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Madeleine Jeffery (Private Sector Housing Agency Manager) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

7.1       The council’s housing assistance policy sets out how the council will target financial support and assistance to those in the private housing sector who are not able maintain their own home due to age, disability, vulnerability, lack of resources or lack of knowledge.

7.2       The key aims of the policy are to improve health outcomes, promote independent living, delay and reduce the need for long-term care and support, improve the sustainability of private sector homes, and bring empty homes back into use.

7.3       Last year, the council improved nearly 100 homes through this policy, with a 95% satisfaction rate.

7.4       The committee noted the significant difference between the discretionary fund that is budgeted and that which is spent and queried why this was.

7.5       Officers explained that the difference between the budget and spend of the discretionary fund was due to number of reasons, including capacity within the team, backlogs, and awareness of the scheme among residents.

7.6       One of the key challenges with the housing assistance policy is to better target the support to the people who need it.  A key part of this is improving communications and raising awareness of the scheme.

7.7       The Cabinet Member for Housing offered to provide a briefing on the housing assistance scheme for councillors, which they can share with their constituents.

7.8       The committee also asked how many empty homes had been brought into use through this scheme. Officers agreed to provide the statistics on this. Officers noted that they are seeing an increase in the number of empty homes.

Resolved: the committee noted the report; agreed to receive a briefing for councillors on the housing assistance policy; and agreed to receive statistics on the number of empty homes brought back into use through the policy.

Margaret Dodwell (Chief Executive, Lewisham Homes) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

4.1       Lewisham Homes is developing its business plan for the next three years. It has engaged with residents, staff, staff unions, council officers, the Mayor, and local MPs. 

4.2       As the council’s housing-delivery company, Lewisham Homes’ business plan will be aligned with the priorities of the council.

4.3       The business plan will include working in partnership with local organisations, such as health partners, to promote independent living, reduce social isolation, and improve access to employment.

4.4       The Chief Executive of Lewisham Homes will be meeting with the Director of Public Health for Lewisham to see how public health can be advanced through the housing agenda.

4.5       Finding ways to generate more income to fund tenancy sustainment and other discretionary activities is another key part of the business plan.

4.6       Lewisham Homes is taking into account the findings of the Hackitt report – which was commissioned by government following the Grenfell Tower fire to make recommendations on the future regulatory system.

4.7       Lewisham Homes is exploring opportunities for creating more homes by adding more stories on top of existing buildings – commonly known as ‘top-hatting’. This process could involve the use of modern methods of construction.

4.8       In order to deliver new homes, partnership working may involve joint ventures with housing associations, private contractors and other organisations.

4.9       Lewisham Homes wants to ensure that it is adding social value through its development programme by, for example, creating apprenticeships.

The committee asked a number of questions. The following key points were noted

4.10    Repairs are one of the most important issues for residents and fall within a number of areas of the draft business plan. The use of smart technology in assets, such as lifts for example, will be explored further as a way of improving services for residents.

4.11    Inclusivity training will be provided to the Lewisham Homes leadership team.

4.12    The committee noted Lewisham Homes’ responsibility to help tenants tackle anti-social behaviour and suggested that more detail on this should be included in the business plan.

4.13    The committee asked about the impact of the Government’s announcement to remove the cap on borrowing against the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

4.14    The Cabinet Member for Housing informed the committee that a briefing on the lifting of the HRA cap, and what this enables, will be provided to all members once the detail has been worked through.

4.15    The committee will have the opportunity to scrutinise the business plan again in early 2019.

Resolved: the committee noted the draft business plan.

Resolved: the committee noted the report.

David Austin (Head of Corporate Resources) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

5.1       The council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy identified the need for continued cuts to be made to the council’s budget over the coming four years.

5.2       This report sets out £21m of cuts proposals against the target of £30m cuts in the two years to 2020/21 - £17m in 2019/20 and £13m in 2020/21.

5.3       The proposals are aligned to the 10 corporate objectives and Lewisham 2020 strategy.

5.4       Officers will be developing and returning with further cuts proposals for the second year (2020/21).

Jeff Endean (Housing strategy and Partnership Manager) introduced budget cut proposal CUS9: Cost reductions in homelessness provision – income generation and net budget reductions. The following key points were noted:

5.5       CUS9 comprises two proposals. The first is focused on generating income by investing in further developments like PLACE/Ladywell, which generate a net financial return to the council.

5.6       The proposal is to generate £460k of income from five temporary accommodation projects. This will also provide at least 90 new purpose-built homes as alternative to nightly paid accommodation. 

