems caused by new, high-tech PA systems installed in many stations as part of a huge refurbishment programme on London’s Tube network. However it found there were areas for further improvement and makes recommendations to LUL about sharpening up the monitoring of PA noise outside stations, fostering better relationships with local residents and improving complaint resolution. Booming and fuming: Noise nuisance from car stereos and mini-motorbikesJanuary 2008 Mobile nuisance noise caused by loud car stereos is on the increase and making life a misery for some people in the capital, according to respondents to a snapshot survey published in our report. The investigation found some Londoners affected by noise from car stereos and mini motos suffer from stress and experience frustration that, at least in the case of car stereo noise, authorities are unable to tackle the problem effectively. The report makes a number of recommendations to address the problems of mobile urban nuisance noise:
Bag to Basics Why and how free shopping bags should be removed from
London’s shops Our report calls on the Government to introduce a national levy on all free throw-away shopping bags to reduce their environmental impact. London Councils’ proposal to ban the distribution of free shopping bags is a welcome measure, however the report finds a national levy, similar to the one introduced in the Republic of Ireland, is a more effective and efficient means to cut the number of bags issued by retailers. The report also stresses the need to set more ambitious targets and recommends immediate changes to the government agreement. The Committee found some supermarkets had already exceeded their 25 per cent target to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags suggesting that current targets need urgent revision, with more robust, sector specific and new, tightly defined targets set for all retailers. Emission creepDecember 2007 London’s public and commercial sector buildings produce around 15 million tones of carbon emissions a year, but our report found emissions vary significantly across sectors. London local authorities lead the way in reducing the carbon footprint of their offices, however the NHS is playing catch-up in cutting the energy consumption of its buildings. The report found PFI contracts were too rigid in allowing NHS managers to install on-site renewable energy and calls for better carbon-cutting commitments for PFI projects. It also calls on the Treasury to provide guidance for the public sector to help negotiate service agreement changes for PFI projects. The report found progress on cutting carbon emissions within the Greater London Authority Groups’ estate varies. LFEPA has spent £47 per square metre of its estate in reducing its carbon footprint; the MPS, having a considerably larger estate, spend and staff numbers, has spent £14 per square metre to date. Response to Mayor's draft Business Waste StrategyJuly 2007 In its response to the Mayor’s draft Business Waste Strategy, the Assembly’s Environment Committee drew upon its recent research findings to urge all London councils to offer and promote commercially competitive recycling services to local businesses. It recommends that the London Development Agency (LDA) increases awareness among SMEs of the London Environmental Support Service (LESS), and highlights the need for a campaign specifically targeted towards the worst sector at managing their waste – London’s hotels and restaurants. The Committee’s response makes a number of recommendations to increase awareness among SME about LESS. The Committee’s survey found that London SMEs saw local authorities as the first port of call and few local businesses cited websites as a source of advice. The Committee therefore calls for weblinks secured to and from LESS’s website to local authority websites; training organised for local authority call centres to divert queries from local businesses to the service; and a postcode based search facility available on the LESS website together with a directory of waste management services. The Committee also recommends LESS’s success is measured through a feedback facility on the website to monitor satisfaction levels among LESS users. The Committee’s response notes many London SMEs are currently using domestic recycling schemes for their commercial waste, and it raises concerns about the draft strategy’s proposal to allow businesses to use Reuse and Recycling Centres free of charge, which could lead to council tax payers subsidising business waste services. To overcome this problem, the Committee asks that practical options such as pre-pay recycling bags for the business sector are considered in the revised strategy. Chainsaw massacre: A review of London's street treesMay 2007 Our report reveals that up to 2,000 London street trees have been given the chop in the past five years, condemned by usually unwarranted subsidence claims. In some boroughs up to 40 per cent of trees removed have been due to insurance claims. Yet the Assembly’s Environment Committee heard that barely one per cent of these claims were probably justified. A survey showed that, over the past five years, 40 per cent of the 325 trees removed in Hackney, 16 per cent of 1,500 trees in Brent and ten per cent of the 600 trees in Camden have been removed because of subsidence claims. The report highlights an urgent need for action from local authorities, landlords, developers and residents to increase the number of street trees as part of the battle against climate change. It identifies measures to maintain and protect the capital’s trees, including:
The report calls for London boroughs to explore funding and sponsorship from private developers through planning agreements to meet the cost of maintaining trees. Written evidenceWritten evidence submitted to the Committee for this investigation is available for download: Written evidence: London's street trees PDF LDA brownfield sites reviewJanuary 2007 The Environment Committee report Dereliction of Duty, published in November 2005, highlighted the Committee’s concerns at the lack of detailed knowledge and proactive leadership by the London Development Agency (LDA) of London’s brownfield sites (also known as previously developed land) and attendant development. This is particularly disturbing given that the LDA is the lead agency for the region. The report recommended a comprehensive review of brownfield sites in London as part of a body of research to inform policy approaches on developing them. In a written response to the Committee (dated 10 May 2006), the LDA committed to providing a ‘London Brownfield Sites Review’ by the end of 2006. At its meeting on 18 January 2007 the Committee received a presentation from Ted Kyzer, Group Director - Olympics and Pan London Infrastructure, and Richard Cohen, Head of Places and Infrastructure Policy, of the London Development Agency about the LDA’s review of brownfield sites in London. Letter to the Olympic BoardDecember 2006 On 12 October 2006 the Environment Committee met representatives from the Olympic Delivery Authority and London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and representatives from a range of other key stakeholder groups and organisations to discuss progress towards meeting the environmental commitments as set out in the original Olympic Bid document. Following that meeting the Committee agreed this letter which has been sent to the Olympic Board for discussion at its January Board meeting. A lot to lose: London's disappearing allotmentsOctober 2006 The relentless pressure on land in the capital, the need to build at high densities, and, in some cases, neglect and disuse, mean that allotments are slowly but surely being eroded. And yet, paradoxically, while sites close across London, demand has never been higher. The unprecedented interest in organic food has led to a renaissance in allotment gardening, particularly among women and young families. Our report is based on the most comprehensive survey carried out of London’s allotments. As well as mapping sites across the city for the first time, we examine the benefits they bring to individuals and how vulnerable sites can best be protected. Among our recommendations are an online search tool for allotments in London, greater sharing of information on supply and demand across the capital and the use of boroughs’ planning powers to compel high density housing developers to allocate land for allotment use. London in a spin - a review of helicopter noiseOctober 2006 Helicopter noise written evidence received PDF Our investigation has drawn attention to the less publicised issue of helicopter noise, which is having a negative impact on the quality of life for many people. Our report makes a number of recommendations to the Department for Transport and others to try and reduce the environmental impact of helicopter noise. These include: better collection of data and monitoring; improved communication and complaints procedures; a charge to cover the cost of helicopters using air traffic services; incentives to encourage operators to replace older and noisier helicopters; and imposing restictions on helicopters used for advertising. Update: March 2007 Letter from Gillian Merron PDF Buying recycledJune 2006 Our investigation suggests that the Mayor, through the London Development Agency and London Remade have been putting most of their efforts into supporting larger firms within the private sector to buy recycled goods. Larger firms tend to have more resources to devote to procurement but small and medium sized firms do not have this luxury and therefore require more support. We have recommended that the LDA should work with other agencies to develop and commission a London-wide portal to provide easy access to information on purchasing recycled goods and to prepare a publicity and marketing campaign to raise awareness of the importance of buying recycled amongst small and medium sized firms in London. We also believe that London Remade should set up a brokerage service to establish buying consortia to offer a cost effective way of increasing the involvement of smaller firms. There should also be greater pressure by the LDA and London Remade on suppliers to encourage them to increase the choice of recycled products in their brochures. Buying recycled responsesSeptember 2006 The LDA and London Remade have responded positively to the recommendations in the Buying Recycled report. The Environment Committee will be monitoring the implementation of these recommendations over the coming 12 months. Offside: The Loss of London's Playing FieldsMay 2006 This report focuses on and highlights the importance of preserving playing fields and London’s green spaces for sport. In doing so it addresses three main themes:
Dash for homes? A report on the environmental aspects of the Mayor's planning decisions The Environment Committee has published 'Dash for homes?' which reports on the environmental aspects of the Mayor's planning decisions. The report:
London Low Emission Zone March 2006 The Environment Committee has responded to the Mayor's consultation on the draft revisions to the Transport and Air Quality strategies. The response outlines its support for action to improve London’s air quality that is carefully planned, practicable and sustainable. The response also calls for:
A response to the Mayor’s Draft Food StrategyJanuary 2006 Mike Tuffrey, on behalf of the Environment Committee, has produced a response to the Mayor's Draft Food Strategy. The response broadly welcomes the strategy as a useful tool for bringing together the main themes and issues in the current debate about London's food economy. The lack of public infrastructure in this sector means that the process goes largely unplanned, and the strategy provides ambitious aims and actions to tackle the consequences of this. However, we found that sheer scale of the food economy means that the strategy loses sight of some of the hard choices that need to be made. Our central conclusion is that the strategy risks not being fully effective in making a significant impact on London’s food sustainability until the priorities for action are more clearly identified, the main players are properly engaged, and specific actions are highlighted, distinguishing between short and longer term. A key tool to achieve this is economic mapping, to identify the flows of money in the food industry. This will illustrate the centrality of consumer choice in the food economy. We would also like to see environmental impacts given more prominence, acknowledging the impact food has on environmental sustainability. Drowning in RubbishA London Assembly response to the Mayor’s consultation on draft
