Agenda item

Having considered an officer report and presentations by the Cabinet Member

for Finance, Skills and Jobs, Councillor Amanda De Ryk, the Chair of the

Public Accounts Select Committee, Councillor Jim Mallory, the Chair of the

Audit Panel, Councillor Alan Hall and three members of the public, the Mayor

and Cabinet agreed that:

 

(1) the progress with identifying budget cuts, the £7.6m shortfall against the

target for 2019/20, and the implications for the use of reserves, be noted

 

(2) following review and having taken into account the written views of the

Select Committees and the representations made at the meeting the following

decisions be made on the new cuts proposals presented in Section 9 and

Appendices 1 to 4, which initially totalled £20.9m:

 

CYP1, CYP2 and CYP3 – approved, noting the comments of the select

committee and officers asked to report back to the select committee on

progress with their delivery.

 

CYP4 – approved

 

CYP5 – approved noting the comments of the select committee and officers to

report back to the select committee on progress with their delivery.

 

CYP6 – the comments from the select committee were noted and officers 

progress with consultation on this proposal and decision delegated to the

relevant Executive Director to take the decision on receipt of a full report at

the earliest opportunity.

 

CYP7 – the comments of the select committee were noted. As this is a Year 2

cut, the cut was noted in principle, and ask officers to undertake a review and

bring back options to Mayor & Cabinet as part of the 2020-2021 budget. 

 

COM1 and COM 2 – note the comments of the select committee on these

cuts, and delegate to the relevant Executive Director to take the decision on

receipt of a full report at the earliest opportunity.

 

COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6 and COM7 – delegate these cuts to the

relevant Executive Director to take the decisions on receipt of a full report at

the earliest opportunity.

 

COM8 – approved

 

COM9 - I note the comments of the select committee on this cut and propose

that we delegate to the relevant Executive Director to take the decision on

receipt of a full report at the earliest opportunity. 

 

COM10 – officers to progress with consultation on this proposal, and a full

report be brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at the earliest

opportunity. Comments of the select committee on this cut noted and officers

asked to introduce an online form to enable residents to report noise nuisance

in a more effective way.

 

COM11 – This cut is withdrawn and officers asked to undertake a feasibility

study of redeveloping Lewisham Library to be brought back to Mayor &

Cabinet as part of the 2020-2021 budget.

 

COM12, COM14 and COM17 – note these cuts in principle and ask officers to

progress with consultations on these proposals, bringing a full report be

brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision in early 2019 before a final

determination on the amount of funding to be allocated.

 

COM13 – to vary this cut as follows: That People’s Day takes place every 2

years and that funding for Blackheath Fireworks be maintained to enable us to

seek alternative funding streams, including talking to neighbouring boroughs.

 

COM15 – approved

 

COM16 -  officers should progress with consultation on this cut and delegate

to the relevant Executive Director to take the decision on receipt of a full

report at the earliest opportunity.

 

CUS1 - approved

 

CUS2 – approved, noting the comments of the select committee and officers

be asked to report back to the select committee on progress with delivery.

 

CUS3 –  note the comments of the select committee on this cut. and officers

be asked to progress with consultation on this proposal, and a full report be

brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at the earliest opportunity and

that this include an update on plans for the events as they evolve to meet the

ambitious targets.

 

CUS4, CUS5 and CUS6 - approved, noting the comments of the select

committee and officers be asked to report back to the select committee on

progress with their delivery.

 

CUS7 - note the comments of the select committee on this cut. As this is a

Year 2 cut, the cut be noted in principle, and officers be asked to undertake a

pilot to investigate the impact and come back to Mayor & Cabinet with options

as part of the 2020-2021 budget.

 

CUS8 - officers be asked to progress with consultation on this proposal, and a

full report, including information on alternative toilet provision, particularly at

evenings and weekends be brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at

the earliest opportunity.

 

CUS9 and CUS10 -approved

 

CUS11 - officers should progress with consultation on this cut and the

relevant Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on receipt of a

full report at the earliest opportunity.

 

CUS12, CUS13 and CUS14 - approved

 

RES1 – officers should progress with consultation on this cut and the relevant

Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on receipt of a full report

at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES2 – approved

 

RES3 and RES4 - officers should progress with consultation on these cuts

and the relevant Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on

receipt of a full report at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES5 - approved

 

RES6 - officers should progress with consultation on this cut and the relevant

Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on receipt of a full report

at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES7, RES8, RES9, RES10, RES11, RES12, RES13, RES14 and RES15 –

approved

 

RES16 – officers be asked to progress this cut and that a full report be

brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES17 – approved and officers asked to monitor plans for the events as they

evolve.

 

RES18 – approved and officers asked to work with councillors to identify the

most appropriate locations for the electric vehicle charging points

 

RES19 – the referral from the select committee on this cut be noted. As this is

a Year 2 cut, officers asked to undertake a full review of the school crossing

service and bring back options to Mayor & Cabinet as part of the 2020-2021

budget that consider child safety, air quality implications and the opportunity

for capital investment.