5.7       One of the five projects is to provide homes for adults with learning disabilities, which would allow residents currently housed outside of the borough to be brought back to Lewisham.

5.8       The second part of CUS9 is focused on reducing the number of households in nightly-paid accommodation through a number of measures, including the delivery of further council-developed alternatives like PLACE/Ladywell.

5.9       This part of the proposal is planned to save £641k over 2019/20 and 2020/21.

5.10    The committee also noted proposal COM9, cut to intensive housing advice and support service, and queried whether reducing this service could lead to more people falling into the cycle of homelessness, which could end up costing the council more.

5.11    Officers informed the committee that risk would be mitigated by the council’s work on the Homelessness Trailblazer project and extra investment in the Housing Options Centre and Single Homeless Intervention and Prevention services. As part of the Homelessness Reduction Act, the council is switching its focus to homelessness prevention and training frontline staff to support and advise residents at a much earlier stage.

5.12    Officers agreed to report back on the implementation of COM9 is six months to see how the pressures have changed and how the council has coped with the new arrangements.

Resolved: the committee noted proposal CUS9 and agreed to receive an update on the implementation of proposal COM9 six months after implementation.

Resolved: the minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a true record with the following amendment:

1.1       Under the declarations of interest, Cllr Olurotimi Ogunbadewa to be recorded as a board member of Phoenix Housing instead of Lewisham Homes.

John Bardens (Scrutiny Manager) introduced the work programme.

9.1       The committee agreed to receive a report on the Lewisham Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) at its meeting in December.

9.2       The committee agreed to amend to work programme to receive a report on the Lewisham Housing Strategy in March rather than January.

Resolved: the committee agreed the work programme.

David Syme (Strategic Planning Manager) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

6.1       The council is currently undergoing a review of the Lewisham local plan.

6.2       The local plan sets out a strategy for development in the borough over the next 15 years, with a particular focus on housing needs and the infrastructure and community facilities necessary to meet these.

6.3       The current local plan has delivered significant investment in homes, infrastructure and jobs, but most of the sites identified have now been built or have planning approval.

6.4       There have been significant changes in regional planning policy, with the draft London Plan, and in national policy, with the new National Planning Policy Framework. 

6.5       The key challenge in relation to housing will be meeting the significant increases in housing targets set to be required by regional and national policy.

6.6       The draft London plan increases the borough’s housing target by almost 50% - from 1,385 to 2,117 homes per annum. This equates to more than 20,000 new homes over the next ten years that have to be delivered. Lewisham’s historical delivery rate is around 1,500 units a year.

6.7       The new NPPF introduces a new housing delivery test, which introduces tough sanctions on those councils that are not meeting their housing targets. By 2020, if the council falls below 75% of the housing target, it will be classified as a council with the presumption in favour of sustainable development. This means that the council’s ability to refuse planning applications on local issues, and defending appeals from developers, becomes much weaker. The council would be assessed on national planning policy and there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development that meets the national policy. This is a significant risk for the council going forward.

6.8       The draft figures for April 2017 to March 2018 from the annual monitoring review, which provides data on, among other things, completions, approvals, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) revenue, and s106 agreements, shows a significant reduction in the number of homes completed.

6.9       The local Lewisham Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) identifies the housing need within the borough, for example, students, older people, people with disabilities, families, and sets out the mix of housing that needs to be provided. This document will provide much more detail on affordable housing.

6.10    The draft SHMA is expected to be published by mid November 2018.

6.11    The council is bidding for new funding through the Mayor of London’s Homebuilding Capacity Fund, which provides funding to support councils to develop the capacity to deliver new approaches to increasing housing supply. Councils can bid for up to £750,000 for two years.

The Chair proposed to suspend standing orders to continue the meeting. The committee agreed to suspend standing orders.

6.12    The committee noted that new NPPF introduces a requirement to carry out viability tests of local affordable housing targets at the local plan stage and queried what impact this would have on the council’s affordable housing target.

6.13    Given Lewisham’s historical housing delivery rate, the committee expressed some concern about new regional and national housing targets and the consequences for local planning decisions of not meeting these.

Resolved: the committee noted the report and agreed to receive a report on the Lewisham Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) once published.

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by the Deputy Mayor,

Councillor Chris Best, and five Overview & Scrutiny Councillors, the Mayor

and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the consultation activity undertaken by officers, the findings of this activity

and the Equality Assurance Assessment (EAA) undertaken be noted; and

(2) the proposed cut to the Health Visiting Service be paused and a further

report on Public Health cuts be considered in 2019.

