Dowgate Ward update for 2022

The Lord Mayor visits Dowgate Ward and Nomura offices to light the Jubilee Beacon

What have the Members of Dowgate Ward been up to in 2022? At the end of the calendar year it is worth reflecting on the work in Dowgate – myself as Alderman and my Deputy Henry, Pollard, and Mark Wheatley CC.
 
Whilst I was fully involved in my role as Sheriff until the end of September 2022,  I still made sure I kept up to speed on local matters.
 
Individual issues given priority 
The start of the year saw the tail end of work helping businesses recover from the pandemic with grants for SMEs. The Members advertised this in the Ward and it was taken up by a few of our businesses.  As Members there are usually quite a few enquiries on administrative matters and sometimes failures to communicate with the City Corporation or its close organisations.  For example: 
- a rates dispute nearly came to a court hearing but our intervention saved the day. This was partly exacerbated by people not being physically in the office and not answering phones,  a plight we can all identify with in our own lives all too often. 
-concerns were also raised by businesses about the cleanliness of the streets, in one case amounting the anti-social behaviour where the Cleansing Department quickly responded.
-cyclists reported that they felt  unsafe on Southwark Bridge whilst the works were ongoing and received some assurances on the timescales.
-a business was also concerned about the public seating in Laurence Pountney Hill having become loose and strenuous efforts by Mark resulted in them being refixed  to the paved area.
 
Planning issues and lighting
A planning application was submitted by Ocean House in Cousin Lane to create a new lighting scheme on their development. On looking at this, the amount of light seemed to both be too bright and to clash with the lighting scheme called Illuminated River around the Cannon Street Rail bridge. I objected to this and during the course of the year the plans were changed and finally approved with less obvious intrusion on the night scene.    Excessive lighting can impact on the street scene adversely and following a separate complaint about the street lighting I ensured that the specific street lighting was shielded from the windows where the impact was felt most.
 
Elections for Common Council
March 24th was the date of the Common Council elections. The two existing members were nominated alongside Flora Hamilton who works in the Ward at the CBI.  The contest ensured a full poll of voters and concluded in the two existing members being re-elected. Their term is 3 years until March 2025.
 
Growing green
We have often boasted that Dowgate is the greenest Ward as it had at one time the largest area of green rooves in the City. 2022 saw two new trees planted. One by the Lord Mayor in Whittington Gardens and the other by the modern Livery Companies on the Riverside Walk. Both are part of the Queen’s Canopy for the Platinum Jubilee.  Dowgate was also visited by the Lord Mayor for the lighting of the Jubilee Beacon on June 2nd. Nomura kindly allowed their wonderful rooftop to be the location of the only City beacon lit to celebrate the Jubilee.
 
Heritage Ward
One of our occupiers is Historic England who care for the historic environment and manage and determine listed building matters.  I was delighted to spend an afternoon with them in the Ward considering the array of properties that need careful curation.  I was also pleased that I could reconnect them to the City’s officers in the planning department and built environment in order to ensure that all lines of communication are open.
 
Business Forum meeting
The voters in the Ward were invited to a Ward business forum in the Old Bailey in September whilst I was still resident as Sheriff.  It was a great turn out and the Common Serjeant made an excellent speech about the work of the Old Bailey and the role of the City Corporation in the Justice system.
 
St Michael Paternoster Royal
A major concern for some of the Liveries and residents was the intended future use of the St Michael Paternoster Royal – the only Church in the Ward.  It was occupied by the Missions to Seafarers for many years with the sanctuary used for occasional services and meetings. It is now vacant. I was approached about the plan by Premier Christion Radio to take a lease of the premises and to locate the radio station in the offices.  That has been a matter for discussion for some time now and is still under negotiation.  Premier will need to submit a planning application for the change of use and works but that has not yet been submitted. Liveries were concerned about the lack of access to the Church for services and the Church of England think that this will be possible as the sanctuary will remain intact. The elected members are keeping a close eye on this as the use of the Church has been a valuable part of Livery life.
 
The Queen
2022 marked the sad death of our Queen of 70 years. I was pleased to be sent a video of the only reported visit of the Queen to the Ward when in February 1992 she visited Dowgate Ward to open the new LIFFE exchange in Cannonbridge House.  The video shows its age in many ways and not least that the LIFFE market no longer exists!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJAgJV8spFk
 
The Dowgate Team are all active members of the Corporation’s committees. Henry chairs the Markets Committee and Mark the Barbican Residential Committee.  I chair the Magistracy and Livery subcommittee that liaises between the City and the Livery Companies as well as the judicial links.

The Members are all very willing to take up matters raised in the Ward.
 

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