MINUTES OF THE WARDMOTE
HELD AT NOON ON THURSDAY, 19 MARCH 2026
AT THE DUTCH CHURCH, AUSTIN FRIARS, LONDON EC2
- The Beadle opened the Wardmote in the usual manner.
2. The Alderman welcomed all to the Wardmote and gave a brief introductory address, making a
variety of observations, introductions, notices, and thanks.
He thanked the electors for turning up to the Wardmote, a meeting which has been taking
place for centuries. Indeed, in King John’s time, you could be fined £2 for not attending.
He thanked the Dutch Church for hosting the Wardmote, and again noted the historical
longevity of the Dutch Church in the City of London since 1550.
He drew attention to the fact sheet titled ‘City Crime’ distributed to the audience, and
asked whether London was a dangerous city, and noted that it has one of the lowest
murder rates of cities in the world.
He introduced the Common Councillors and which committees they sit on, noting that
their role was in a volunteer capacity. And welcomed the Ward’s three dedicated police
officers from the city of London Police.
He noted the contribution and support of the armed forces and their role in the four pillars
of a successful, stable society and economy, those being defence, the rule of law,
education, and innovation.
He then focussed on issues in the immediate locality of Austin Friars, particularly
sustainable transport and the extension of the hours of pedestrianisation.
He mentioned the Broad Street Ward Club and its plethora of events, including a
successful lunch in November.
He noted the changes in major occupiers of the Ward, with Addleshaw Goddard moving
into Lothbury and Deutche Bank moving out of London Wall to Coleman Street. 25
London Wall is being redeveloped and you can visit it to see what’s happening there.
He wishes to bring back Ward newsletters.
He finished with saying that City Giving Day this year will be on Wednesday 23rd
September. This celebrates volunteering and giving, not donating.
3. The Alderman appointed Mr Christopher Hayward as Ward Deputy for the year ensuing.
4. The Alderman appointed Mr Adrian Smallwood as Honorary Ward Clerk for the year ensuing.
5. The election of the Ward Beadles was next undertaken, and as there was only one candidate, the Alderman announced the election of Mr George Martin for the ensuing year.
6. The Alderman then invited each Common Councillor present to address the Wardmote.
7. Mr Hayward first addressed the Wardmote. He first reminded the audience that he has been a Common Councillor since 20213 during which his significant roles have been as the Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee, Sheriff for two years (owing to the Covid pandemic extending his tenure), and latterly as the Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee, a position which is effectively the political leader of the City of London Corporation. A key element of this role is to represent the financial and services sector both to the government and internationally, which has seen 90 days of foreign trips so far this year.
He noted that the City remains a competitive marketplace, where there has been a renaissance
of the City since the Covid pandemic evidenced by jobs in the City being up 25% to 680,000.
He declared that demand for quality office space is so strong that landlords cannot build tall
buildings fast enough. Some large employers are now relocating back to the City from Canary
Wharf, such as HSBC, Clifford Chance, and State Street.
He continued to say that the role of being the de facto political leader of the Corporation’s 125
Common Councillors and Aldermen is akin to herding cats, and therefore progress is made by
consensus. He then revealed that Ward Boundaries are to be reviewed – an initiative to be
announced later that day – which would take at least a year to complete.
Finally, he praised Elizabeth Corrin as an outstanding Common Councillor, where she has had a strong focus on Ward matters.
8. Ms Corrin then addressed the Wardmote. She began her address by identifying the flavour of different matters which has dealt with over the previous 12 months.
Addressing fly tipping.
Attempting to solve the lack of mobile phone signal, this being a City-wide problem. She
conducted a walking tour of locations for new masts during 2026 and promoting a shared
solution with mobile service providers.
Protecting green spaces, including Epping Forrest, where there is a delicate balance to
achieve between access and preservation.
Contributing towards the Cultural Strategy through revitalising Blue Plaques and
preserving historic routes.
Sitting on the Board of the Museum of London which is now overseeing the migration of
the Museum to its new location at Smithfield Market, and that the opening should be
hugely exciting.
Finally, turning to the future, she expressed her wish to influence the participation of telecoms
companies in a shared solution for a robust mobile cellular network.
9. The Alderman then introduced the three officers of the City of London Police Ward Team present and invited the audience to ask any questions to them and to the Common Councillors. The only question was from Mr May. He first thanked the City of London Police for helping make the City work, and then focussed on the control of bicycles, especially those which jump red lights, and that there had been £99,000 in fines for hire bikes which had been left around. The Police contingent responded by saying that there have been targeted deployments in known trouble spots, an ability to report dumped hire bikes, and the prosecution of ebikes/escooters. They noted that the issues are difficult to eradicate, and it is akin to playing ‘whack-a-mole’. Mr Hayward then responded by noting that more bikes within the City stems from the strategy to deter car use. He then continued with two personal views: that cyclists should be required to wear helmets, and that all bikes should have identification numbers to aid prosecution. The Alderman then asked how could the public help the police in the work they do? The Police contingent replied that report crime is best; every report is worthwhile. There were no further questions from the floor.
10. Next the Alderman introduced Ben Dixon, Head of the Policy Unit of the Office of the Policy Chairman, to give a talk on ‘Destination City’. His talk made the following points: The value of the City of London Police. The benefit of a safe and clean central business district (‘CBD’). That the City is the powerhouse of the UK economy. The confidence in the City has bounced back since the Covid pandemic, as demonstrated in the figures shown in his accompanying handout. There is a common factor; that commuters want more from the City as the cost of travelling is expensive, so there is a need for the City to “earn that commute”. Visitors at weekends still have something to see. On the conclusion of the talk, the Alderman asked what is the initiative planning to do to further its aims; what is the offer after work? Mr Dixon replied that links to a consolidated calendar of events are being put on to the intranets of larger City employers to market the events.
11. With no more business, Mr Hayward proposed a vote of thanks to the Alderman for presiding at the Wardmote. This was seconded by Mr May and passed unanimously.
12. Ms Corrin then proposed a vote of thanks to the Dutch Church for the use of their Hall. This was also seconded by Mrs May and passed unanimously.
13. Finally, the Beadle closed the Wardmote in the usual manner.