Agenda and minutes

Councillor Muldoon declared a personal interest in Item 15 as an elected

governor of the SLAM NHS Foundation Trust.

Councillor Hall declared a personal interest in Item 16 as Chair of the

Lewisham Co-operative Party and as a member of the London Co-operative

Council and in Item 15 as an elected governor of the SLAM NHS Foundation

Trust.

Councillor Sorba declared an interest in Item 15 as a member of the Council

of the SLAM NHS Foundation Trust.

Councillor Wise declared a personal interest in Item 15 as an elected member

of the Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust.

Councillors John Paschoud and Bell declared personal interests in Item 15 as

an elected member of the Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust and in

Item 16 as a member of the Co-operative Party.

Councillors Kennedy, Bonavia, Best, Hilton, Jacq Paschoud, Upex, Walsh,

Hordijenko, Stamirowski, and Jacca declared a personal interest in Item 16 as

a member of the Co-operative Party.

Councillor Walsh declared a personal interest 15 as a member of the

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

Councillor Adefiranye declared a personal interest in Item 4 as a Governor of

Addey and Stanhope School.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on September 21 2016 be

confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Mr Enamul Khan presented a petition bearing 308 names opposing any plans

to demolish the BWA Muslim Cultural Centre.

Ms Iona Singleton presented a petition of 526 names, and Councillor Paul

Upex read out a supporting statement, calling for a lorry ban on Honor Oak

Road.

Ms Dionne Lewis presented a petition bearing 315 names opposing any

location of a traveller site on the Winslade Estate.

Ms Jacquie Utley presented a petition bearing 48 names opposing the

demolition of any properties in Achilles Street.

Councillor Sue Hordijenko presented a petition bearing 126 names opposing

the creation of any more Houses of Multiple Occupancy in

Bellingham.

Councillor Pat Raven presented a petition bearing 107 names calling on the

Council to remove the partially collapsed storage building and waste from the

alley behind Stanford Estate Agents facing on to Longhurst Road.

The Chair introduced the new Young Mayor, Kayla Sh’ay Nswa and

Deputy Young Mayor, Tekisha Henry.

The Mayor spoke to the item and congratulated the winning candidates on

their success at the polls He noted this would be the thirteenth year of

the scheme and he pointed to the enduring success of the Young

Mayoralty which he continued to believe had been established as a

permanent and valued feature of the Lewisham landscape and had

attracted a consistently high calibre of successful candidates and

interest, as shown by the strong turn out of voters. He noted that for only the

second team the outcome had been the election of both a female Young

Mayor and Deputy Mayor He thanked the outgoing Young Mayor, and Deputy

Young Mayor, Emmanuel Olaniyan and Hanna Dimtsu, for their service in

what had been an unprecedented second term of office for a Young Mayor.

The new Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor then signed their

Declarations of Acceptance of Office and an undertaking to abide by the Code

of Practice for their respective roles which were witnessed by the Chief

Executive.

The outgoing Young Mayor, Emmanuel Olaniyan, addressed the meeting and

thanked the Council for the opportunities given to him during his second year

of office. He wished his successors every success in their year of office.

Report of the Returning Officer

The Chair welcomed Councillors Joyce Jacca and Sophie McGeevor to their

first meeting of the Council.

Obituaries

The Chair reported the deaths of two individuals who had played key roles in

the life of Lewisham, Tommy Bevan a long serving TGWU Branch Secretary

and Harry Haward, a noted activist for the elderly with DAGE in Deptford.

The Mayor paid tribute to the contributions made by both men. Councillor

Wise added her recognition to the work undertaken by Harry Haward for the

elderly and the Council observed a one minute silence in their memory.

Race Relations Act

The Council marked the 40^th anniversary of the Race Relations Act, which

received Royal Assent on November 22 1976, with statements from

Councillors Hall, Michael and the Chair. This was followed by a presentation

to the Council by the Young Mayor’s team that accompanied a static display

in the Council’s Upper Foyer.

White Ribbon Day

The Chair announced November 25 would mark International Day for the

Elimination of Violence against Women, also known as White Ribbon Day,

which would be followed by 16 days of activism against gender based

violence.

World Aids Day

The Chair announced World Aids Day would take place on December 1 and

that this was dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by

the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease.

Councillor Hall provided further details of the Day and set the local context of

a significantly higher than average prevalence of the HIV infection in

Lewisham.

Mayor of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

The Chair reported Mayor Reinhard Naumann had commenced a second

term as Mayor of twin-town Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Berlin on

November 17.

Nicaragua

The Chair reported the re-election of Daniel Ortega to a third term as

President of Nicaragua and he welcomed to the meeting Mr Ricardo Carioni,

Deputy Head of Mission of the Republic of Nicaragua in the UK.

