Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Agreed.

The Speaker of the Council MOVED, the Deputy Speaker SECONDED and it was RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 17 January 2024 be confirmed and signed as a true and accurate record.

.

None.

None.

The Speaker said that the London Mayor’s Association required him to record in the minutes that  his consort for 2020-21 was Tayyiba Zia and for 2021-22 it was Ismaeel Tauseef.

The Speaker said that the London Mayor’s Association required him to record in the minutes that  his consort for 2020-21 was Tayyiba Zia and for 2021-22 it was Ismaeel Tauseef.

None.

There were no petitions.

Public Questions and supplementaries were asked and answered.

Supplementary questions were asked and answered as follows (paraphrased):

Supplementary question to PQ3 to Deputy Mayor Dacres (Acting as Mayor)

Q: Does Lewisham Council have humanity?

A: Within all of us we have humanity.

Supplementary question to PQ20 Councillor Schmidt

Q: Do you think that overview and scrutiny has a role in ensuring that consultation for CPZs are run in an ethical and competent manner?

A: Yes consultations should be done in an ethical manner. At the beginning of the municipal year, chairs of scrutiny committees decide on their work programmes. If they believe that consultation should be part of the work programmes, they will bring them to the appropriate committee. 

Supplementary question to PQ21 to Councillor Cooper.

Q: What does mobilising a stock condition survey mean? Earlier this year, the Council announced an increase to the hosing repair budget specifically for damp/mould related problems. How much of that has been spent and on what.

A: Mobilising stock condition survey is when officers go into properties and decide whether they meet the decent homes standard. In this financial year, Lewisham dealt with 292 damp and mould cases at a cost of £421k. More financial information would be provided when the new repairs system and the computer system across the housing department was up and running.

Supplementary question to PQ36 to Councillor Barnham.

Q: Should this Council be lobbying the government for more support for schools, particularly in deprived areas?  Allowing schools to run slightly smaller class sizes until numbers pick up again or challenging the pupil premium equation.

A: I am proud of the achievements of Lewisham Schools, 99% are good or outstanding. Falling rolls and financial constraints that come with it, is a challenge to all schools. Lewisham lobby government about school funding. Last month London Councils published a report on falling roles in London with specific recommendations for central government and local authorities. This included recommendations for more flexible funding from the DfE to help protect London schools in the future, to ensure that academies were part of local planning to better manage pressure and to work with local authorities to ensure that children with special educational needs are properly supported in mainstream education. This work would continue. Lewisham understands the pressure faced by schools and intended to support them in every way possible.

Supplementary question to PQ37 to Deputy Mayor Dacres (Acting as Mayor)

Q: Will the Mayor provide details of what efforts Lewisham have undertaken in support of Palestinian residents, including discussions on the importance of the Council calling for full ceasefire and divesting from companies complicit with genocide.

A: The website has been updated so that help and support can be offered to anyone, particularly from that region, who have been affected by the conflict and hate crimes. I want to ensure that Lewisham remains a borough that the community can reach out to. I am proud that Lewisham is a borough of culture and welcomes those who are fleeing atrocities.

Supplementary question to 43  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

None.

There were no member questions.

The motion was MOVED by Councillor De Ryk and SECONDED by Councillor Rathbone.

Under the provisions of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, a recorded vote was conducted on this item with the following result:

For (49) Councillors Anifowose, Anwar, Atkinson, Barnham, Bell, Best, Bourne, Brown, Clarke, Cooper, Cunningham, Curran, Dacres, Davis, De Ryk, Eiles, Erheriene, Harding, Howard, Ingleby, Jackson, Johnston-Franklin, Kestner, Krupski, Lavery, Millbank, Moore, Muldoon, Olaru, Onikosi, Parry, Jacq Paschoud, John Paschoud, Penfold, Powell, Rathbone, Schmidt, Aliya Sheikh, Sakina Sheikh, Shrivastava, Sorba, Stamirowski, Tam, Walsh, Warner, Webley-Brown and Wise. 

Against (0) Nil

Abstention (0) Nil

RESOLVED that, having considered the views of those consulted on the budget, and subject to proper process as required, Council agreed to:

General Fund Revenue Budget

1. note the 2023/24 forecast projected overall variance of £19.9m, after the use of corporate provisions and reserves, or 7.5% of the agreed budget of £263.680m as set out in Section 6 of the report and that this year-end overspend will be met from corporate provisions and reserves;

2. endorse the budget cut reduction measures of £2.315m and £8.423m, with an anticipated assumed minimum delivery of £5.6m in 2024/25, as set out in Section 6 of the report and summarised in Appendix Y1 and Y2a and Y2b;

3. agree the allocation of £54.277m of resources from; the corporate risks and pressures, adult social care precept, new homes bonus, social care grant, ASC market sustainability and improvement fund, discharge grant, New Homes Bonus and Services Grant in 2024/25 to be invested in funding quantified budget pressures and opportunities, both recurring and once-off, as set out in Section 6;

4. agree a General Fund Budget Requirement of £293.838m for 2024/25 be approved;