alterations to the London Plan policies on waste and minerals On 20 October the Mayor published draft alterations to policies on planning for waste and minerals set out in his Spatial Development Strategy, more commonly known as the 'London Plan'. London already struggles to manage the waste it creates, which is set to rise significantly in the future. We currently produce an estimated 17 million tonnes of waste a year, but only have the capacity to manage 10 million tonnes or 60 per cent of the waste we produce. Four million tonnes of the waste we produce mostly comes from our households. We need to do better at managing our waste. London has the second worst regional recycling rate for household waste in the country, and at 17 per cent we are a third below the 25 per cent national target set for 2005. The Environment Committee's response welcomes the Mayor’s draft alterations to the London Plan policies on waste and minerals, but states that fundamental questions remain to be answered about the practical measures that will need to be taken to get us to the Mayor’s vision for future waste planning and management in London. Dereliction of Duty? A report on brownfield development in London November 2005 Over the next ten years, London’s population is set to grow by 800,000, and up to 636,000 more jobs will be created. This growth will place great demands on the capital to provide the houses, work places, schools and other infrastructure needed to create sustainable communities. The challenge will be to balance these needs with the need to preserve existing quality and accessible green spaces, for Londoners to enjoy, and to continue to provide more of them in the future. This report considers how land use planning and Government-led financial initiatives can help stimulate development on brownfield land in London, and examines the roles of the Mayor and London Development Agency and makes recommendation on how these can be built on to increase the rate at which brownfield land is brought forward for development in London. London under threat? Flooding risk in the Thames GatewayOctober 2005 The Committee describes the huge potential impact that flooding could have in the Thames Gateway with 1.25 million people at risk. We consider the options for reducing flood risk: new defences; tighter planning controls; and design. We recommend various further actions for improving London's resilience to flooding including that the Mayor should strengthen his planning guidance for the area and that funding must be identified quickly to improve defences. A response to this report and its recommendations was received from the Environment Agency, and is available for download: Thames Gateway flooding report: Environment Agency response, PDF only Crazy Paving: The environmental importance of London’s front gardensSeptember 2005 An area 22 times the size of Hyde park has already been at least partially paved over in London as a result of front gardens being turned from grass to concrete. This loss of green space is having an impact on the environment, the attractiveness of the streetscene, and perhaps most worryingly on flooding risk in London. This report presents the first London-wide analysis of this problem, and makes recommendations for action by the Mayor, London Boroughs and the Government. Mayor's environmental strategiesAugust 2005 The GLA Act requires the Mayor to publish environmental strategies covering Air Quality, Ambient Noise, Biodiversity, Municipal Waste Management and Energy. Each strategy outlines what the Mayor considers to be priority environmental issues for London and how he intends to address them. The Committee's review of these strategies found that considerable work is being done to promote and implement the key environmental policies across London, but that more work is needed to develop a focused and consistent approach so that the targets in the strategies can be achieved. The Committee's letter to the Mayor calls for clearer priorities and more specifc targets and a more simplified process of measuring progress through a core set of indicators across the five strategies. Sustainable Buildings June 2005 The Committee has considered the work of the GLA group on improving the sustainability of new developments including the draft Supplementary Planning Guidance on Sustainable Design and Construction and the toolkit to be used in the management of LDA projects. The Committee welcomed these initiatives, but is disappointed at the pace of the work to date. It recommended the introduction of training and dissemination on sustainability aspects of the London Plan; production of an assessment tool which allows developers and planners to check planning applications, further research on the costs and savings of green buildings and the promotion of good practice in sustainable design and construction. Power to the PeopleMay 2005 Climate change has been described as the most serious problem currently facing the UK and reducing domestic use of fossil fuels is a crucial part of combating it. Yet many Londoners who have tried to install renewable energy in their homes have found the process bureaucratic and difficult, and even highly motivated people have given up. This report examines the barriers preventing Londoners from translating their intentions on installing renewable energy into actions and makes practical recommendations to remove those obstacles. The Committee was told about barriers in four areas: financial; lack of suitable information; problems with finding or suitability of installers, getting quotes; and overcoming bureaucracy and legal difficulties. The Committee supports the introduction of a grant scheme and/or subsidised loans for low-carbon technologies along with the extension of economic incentives and introduction of Council Tax and Stamp Duty rebates. The Committee recommends the use of one-stop shops to support homeowners through the installation process and additional information including a ‘how to’ guide that takes potential customers through the installation process and an independent, comparative guide to the different products systems. The Committee also suggests action to tackle the other barriers it identified. Survey Renewable energy survey report PDF Down the Drain: London's water supply and usage