Mr Carioni said it was a pleasure to be present on behalf of the Ambassador

and he thanked the Council for the continuing links with Matagalpa which had

now reached a 30^th anniversary. He reported on the outcome of the

Presidential election in Nicaragua and noted his country’s economic growth,

safety record and that she was now a world leader in the level of female

political representation.

13 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.

14 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.

Councillor John Paschoud moved that the recommendations as set out in a

tabled amended report be approved and this was seconded by Councillor

Jeffrey and it was:

RESOLVED that

(1) the counter proposal considered by the Elections Committee be approved

and this report be submitted to the Boundary Commission for England in

support of the counter proposal as set out in appendix C.

(2) the Chief Executive be authorised to re-submit his letter relating to the use

of the 1/12/15 register to the Boundary Commission for England during the

consultation period as shown at appendix D.

The mover and seconder accepted an amendment to paragraph 2.1

submitted by the 5pm deadline on the day before the meeting.

Councillor Walsh moved that the recommendations, as amended, be

approved and this was seconded by Councillor Curran and it was:

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations be received, and the

Executive be asked to prepare a response for the next full Council.

The report was presented by the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny, Councillor

Alan Hall, who moved that the report be accepted and this was seconded by

the Vice-Chair of Overview & Scrutiny, Councillor Siddorn and it was:

RESOLVED that the Overview and Scrutiny Mid-term review be received.

Councillor Dacres moved and Councillor Mallory seconded and the Council

agreed that the following appointments be made:

RESOLVED that the appoinments shown below be agreed:

(a) Audit Panel – Councillor Jacca to replace Councillor Hordijenko

(b) Planning Committee B – Councillor McGeevor

An amendment received before the deadline on the day before the meeting

correcting figures about the number of women and girls receiving treatment

for FGM across England and Wales was accepted by the mover and

seconder.

The motion was moved by Councillor Daby and seconded by Councillor

Moore and then put to the vote and declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

“The council notes that International Day for the Elimination of Violence

against Women and White Ribbon day is on 25th November, marking the 16

days of activism to end gender-based violence. The days aims raise

awareness around gender based violence and mobilise all communities to

unite under the goal of ending violence against women and girls.

This council recognised that White Ribbon Campaign aim to:

•           Mobilise men to campaign against violence against women and girls

(VAWG)

•           Campaign and raise awareness to address social attitudes and

behaviour and alter social norms that lead to violent behaviour against

women

•           Increasing awareness on the issue and campaign to ensure services

            are available to support victims and survivors of abuse

•           Mobilise the entire local community under the goal of ending violence

            against women and girls.

This council further notes that:

•           1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic violence

            in their lifetimes and 8% will suffer domestic violence in any given year.

•           1 in 5 women will experience some form of sexual violence, and in

            2015 5,000 rapes were record in London, 229 in Lewisham.

•           8,660 women and Girls received treatment for FGM across England

            and Wales in 2015/16, 58% were in London

•           Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) is both a form of

discrimination and a violation of human rights.

This Council and its members pledge to never commit, condone or remain

silent about the violence against women and girls.”

The motion was moved by Councillor Kennedy and seconded by Councillor

Till and then put to the vote and declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

“Lewisham Borough Council recognises and values local pharmacies as a

vital primary care health service and as an integral part of the fabric of local

communities.

Council notes that;

•           Pharmacies offer a range of services such as dispensing prescriptions,

            disposal of unwanted medicines and supporting self-care.

•           Pharmacies play an important role in promoting wellbeing such as

            healthy eating, smoking cessation, exercise, flu vaccination, sexual

            health and more.

•           Advice and support services are also available to care homes.

•           Several local pharmacies are working towards and some have

            achieved Healthy Living Pharmacies (HLP) status recognising and

            evidencing their role in improving the health of the local population.

The Council is greatly concerned about Government imposed threats to

pharmacies as a result of cuts in the budget of £170m nationally to take effect

from October 2016. This is a 6% cut in cash terms but could effectively mean

a cut of 12% during the financial year which could potentially close up to a

quarter of pharmacies with an increased focus on warehousing dispensary

and online services. Service cuts in pharmacies put more residents at risk as

well as putting pressure on GPs and on hospital services and therefore

increasing NHS costs. A fully funded community pharmacy service is cost

effective and is in the interest of patients and carers.

The Council agrees to write to the Secretary of State for Health, NHS England

and the Clinical Commissioning Group detailing our concerns and demanding

an immediate reversal of these proposals.”

The motion was moved by Councillor De Ryk and seconded by Councillor

Dacres. Following debate to which Councillor Jacq Paschoud contributed, the

motion was put to the vote and declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

“Every year approximately 3,500 babies in the UK are stillborn, one in every

200 babies. Another 2,000 babies die within the first four weeks of their lives,

during the neonatal period.