5. agree to a 4.99% increase in Lewisham’s Council Tax element. This will result in a Band D equivalent Council Tax level of £1,566.58 for Lewisham’s services and £2,037.98 overall. This represents an overall increase in Council Tax for 2024/2/25 of 5.8% and is subject to the GLA precept for 2024/25 being increased by £37.26 (i.e. 8.58%) from £434.14 to £471.4, in line with the GLA’s draft budget proposals;

6. note the Council Tax Ready Reckoner which, for illustrative purposes, sets out the Band D equivalent Council Tax at various levels of increase. This is explained in Section 6 of the report with more detail in Appendix Y4;

7. consider the Section 25 Statement from the Chief Finance Officer, the Executive Director for Corporate Resources. This was attached at Appendix Y5;

8. agree the draft statutory calculations for 2024/25 as set out at Appendix Y6;

9. note the prospects for the revenue budget for 2024/25 and future years as set out in Sections 6 and 7;

 10. agree and ask officers to continue to develop firm proposals to redesign and transform services and inform the capital strategy by bringing them forward in good time to support the work towards a savings and investment round to help plan early to meet the future forecast  ...  view the full decision text for item 7.

The Budget was MOVED by Councillor De Ryk and SECONDED by Councillor Rathbone.

Under the provisions of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, a recorded vote was required.

It was moved by the Speaker and seconded by the Deputy Speaker and RESOLVED that a roll call be conducted on this item. The result was as follows:

For (49) Councillors Anifowose, Anwar, Atkinson, Barnham, Bell, Best, Bourne, Brown, Clarke, Cooper, Cunningham, Curran, Dacres, Davis, De Ryk, Eiles, Erheriene, Harding, Howard, Ingleby, Jackson, Johnston-Franklin, Kestner, Krupski, Lavery, Millbank, Moore, Muldoon, Olaru, Onikosi, Parry, Jacq Paschoud, John Paschoud, Penfold, Powell, Rathbone, Schmidt, Aliya Sheikh, Sakina Sheikh, Shrivastava, Sorba, Stamirowski, Tam, Walsh, Warner, Webley-Brown and Wise. 

Against (0) Nil

Abstention (0) Nil

RESOLVED that, having considered the views of those consulted on the budget, and subject to proper process as required, Council agreed to:

General Fund Revenue Budget

1. note the 2023/24 forecast projected overall variance of £19.9m, after the use of corporate provisions and reserves, or 7.5% of the agreed budget of £263.680m as set out in Section 6 of the report and that this year-end overspend will be met from corporate provisions and reserves;

2. endorse the budget cut reduction measures of £2.315m and £8.423m, with an anticipated assumed minimum delivery of £5.6m in 2024/25, as set out in Section 6 of the report and summarised in Appendix Y1 and Y2a and Y2b;

3. agree the allocation of £54.277m of resources from; the corporate risks and pressures, adult social care precept, new homes bonus, social care grant, ASC market sustainability and improvement fund, discharge grant, New Homes Bonus and Services Grant in 2024/25 to be invested in funding quantified budget pressures and opportunities, both recurring and once-off, as set out in Section 6;

4. agree a General Fund Budget Requirement of £293.838m for 2024/25 be approved;

5. agree to a 4.99% increase in Lewisham’s Council Tax element. This will result in a Band D equivalent Council Tax level of £1,566.58 for Lewisham’s services and £2,037.98 overall. This represents an overall increase in Council Tax for 2024/2/25 of 5.8% and is subject to the GLA precept for 2024/25 being increased by £37.26 (i.e. 8.58%) from £434.14 to £471.4, in line with the GLA’s draft budget proposals;

6. note the Council Tax Ready Reckoner which, for illustrative purposes, sets out the Band D equivalent Council Tax at various levels of increase. This is explained in Section 6 of the report with more detail in Appendix Y4;

7. consider the Section 25 Statement from the Chief Finance Officer, the Executive Director for Corporate Resources. This was attached at Appendix Y5;

8. agree the draft statutory calculations for 2024/25 as set out at Appendix Y6;

9. note the prospects for the revenue budget for 2024/25 and future years as set out in Sections 6 and 7;

 10. agree and ask officers to continue to develop firm proposals to redesign and transform services and inform the capital strategy by bringing them forward in good  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

It was MOVED by Cllr Schmidt and SECONDED by Cllr Erheriene and then

RESOLVED that it be noted that

(i) the Select Committee meetings due to take place on 5, 7 and 20 March and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting due to take place on 6 February will no longer take place.

(ii) the Select Committee meetings will instead take place on 12, 13 and 14 March and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet on 18 March.

It was MOVED by Cllr Schmidt and SECONDED by Cllr Erheriene and then

RESOLVED that it be noted that

(i) the Select Committee meetings due to take place on 5, 7 and 20 March and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting due to take place on 6 February will no longer take place.

(ii) the Select Committee meetings will instead take place on 12, 13 and 14 March and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet on 18 March.

None.

There were no motions.