Agenda and minutes

Councillor John Muldoon declared personal interests in Items 7 and 11 as a

Governor on the SLAM NHS Foundation Trust and in Item 11 as Chair of the

London Scrutiny Network.

Councillor Alan Hall declared personal interests in Items 7 and 11 as a

Governor on the SLAM NHS Foundation Trust.

Councillor Mark Ingleby declared a personal interest in Item 4 as Chair of the

Grove Park Nature Reserve.

Councillor Susan Wise declared a personal interest in Item 7 as a Board

Member on Lewisham Homes.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on January 20 2016 be

confirmed and signed as a correct record subject to Councillor Walsh’s

declaration of interests being amended to show he declared a disclosable non

pecuniary interest.

Mr Ken Wakeham presented a petition bearing 541 names objecting to the

proposed closure of the Barnes Wallis Community Centr.

Ms Yvonne Peart gave notice of a petition bearing more than 1000 names

objecting to the proposed closure of the Honor Oak Community Centre.

Councillor Joe Dromey presented a petition bearing more than 18,500 names

on behalf of the ‘Defend our Den’ group calling on the Council to halt the sale

of three areas of land currently leased to Millwall FC and the Millwall

Community Scheme Trust to a property developer.

Councillor Damien Egan presented a petition supported by 93 persons and

the Fire Brigades Union calling on the Council to ensure a full independent

and transparent review and assessment of the alleged fire risk takes place at

Lewisham Park Towers.

Councillor John Muldoon presented a petition supported by 620 persons

calling on the Council to refuse planning permission for a 19 storey tower

block in Catford Green.

Former Councillor Barrie Anderson RIP

The Chair reported the death of former Councillor Barrie Anderson,

remembering him fondly as a long serving Chair of Council who embraced his

civic responsibilities with supreme dedication enhancing the reputation of

Lewisham across London. Even after retiring from the Council he remained a

strong supporter of civic events, providing help and encouragement to the

current Chair.

The Mayor added that he had been shocked and saddened to learn of the

death of Barrie Anderson. He paid tribute to his strong commitment to public

service, recognising that he always put his constituents and Council first and

that between 2006-2010 he had been a fair Chair of an evenly balanced

Council.

The Chair permitted former Councillor Christine Allison to pay tribute to Barrie

Anderson. She spoke of him as a very generous man who worked hard for the

Conservative Party and the electorate. He had immensely enjoyed his time as

Chair of Council. She concluded that he would be sadly missed.

Councillor David Britton spoke of Barrie Anderson as a close colleague from

1998 to 2010 but also as someone who was a very private person. Aside from

Politics, he had served as an officer in the British Army and later in the media

Industry,as well as being a celebrated author.

Councillor Alan Hall paid tribute to Barrie Anderson by reading the final

recollection of the principal character in his book “Not the Day Job” which had

been a thinly disguised fictionalised account of Lewisham during his years on

the Council.

Councillor Susan Wise recounted that she had known Barrie Anderson since

1998 and had counted him as a friend. She spoke of the civic duties they had

shared together and recounted that he had been instrumental in ensuring the

success of the stock transfer in the Grove Park area.

Councillor Mark Ingleby remembered Barrie Anderson as a Ward colleague

and fellow author who was a humbe but insightful man of the highest integrity

fully committed to supporting his constituents.

Councillor Helen Klier spoke of the popularity and respect in which Barrie

Anderson was held and of the kindness he had displayed towards her.

Councillor John Muldoon said he would remember Barrie Anderson as a kind

and erudite man who took his civic duties very seriously, serving in the

Council’s first Cabinet against the wishes of his party. He would be missed not

only in Lewisham but across the Home Counties where he had established

numerous links.

Former Councillor Ron Pepper RIP

The Mayor recalled Ron Pepper as a significant figure in Lewisham’s political

history. He had retired as a Lewisham Councillor 26 years ago but had then

forged a further 12 year career in retirement on Canterbury City Council. He

had achieved a stellar career in Education becoming the youngest Secondary

Head Teacher in London and the first Chair of the Borough’s Education

Committee when responsibility was transferred from the ILEA.

Councillor Jim Mallory said even though he had served with Ron Pepper for

only  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

14 questions were received from the following members of the public which

were answered by the Cabinet Member indicated. A copy of the questions

and answers was circulated separately and can be viewed on the Council

website with the meeting papers.

4 questions were received from the following Councillors which were

answered by the Cabinet Members indicated. A copy of the questions and

answers was circulated separately and can be viewed on the Council’s

website with the meeting papers.