 

(3) the comments of the Public Accounts Select Committee of the 7

November 2018, which incorporated the views of the respective select

committees, be noted

 

(4) officers be authorised to carry out consultations where staff consultation is

necessary in relation to the proposal and delegate the decision to the relevant

Executive Director for the service concerned;

 

(5) officers be authorised to carry out consultations where public consultation

is necessary in relation to the proposal and ask officers to report back to the

Mayor with the outcome, for a decision to be made;

 

(6) Where no consultation is required:

 agree the cut proposal, or

 return for decision with full report, or

 delegate the decision to the relevant Executive Director for the service

concerned; and

 

(7) Or, request officers to complete further work to clarify the proposal and

that officers then re-submit the proposal at the earliest opportunity for a

decision.

The item was presented by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Skills and Jobs,

Councillor Amanda De Ryk. She highlighted the savings that still needed to be

made in coming years which would come in the context of a succession of

austerity budgets which had wiped £200M from the Council’s annual budget.

 

Councillor Jim Mallory presented the consolidated views of all the Select

Committees which had been endorsed by the Public Accounts Select

Committee. He pointed out many of the comments related to inadequate

Equalities Impact Assessments or unspecified timeframes.

 

Councillor Mallory highlighted concerns on the following cuts:

 

RES 19          school crossing patrols

CUS 7                        the frequency reduction of road sweeping owing to the

environmental impact and reputational risk given the disproportionate impact

on lowly paid workers

COM ?            Option 1 was considered to be a non starter

COM 12         it was felt savings COM 1 & 2 would mean an increased

demand on the voluntary sector which was facing a substantial cut with this

proposal.

COM 14 &17 a fairer formula for the distribution of CIL was called for

COM 10         the view that the impact on CCTV should be re viewed was

endorsed.

 

Councillor Alan Hall, the Chair of the Audit Panel, said he was also

representing UNITE in supporting the Save Lewisham Libraries Campaign.

He raised concern on the impact of cuts in the Bellingham Ward which had

recently witnessed the murder of a fifteen year old boy on Randlesdown

Road. He said the saving of £38k on CCTV could not be supported in the

overall budget context. He also echoed the call of Lewisham Trades Council

that there should be no compulsory redundancies and said this could be

achieved by the use of reserves in a sustainable way.

 

Caroline Jupp of the Save Lewisham Libraries Campaign next addressed the

Cabinet. She said she welcomed the previous days announcement to

suspend the library cuts pending a study of a possible rebuilding of Lewisham

Library. However she now had a number of concerns relating to the rebuilding

feasibility study. These related to the length of the suspension of service, the

terms of consultation, guarantees on staffing and concerns on why the

rebuilding option had previously been dismissed in a consultation document.

 

Caroline Jupp was joined by Dr Alice Corble who noted the library proposals

had changed three times in three months but was grateful that a new direction

was being followed. She asked for further information on the estimated

timelines for development, an Equalities Impact Assessment, access to

Lewisham Archives during relocation, a feasibility study including proposed

financial planning, the input of any private developer, the use of reserves to

fund any shortfall and communications about any new service.

 

Mark Drinkwater next addressed the Cabinet. He reiterated comments made

by Councillor Mallory that the voluntary sector, itself facing cuts, would also be

expected to take up the slack arising from other cuts. He highlighted cut CYP

6 which also had the potential to see the voluntary sector lose funding. He

recognised that the Council needed to save vast sums of money but argued a

sustained voluntary sector would be better placed to deliver services.

 

In summing up and proposing the detailed recommendations shown below,

the Mayor made it clear that what was reluctantly being proposed was a cuts

budget required because of austerity measures enforced by central

Government. He confirmed that Lewisham was a supporter of the national

‘Breaking Point’ campaign.

 

Having considered an officer report and presentations by the Cabinet Member

for Finance, Skills and Jobs, Councillor Amanda De Ryk, the Chair of the

Public Accounts Select Committee, Councillor Jim Mallory, the Chair of the

Audit Panel, Councillor Alan Hall and three members of the public, the Mayor

and Cabinet, having considered all representations made to them, from the options available, by a 7-0 vote:

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(1) the progress with identifying budget cuts, the £7.6m shortfall against the

target for 2019/20, and the implications for the use of reserves, be noted;

 

(2) following review and having taken into account the written views of the

Select Committees and the representations made at the meeting the following

decisions be made on the new cuts proposals presented in Section 9 and

Appendices 1 to 4, which initially totalled £20.9m:

 

CYP1, CYP2 and CYP3 – approved, noting the comments of the select

committee and officers asked to report back to the select committee on

progress with their delivery.

 

CYP4 – approved.

 

CYP5 – approved noting the comments of the select committee and officers to

report back to the select committee on progress with their delivery.