(3) the revised proposals to balance the cut to the Public Health

grant for 2019/20 be approved with a full schedule being shown in the

minutes;

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by Mayor, the Mayor

and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the actual employee data on new employees joining Lewisham Council

in 2017-2018 from the joiners declaration of ethnicity is 53.1% BAME and

40% non BAME and 6.9% undisclosed. This is a greater proportionate rate

(6.5%) than Lewisham Boroughs BAME profile from the 2011 census of

46.6%, and this compares favourably to other benchmarked London

Boroughs;

(2) the more accurate joiners’ declaration of ethnicity is used in the future

for the Employment Profile Report, rather than the declaration of ethnicity at

the application stage, and the 2017-2018 Profile is amended to reflect this

more accurate data;

(3) our approach to equality and diversity be further enhanced  by including

the statement in all job adverts ‘We welcome applications from all

backgrounds’;

(4) the Council will be strengthening the recruitment and selection training

offered to recruiting managers and include greater focus on unconscious bias

to ensure best practice recruitment;

(5) the Council will launch next year a ‘Leadership Development Program’

to support council managers progressing through to senior levels. The

selection for this programme will stipulate that a fair proportionality of BAME

employees are selected, to support equal opportunity of progression into the

senior management level that they are underrepresented in. Also the HR

Division will review the option of a mentoring program for senior BAME

managers being made available; and

(6) this report be forwarded to the Safer Stronger Communities Select

Committee.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Mayor, the

Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1)  Part 1 of Lewisham’s Brownfield Land Register 2018 including the

updated information be noted;

(2)  the Register’s updated contents and publication by making a copy

available at Laurence House, by placing it on the Council’s website and by

notifying landowners of sites newly added to the register, be approved.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Housing, Councillor Paul Bell, and a member of the public, the

Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the work that officers have undertaken to explore the potential to build new

Council homes in the area around Achilles Street, New Cross, with the redline

plan be noted;

(2) the initial consultation that has been carried out with all residents, affected

businesses and other key stakeholders throughout this process in relation to

these options since infill proposals first shared in June 2014 through to the

most recent public meeting held in June 2018 as set out and the comments

made by residents, business and other key stakeholders, be noted;

(3) there is currently a consultation underway to establish the principles of a

Residents’ Charter that will set out the guaranteed minimum offer that will

apply to all Lewisham residents whose homes will be demolished and rebuilt

as part of Council led redevelopment, including the residents on the Achilles

Street Estate;

(4) how these principles will interact with the five commitments made to the

Achilles Street Community as set be noted;

(5) officers should work with residents and other key stakeholders on Achilles

Street to begin to establish a Landlord Offer that will enable a Resident Ballot

on the Achilles Street redevelopment proposals to take place;

(6) the Landlord Offer be presented back to Mayor and Cabinet to be

finalised, and to set the date for a Resident Ballot;

(7) officers can begin negotiated buybacks, on an entirely voluntary basis, on

the 36 leaseholder properties in Azalea House, Austin House, Fenton House

and 363 New Cross Road, and authority be delegated to the Executive

Director for Resources and Regeneration to approve the final terms;

(8) home loss and disturbance payments are made to leaseholders and

freeholders where appropriate in (if eligible) accordance with the Land

Compensation Act 1973 (as amended);

(9) officers begin negotiated buybacks, on an entirely voluntary basis, on the

affected commercial properties at Clifton Rise and along New Cross Road

within the redline plan and authority be delegated to the Executive Director for

Resources and Regeneration to approve the final terms;

(10) the budget requirements for these voluntary buybacks as set out in Part

Two be approved.

(11) the resourcing requirements for delivering the next stage of the Achilles

Street project set out in Part Two be noted; and

(12) the budget required for the next phase of this redevelopment work as set

out in Part Two be approved.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Democracy, Refugees & Accountability, Councillor Kevin

Bonavia, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed that the report be noted.

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by the Mayor, the

Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the outcomes of the consultation as set out be noted;

(2) a local CTRS be retained from 1 April 2019 that passes on any reduction

in government funding, reflecting the Council’s financial position following the

announcement of the Autumn Statement and the provisional Local

Government Financial Settlement (LGFS) in December;

(3) Modify the retained local CTRS be modified from 1 April 2019 to allow

CTR to be awarded to households who are receiving universal credit or

housing benefit and who the Council identifies would qualify for support but

who have, for whatever reason, failed to complete an application form;

(4) Continue to deliver additional support continue to be delivered to the most

vulnerable residents through use of the existing provision within Section

13A(1)(c) of the 1992 Local Government Finance Act.

