• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 28 February 2001

Let us hope that they do not take you for a ride, but I am glad that you concede that they have taken the Liberals for a ride.

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 28 February 2001

In the light of the success of the ice skating rink at Somerset House, do you regret the failure of Liberal Richmond to replace the ice rink as they promised? That was a major attraction for south-west London, and I would have thought that someone of your generation would have been there many times and understood what a great loss it has been to the local community.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 28 February 2001

You said that one of the criteria which led you to feel that the Heron building should go ahead was that it would not overshadow some heritage-type traditional buildings. Yet that will precisely be the case in Paddington, won't it? The tall buildings there on which you are so keen would overshadow a lot of traditional architecture. Furthermore, I read a letter from one of your officers which said that objections to the tall building on the basis that it would ruin people's views from the parks around the area would be unacceptable.

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 28 February 2001

Ken, perhaps I could, as a preliminary, invite you to say something about English Heritage. [Laughter.] You have just accepted the importance of a public debate on this issue and on the LPAC and other strategies about interfering with important views. If that is so, do you think it is appropriate to support developments which will pre-empt that strategy and make it far more difficult to support a policy of protecting views if those views have been jeopardised?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 28 February 2001

In the light of your oft-expressed views that young men should go east, why don't you think that the appropriate place for tall buildings is at the Thames Gateway rather than in the City - or, indeed, in central London as a whole, where tall buildings such as this will obstruct the heritage views which make London a place of destination and a jot to live in?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 28 February 2001

Who was it who advised you that this would be an additional building of beauty to observe, or is this purely your personal opinion?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 11 July 2001

There is a brownfield site in Haringey Heartlands. We had a discussion in the Chamber about it. And I have to say that to describe the outline planning permission, which is the stage it is at, as crushingly mediocre would be very kind. And damning people for God knows how many years into what I think is really -- well mediocre, as I said, would be kind. The lead member for regeneration there accused me of an elitist vision. I referred to yourself and Nicky Gavron and what we are trying to do in London and he said it was...

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 11 July 2001

I would not guarantee that at all. Maybe I might suggest that as well as having got in touch with Chief Executives, you actually get in touch with the people we actually want to be talking to so they know you are here and we can have some influence further down the line.

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 11 July 2001

Are all the boroughs actually aware that you are here now? This is something I am not quite clear on. Have you been in touch with all the chief architects and surveyors in all the boroughs, at least to let them know what you are doing and what your plans are?

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 11 July 2001

You touched on your discussions with the Boroughs. I wonder if you can just give us a bit more information about what you have actually done to offer the skills and guidance of the architect to urbanisation practitioners on the ground. You have spoken in the past about the lack of skills, the skill shortage in this area, and I think some of us familiar with local government are probably all too well aware that planners and architects at borough level are not necessarily the most imaginative folk around. So how are you going to pass on some of your...