The Budget proposals were introduced by the Mayor who thanked staff in the

Resources team for their help in compiling the Budget. He said the Council

faced five more years of austerity and an awful Financial Settlement. He

viewed the balanced budget he was promoting as the best available in the

given circumstances but it gave him no pleasure or joy. The Mayor said he

believed Government was simply wrong and its policy direction meant sevices

were now at breaking point.

The Mayor confirmed that he did not intend to vary the budget proposals he

had already fully set out at Mayor and Cabinet on February 10 and 17.

A motion that the proposals be accepted was moved by the Cabinet Member

for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia and seconded by Councillor Alan

Hall. There was then a general debate to which Councillors Coughlin,

Mallory, Dromey, Hilton and Bell contributed followed by a reply from

Councillor Bonavia. During this general debate on the budget the 5 minute

limit on speeches for the Mayor and Councillors Bonavia, Hall and Coughlin

was suspended.

Once the debate was concluded, there was, in accordance with statutory

provisions, a recorded vote on the Mayor’s proposed Budget. The result of the

vote was as follows:

48 Votes In favour of the Mayor’s Budget Proposals

Councillor Obajimi Adefiranye

Councillor Abdeslam Amrani

Councillor Chris Barnham

Councillor Paul Bell

Councillor Chris Best

Councillor Kevin Bonavia

Councillor Andre Bourne

Councillor David Britton

Councillor Bill Brown

Mayor Steve Bullock

Councillor Suzannah Clarke

Councillor Janet Daby

Councillor Brenda Dacres

Councillor Amanda De Ryk

Councillor Joe Dromey

Councillor Damien Egan

Councillor Colin Elliott

Councillor Alan Hall

Councillor Carl Handley

Councillor Maja Hilton

Councillor Simon Hooks

Councillor Ami Ibitson

Councillor Mark Ingleby

Councillor Stella Jeffrey

Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin

Councillor Roy Kennedy

Councillor Helen Klier

Councillor Jim Mallory

Councillor Paul Maslin

Councillor David Michael

Councillor Joan Millbank

Councillor Jamie Milne

Councillor Hilary Moore

Councillor Pauline Morrison

Councillor John Muldoon

Councillor Rachel Onikosi

Councillor Jacq Paschoud

Councillor John Paschoud

Councillor Pat Raven

Councillor Joan Reid

Councillor Jonathan Slater

Councillor Alan Smith

Councillor Luke Sorba

Councillor Eva Stamirowski

Councillor Alan Till

Councillor Paul Upex

Councillor James-J Walsh

Councillor Susan Wise

1 Vote Against the Mayor’s Budget Proposals

Councillor John Coughlin

Abstentions nil

RESOLVED that:

(i) the recommendations shown below in respect of the 2016/17 budget be

agreed;

(ii) the 2015/16 Quarter 3 Capital Programme monitoring position be noted;

(iii) the 2016/17 to 2019/20 Capital Programme of £337.2m, as set out be

approved;

Housing Revenue Account

(iv) the consultation report on service charges to tenants’ and leaseholders

in the Brockley area, presented to area panel members on 17December

2015, and subsequent postal consultation be noted;

(v) the consultation report on service charges to tenants’ and leaseholders

and the Lewisham Homes budget strategy presented to area panel

members on 17December 2015, be noted;

(vi) a decrease in dwelling rents be set of 1.0% (an average of £0.99 per

week) – as per the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

Councillor Rachel Onikosi moved that the recommendations be approved and

this was seconded by Councillor Eva Stamirowski and it was:

RESOLVED that the Gambling Act Policy for 2016-2019 be formally

determined and published.

Councillor Alan Smithi moved that the recommendations be approved and

this was seconded by Councillor James Walsh and it was:

RESOLVED that

(1) the consultation on the preparation of Gypsy & Traveller Site(s) Local Plan

(including the scoping and search parameters, site selection criteria and

timetable for identifying a site (or sites) as set out in the Regulation 18

Consultation Report (Appendix 1) together with the consultation on the

associated Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (Appendix 2) be approved; and

(2) authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Resources and

Regeneration to make any minor alterations to the consultation document

prior to the start of the formal consultation.

Councillor Brenda Dacres moved that the recommendations be approved and

this was seconded by Councillor Simon Hooks and it was:

RESOLVED that Joy Walton and Fasil Bhatti be appointed as independent

members of the Council’s Standards Committee

Councillor Alan Hall moved that the recommendations be approved and

this was seconded by Councillor John Muldoon and it was:

RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference of the JHOSC agreed on 25

November 2015 be amended to omit the following words from paragraph 13.

“However, as a general principle the Committee will not consider any written

or verbal submissions from individual members of the public.  It will however

pass written submissions on to the OHSEL programme carrying out the

consultation.”

The meeting closed at 9.55pm.