March 2005 Londoners could face water shortages within the next 10 years unless water companies address problems with the demand-supply balance. This is poor partly because capital’s water loss through leakage is the highest in the country and will worsen as London's demand rises due to population growth and changes. The report considers the environmental impact and how to minimise it by reducing water loss before it reaches the customer, and by encouraging customers to use less water and make water efficient choices. On the other side of the supply-demand equation it addresses how to increase supply without merely creating a short-term fix to the problem of ever increasing demand. Finally it looks at the current regulation system and whether this is doing enough to encourage good water resource management. Environmental aspects of the Mayor's budgetLetter from Chair to GLA Group leaders PDF The Environment Committee met on 19 January 2005 with representatives from the Mayor's Office, Transport for London, the London Development Agency, and environmental organisations. The Committee looked at environmental aspects of the Mayor's budget proposals for 2005/06, and found that more work was needed to make sure the Mayor's priorities on energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and recycling are being delivered. The Committee made eight recommendations for action by the Mayor, TfL and the LDA, and will be following up this work in the spring to see what progress has been made. Hazardous LondonDecember 2004 London produces 500 000 tonnes of hazardous waste each year. In July 2004 this waste could no longer go to non-specialist landfills which had previously been the most common method of disposal due to implementation of the EU Landfill Directive. The Committee welcomes improvements on standards and the aim of reducing production of this waste and Government work on this, but voices concerns about the impact of the new laws. The Committee heard criticism of how the legislation was implemented and the resultant lack of new facilities and believes that the Government must improve how it introduces waste legislation. Protecting the City EnvironmentApril 2004 Issues like graffiti, litter and fly-tipping significantly affect our sense of well-being. Poll after poll shows that clean, safe streets, parks and public spaces are a priority for Londoners. This report looks at how London can best address these problems and how weaknesses in our current approaches can be overcome. Implementing the Municipal Waste Management Strategy
April 2004 How London tackles its waste is a critical issue not only for us but also for the London our children will live and work in. For the last four years, the Environment Committee has been carefully tracking the Mayor's emerging Municipal Waste Management Strategy. In September 2003 the Mayor published his final version of this strategy. Buried in the back of this extensive document is an Implementation Plan, which sets out who is expected to do what in terms of delivering sustainable waste management for London. The report's research examines the Implementation Plan in detail and tests it for delivery gaps or overlaps by interviewing London's waste players. The report's main finding is that to achieve its 2005 recycling targets, London needs active leadership. The report concludes that this should come from the Mayor working in partnership with key players through London Waste Action. Young London speaksYoung people's views on improving the street environment Young people give their views on issues affecting the street environment and what can be done to improve it. Recommendations by the Environment Committee to take these forward include education campaigns should be designed by young people; legal graffiti and poster sites should be considered and street warden and community policing schemes should take more active measures to connect with young people. EU Directives affecting waste electrical and electronic equipmentFebruary 2004 This report discusses the key issues that local authorities, the Government and the private sector need to address in order to implement the three EU Directives on waste which are due to come into force in the next two years. The Committee believe that if properly prepared for this could provide an opportunity to increase reuse and recycling and reduce the cost of waste disposal for Londoners. However, action must be taken now to avoid previous fiascos such as that which created fridge mountains across the UK. Raising the Standard?Review of the Capital Standards Campaign on street cleanliness Capital Standards Campaign is a joint initiative by the Mayor and certain London boroughs, in partnership with the Association of London Government and ENCAMS. The Environment Committee has reviewed the Campaign to date as part of its work on Protecting the City Environment. The report outlines work to date by the Capital Standards Campaign on improving the Boroughs' existing work on street cleanliness; investigates the success of the different elements of the Campaign and makes recommendations on how the work of the Campaign could be improved. The majority view considers that the Campaign has had early successes, but that there is plenty of scope for further improvement. The minority view believes this is unfairly positive and outlines reasoning behind those boroughs who do not participate. Power in Partnership Response to the Public Consultation Draft of the Mayor's Energy Strategy This report follows on from the Scrutiny of the 'Assembly' draft of the Mayor's Energy Strategy, and sets out the Committee's response to the more recent Public Consultation Draft of that Strategy. If its objectives are to be realised, a wide range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors will need to work together. The report therefore focusses on the Mayor's proposals for a London Energy Partnership as the mechanism for delivering the Strategy, and makes detailed suggestions for the Partnership's development. In general the Committee welcomes the Mayor's approach, but calls on him to ensure that the Partnership:
Response to the Public Consultation Draft of the Municipal Waste Management StrategyDecember 2002 The Environment Committee has responded to the Mayor's proposals for tackling London's waste by asking the Mayor to:
Flooding in LondonNovember 2002 This report examines the three main flooding risks to London - the Thames Tide, rivers and sewers - and examines both the extent of the risk and how it will be affected by the impact of climate change. The most immediate risks are from the drainage system and from certain stretches of the Thames and its tributaries as a consequence of heavy rainfall. The report makes recommendations on the gathering of more comprehensive information on flood risk to London, on the need to improve our emergency preparedness, on how best to minimise the dangers of flooding in a sustainable way, on post-flood recovery and insurance cover. Scrutiny of the Mayor's Draft Noise StrategyOctober 2002 In conducting its scrutiny of the Mayor's draft Ambient Noise Strategy, the London Assembly Environment Committee interviewed the Mayor, gathered written evidence from a wide range of organisations and went on three site visits to discuss with residents and boroughs the problems associated with road traffic noise on the A2 in Bexley, entertainment noise in Covent Garden and Soho and aircraft noise above Hounslow, near Heathrow airport. This report is the Environment Committee's response to the Mayor's draft Ambient Noise Strategy. Scrutiny of the Mayor's Energy Strategy (Assembly Draft) July 2002 This is the London Assembly's response to the Mayor's Draft Energy Strategy.
The Assembly broadly welcomes the Strategy, but would like to see further
work in the following five key areas: Graffiti in London May 2002 Graffiti is an increasingly prevalent environmental crime in London, degrading streets, houses, offices, buses and trains. It engenders an atmosphere of neglect and criminality. Graffiti also involves serious risks to the graffiti writers themselves. The London Assembly has undertaken the first London-wide focussed consideration of how to prevent and reduce graffiti. We have brought together for the first time a wealth of best practice and data which can be used to develop a targeted and co-ordinated approach to dealing with graffiti. Our report discusses issues raised by Boroughs, transport companies and residents. We have also investigated the culture and motivations of graffiti writing. We look at what works in graffiti prevention both across London, the United Kingdom and in cities around the world. The report makes positive recommendations on how graffiti should be dealt with across London. Scrutiny of the Mayor's Draft Waste StrategyNovember 2001 This is the London Assembly's response to the Mayor's Draft Waste Strategy.
The Assembly broadly welcomes the Strategy, but raises concerns in four
key areas: Scrutiny of Green Spaces in LondonNovember 2001 Scrutiny of the transportation of nuclear waste by train through London October 2001 The transport of nuclear waste is a matter of legitimate concern for London. This Assembly report examines: the existing emergency planning in the event of a radiological release; the current readiness of the emergency services and nuclear industry in such an event; and the issue of trackside contamination. The Committee has made positive recommendations in a number of areas where improvement needs to be made including emergency planning, trackside monitoring, trackside security, risk assessment and alternative routes. Rewarding Recycling: An Assembly investigation into barriers to greater recycling in London June 2001 The Assembly investigated the state of waste production by Greater London and was concerned to discover how relatively little is being recycled. London boroughs collect over 4 million tonnes of waste a year, over 3 million tonnes of it from households, and only 7 per cent of that household waste is being recycled. Landfill site space is rapidly running out and mass burn or bury are no longer environmentally acceptable solutions. This report examines what is stopping London boroughs from meeting the government's recycling targets, considers the contribution recycling and composting can make to the achievement of EU Landfill Directive targets, and discusses what can be done about the projected growth in waste. The Assembly reminds us that waste is a valuable resource, capable of generating jobs and products of benefit to us all. Scrutiny of the Mayor's draft Air Quality and Biodiversity StrategiesMay 2001 These two short reports summarise the Assembly's scrutiny of the Mayor's draft strategies on Air Quality and on Biodiversity in Greater London. The Assembly welcomes both documents and recognises many strong points within them, while pointing out room for improvement for the Mayor to consider in producing his final versions of these important environmental strategies. For example, on air quality, the Assembly is concerned that the primary objective of reducing certain pollutants may not be achieved by the target dates, and on biodiversity the Assembly sees insufficient guidance as to how people and communities can take effective action, especially in the face of development pressures.
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