 

CYP6 – the comments from the select committee were noted and officers 

progress with consultation on this proposal and decision delegated to the

relevant Executive Director to take the decision on receipt of a full report at

the earliest opportunity.

 

CYP7 – the comments of the select committee were noted. As this is a Year 2

cut, the cut was noted in principle, and ask officers to undertake a review and

bring back options to Mayor & Cabinet as part of the 2020-2021 budget. 

 

COM1 and COM 2 – note the comments of the select committee on these

cuts, and delegate to the relevant Executive Director to take the decision on

receipt of a full report at the earliest opportunity.

 

COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6 and COM7 – delegate these cuts to the

relevant Executive Director to take the decisions on receipt of a full report at

the earliest opportunity.

 

COM8 – approved

 

COM9 - I note the comments of the select committee on this cut and propose

that we delegate to the relevant Executive Director to take the decision on

receipt of a full report at the earliest opportunity. 

 

COM10 – officers to progress with consultation on this proposal, and a full

report be brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at the earliest

opportunity. Comments of the select committee on this cut noted and officers

asked to introduce an online form to enable residents to report noise nuisance

in a more effective way.

 

COM11 – This cut is withdrawn and officers asked to undertake a feasibility

study of redeveloping Lewisham Library to be brought back to Mayor &

Cabinet as part of the 2020-2021 budget.

 

COM12, COM14 and COM17 – note these cuts in principle and ask officers to

progress with consultations on these proposals, bringing a full report be

brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision in early 2019 before a final

determination on the amount of funding to be allocated.

 

COM13 – to vary this cut as follows: That People’s Day takes place every 2

years and that funding for Blackheath Fireworks be maintained to enable us to

seek alternative funding streams, including talking to neighbouring boroughs.

 

COM15 – approved

 

COM16 -  officers should progress with consultation on this cut and delegate

to the relevant Executive Director to take the decision on receipt of a full

report at the earliest opportunity.

 

CUS1 - approved

 

CUS2 – approved, noting the comments of the select committee and officers

be asked to report back to the select committee on progress with delivery.

 

CUS3 –  note the comments of the select committee on this cut. and officers

be asked to progress with consultation on this proposal, and a full report be

brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at the earliest opportunity and

that this include an update on plans for the events as they evolve to meet the

ambitious targets.

 

CUS4, CUS5 and CUS6 - approved, noting the comments of the select

committee and officers be asked to report back to the select committee on

progress with their delivery.

 

CUS7 - note the comments of the select committee on this cut. As this is a

Year 2 cut, the cut be noted in principle, and officers be asked to undertake a

pilot to investigate the impact and come back to Mayor & Cabinet with options

as part of the 2020-2021 budget.

 

CUS8 - officers be asked to progress with consultation on this proposal, and a

full report, including information on alternative toilet provision, particularly at

evenings and weekends be brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at

the earliest opportunity.

 

CUS9 and CUS10 -approved

 

CUS11 - officers should progress with consultation on this cut and the

relevant Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on receipt of a

full report at the earliest opportunity.

 

CUS12, CUS13 and CUS14 - approved

 

RES1 – officers should progress with consultation on this cut and the relevant

Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on receipt of a full report

at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES2 – approved

 

RES3 and RES4 - officers should progress with consultation on these cuts

and the relevant Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on

receipt of a full report at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES5 - approved

 

RES6 - officers should progress with consultation on this cut and the relevant

Executive Director be delegated to take the decision on receipt of a full report

at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES7, RES8, RES9, RES10, RES11, RES12, RES13, RES14 and RES15 –

approved

 

RES16 – officers be asked to progress this cut and that a full report be

brought back to Mayor & Cabinet for decision at the earliest opportunity.

 

RES17 – approved and officers asked to monitor plans for the events as they

evolve.

 

RES18 – approved and officers asked to work with councillors to identify the

most appropriate locations for the electric vehicle charging points

 

RES19 – the referral from the select committee on this cut be noted. As this is

a Year 2 cut, officers asked to undertake a full review of the school crossing

service and bring back options to Mayor & Cabinet as part of the 2020-2021

budget that consider child safety, air quality implications and the opportunity

for capital investment.

 

(3) the comments of the Public Accounts Select Committee of the 7

November 2018, which incorporated the views of the respective select

committees, be noted

 

(4) officers be authorised to carry out consultations where staff consultation is

necessary in relation to the proposal and delegate the decision to the relevant

Executive Director for the service concerned;

 

(5) officers be authorised to carry out consultations where public consultation

is necessary in relation to the proposal and ask officers to report back to the

Mayor with the outcome, for a decision to be made;

 

(6) Where no consultation is required:

 agree the cut proposal, or

 return for decision with full report, or

 delegate the decision to the relevant Executive Director for the service

concerned; and

 

(7) Or, request officers to complete further work to clarify the proposal and

that officers then re-submit the proposal at the earliest opportunity for a

decision.