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by the Mayor, the

Mayor and Cabinet agreed that the proposed response from the Executive

Director for Resources & Regeneration to the referral from the Sustainable

Development Select Committee be approved and forwarded to that Select

Committee.

Having considered an officer report and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for School Performance, Councillor Chris Barnham, the Mayor and

Cabinet agreed that the proposed response from the Executive Director for

Children & Young People to the referral from the Public Accounts Select

Committee be approved and forwarded to that Select Committee.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Mayor, the

Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the following three funding applications be approved:

a) The Strategic Investment Pot – City of London

b) The Good Growth Fund, round 2 – Greater London Authority (GLA)/London

LEP (LEAP)

c)The Creative Enterprise Zone Development Grant, stage 2– GLA

(2) Subject in each case to the relevant funding bid being successful, delegate

authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Resources & Regeneration, in consultation with the Head of Law, to agree the

terms of and enter into the related funding agreement and any associated documentation.

Agreed.

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Housing, Councillor Paul Bell, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the application that has been made to the Social Sector ACM Cladding

Remediation Fund be approvedand the award of £8,999,975 be noted;

(2) the process for adjustments to the final amount be noted;

(3) authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Resources &

Regeneration, in consultation with the Head of Law, to agree the terms of and

enter into the related funding agreement with the GLA.

Noted.

Approved.

Councillor Chris Barnham declared a prejudicial interest in Item 16 as his wife

was a Governor at two of the Schools under consideration and he withdrew

from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting on 25 September 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

Resolved:

·         Figures would be provided detailing the savings made as a result of the new ways of working outlined in the report at section 8.3 onwards.

·         Figures would be provided setting out the alignment of the expenditure between adult social care and mental health services.

·         Analysis would be provided on the health of patients who had been discharged from hospital with an enhanced package of social care - as well as the longer term financial impact on the Council.

·         Information would return to the Committee (when it became available) setting out the plans for funding from the improved Better Care Fund.

·         Future updates should be provided about the work the Council was going to undertake on demand management and cost control.

Resolved: that the Committee’s comments would be submitted to Mayor and Cabinet, along with those from the select committees.

Resolved: that the Committee’s comments on the budget cut proposals under item five be referred to Mayor and Cabinet.

Resolved: that the work programme for the meeting on 12 December be agreed.

Resolved: the committee agreed to note budget cuts proposals COM 3 to COM 7 and refer its views on COM 1 and COM 2 to the Public Accounts Committee in the following terms:

The committee notes the greater demand on voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations which would result from the proposals in COM 1 and COM 2 and expresses concern about the impact of funding reductions for VCS partners (as set out in COM 12) at a time when they are being expected to do more. Given this, the committee requests that Mayor and Cabinet does not decide to make these budget cuts until it has carried out and considered an assessment of the extent to which VCS organisations will be able to meet the increased demand as a result of the proposals in COM 1 and 2.

Resolved: the committee agreed to refer its views on item 5, Budget Cuts, specifically proposals COM 1 and COM 2, to the Public Accounts Committee in the following terms:

The committee notes the greater demand on voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations which would result from the proposals in COM 1 and COM 2 and expresses concern about the impact of funding reductions for VCS partners (as set out in COM 12) at a time when they are being expected to do more. Given this, the committee requests that Mayor and Cabinet does not decide to make these budget cuts until it has carried out and considered an assessment of the extent to which VCS organisations will be able to meet the increased demand as a result of the proposals in COM 1 and 2.

Resolved: the Committee agreed the work programme.

Resolved: the committee noted the responses.

The following non-prejudicial interests were declared:

Cllr John Muldoon is a day patient at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (in relation to item 7).

Resolved: the minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a true record.

Resolved: the committee noted the report.

Resolved: the committee noted the report.

Resolved: The committee noted the report.

Resolved: the committee thanked the chair of the LSAB and noted the report.

Resolved: that the update be noted.

Resolved: that the report be noted.

Resolved: that the report be noted.

Resolved: that the Committee’s comments would be submitted to the meeting of the Public Accounts Select Committee on 7 November 2018.

Resolved: that the Committee’s comments under item five be referred to Public Accounts Select Committee.

Resolved: that the Committee’s work programme for its meeting on 12 December 2018 be agreed.

Resolved: that the responses from Mayor and Cabinet be noted.

            Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting held on 12 September 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.