Agenda item

Agenda item

Mayor's Report

Minutes:

A report of the Mayor had been circulated with the agenda.

 

The Chairman invited Members to indicate whether they wished to ask a question of the Mayor.  Councillors Bell, Mauthoor, Bashir, Bolton and Turmaine indicated that they wished to ask questions.

 

a)      Councillor Bell referred to Watford’s historic charter market.  He noted the market’s initial problems and concerns raised by local residents and traders about the increased costs for traders.  He asked the Mayor what guarantee residents and traders would be given to show that the Mayor was a strong supporter of the charter market.  He also referred to the Mayor’s predecessor and the relocation of the market.

 

         The Mayor responded that his predecessor had listened to residents and ensured a market was retained.  He said that he had visited the market and met stallholders many times.  He felt the report in the Watford Observer was very unfortunate.  He advised that 68% of stallholders had actually had their fees cut or stayed the same.  He did not consider that all stallholders had had their fees ‘hiked’.  Previously some stallholders had not signed contracts; there had been different levels of fees not based on the size of their plot.  Now the market was being properly managed.  There had been big investments in the toilets, signage and lighting.  He would continue to meet with stallholders and would ensure the town had a market that was vibrant and had a good future.

 

b)      Councillor Mauthoor mentioned the new development in Oxhey Park which would have facilities for skateboarding and BMX.  She asked whether the scheme would be replicated in North Watford.

 

         The Mayor commented that there had been many discussions about improvements in Garston Park and there were plans to provide some facilities there for skaters and cyclists.  The work in Oxhey Park had been a long process and there had been consultations with local residents.  There would also be a café as well as the new cycle, skateboard and play facilities.  The work would begin in the next few weeks.  In the north of the town there was the multi-million pound project at Woodside.  This would include investment in the cricket and boxing clubs.  The council was investing across the town.

 

c)      Councillor Bashir said that the Mayor had made reference in his report to the Metropolitan Line Extension (MLX) scheme and it had come to a ‘dead end’.  There had been huge potential for the link.  It probably had not been helped by the scathing attacks of the Mayor’s administration on Mayor Sadiq Khan.  Given the acquisition of Croxley Business Park and how it could be vital for the council’s future income, he enquired whether a shorter proposal from Watford Junction to Croxley Station had been considered.  It would increase the potential for that part of Watford and ease congestion.

 

         The Mayor stated that one of his first meetings on becoming Mayor was with Transport for London. They had advised that the scheme was dead and timed out.  The project team working on the MLX had been disbanded six months prior to the mayoral election.  The Labour Mayoral candidate had said that the scheme was still ongoing; this had not been true.  Mayor Khan had decided the MLX scheme would not be delivered.  However, at that meeting he had been given a commitment to protect the line, for the council to get its money back and for a feasibility study to be carried out to look at alternatives.  The suggestion by Councillor Bashir of a shorter route would be one of the options considered. The report would be produced in the summer.  They would try to find a new scheme.

 

d)      Councillor Bolton advised that he no longer wished to put a question to the Mayor.

 

e)      Councillor Turmaine noted the Mayor’s comments about the MLX and that he was trying to resurrect a scheme.  The Watford Labour Group was very supportive of a transport link to the town.  The reason for the scheme being cut was the original cut of £750 million grant to Transport for London by the Government which placed it in dire financial circumstances.  He asked whether the Mayor had met the Secretary of State, Chris Grayling to put the case for the extension and if not if he would commit to it.

 

         The Mayor replied that the reality was that Mayor Khan had wanted another £72 million to deliver the scheme.  This had increased the overall costs to £360 million.  The additional funding had been found. Transport for London had developed the costs for the scheme, which had included a 20% contingency built in.  However, Transport for London wanted all the benefits and none of the risks.  The Labour Mayor had not been prepared to deliver the scheme.  Work was being carried out on alternatives and he would do everything he could to deliver that.

Supporting documents:

 

rating button