Baby Loss Awareness week (9-15th October) has been running for 13 years

and is an opportunity for bereaved parents, and their families and friends, to

unite and commemorate their babies’ lives; to raise awareness about the

issues surrounding pregnancy and baby loss in the UK and to let the public

and key stakeholders know what the baby charities are doing to reduce the

number of families affected.

Pregnancy and baby loss potentially affects one in five families in the UK and

this Council calls upon our Chief Executive to draw up an action plan to show

how local NHS and public health services can maximise and improve prenatal

and bereavement services for Lewisham families.”

The motion was moved by Councillor Hall and seconded by Councillor

Muldoon. Following debate to which Councillors Sorba and Bell contributed,

the motion was put to the vote and declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

"The Council welcomes the publication of South East London's Sustainability

and Transformation Plan (STP). The Council also notes:

•           That there is a significant shortage of funds in the NHS and social care

            system

•           That respected think tank The Kings Fund has publicly expressed its

            numerous concerns over the STP process including:

   “Tight deadlines have made it difficult to secure meaningful involvement in

the plans from key stakeholders, including patients and the public, local

authorities, clinicians and other frontline staff.”

   “Despite the focus on local ownership, key elements of the process have

been ‘top-down’.”

   “National requirements and deadlines for the plans have changed over time,

and guidance for STP leaders has sometimes been inconsistent and often

arrived late.”

Therefore, the Council resolves to:

•           Request full publication of all associated documents and appendices

•           Request pre decision scrutiny on changes to NHS and social care

            provision locally

•           Require full public consultation on significant changes to any service

•           Call on HM Government to provide the resources to fund good quality

            services across South East London

•           Reaffirm its commitment to an Accident and Emergency Department on

            the Lewisham Hospital site”

The motion was moved by Councillor Kennedy and seconded by Councillor

Hall and then put to the vote and declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

“This Council notes that tax evasion and avoidance are having a damaging

impact on the world’s poorest countries, to such a level that it is costing them

far more than they receive in aid. It is also costing the UK as much as £30

billion a year and this practice also has a negative effect on small and

medium-sized companies who pay more tax proportionately

This Council further notes:

-           the UK Government has taken steps to tackle the issue of tax

avoidance and evasion by issuing Procurement Policy Note 03/14, which

applies to all central government contracts worth more than £5m

-           the availability of independent means of verifying tax compliance, such

as the Fair Tax Mark

-           In early 2015 new regulations required public bodies, including

councils, to ask procurement qualification questions of all companies for

tenders over £173,000 for service contracts and £4m for works contracts.

However, these questions are not as detailed as the PPN 03/14.

This Council recognises:

-           That, under the Council's current procurement policy, all suppliers

bidding for contracts above £173,000 with the London Borough of Lewisham

are required to self-certify their tax compliance status in line with central

government practice, using the standards in PPN 03/14.

-           That any supplier that has any occasion of non-compliance with last 5

years is excluded from the Council's procurement procedure, unless it has

since fulfilled its obligation.

On 20th July 2016 the Council resolved to:

-           Work to incorporate co-operative values and principles when planning

services and in its engagement with local residents.

-           Publicise existing co-operative good practice within the council and

across the London Borough of Lewisham.

-           Audit our contractors and suppliers on how many meet the Fair Tax

Mark standards, pay the Living Wage and meet appropriate standards on

apprenticeships.

This Council therefore resolves to promote its current procurement policy and

encourage partner organisations to undertake similar approach. This Council

asks the Cabinet to report on the promotion of its policy and on progress to

obtain the Fair Tax Mark to Full Council on an annual basis for the next five

years.”

An amendment received before the deadline on the day before the meeting to

delete all of the text of the original motion and insert the text shown below was

accepted by the mover and seconder.

The motion was moved by Councillor Upex and seconded by Councillor

Barnham and then put to the vote and declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

“Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has launched an extensive consultation

which sets out proposed changes to the timetable which will be operated by

GTR in 2018 following completion of the Thameslink Programme.

Accordingly, the Council welcomes the imminent introduction of new rolling

stock, with greater capacity. We also strongly welcome proposals in the

current Thameslink timetable consultation to introduce four trains an hour

Monday to Saturday, from 2018.

These proposals include:

a)         Diverting all our East Croydon services to West Croydon - making it

take longer to get to Gatwick and other destinations in Sussex.

b)         Reducing our peak services to London Bridge to four trains an hour

(the same capacity as the rest of the day). These services would be replaced

by five carriage Overground trains to Dalston Junction.

This Council notes the Consultation taken place with regards to proposed

changes to the timetable affecting residents who use the following stations –

Sydenham, Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Brockley from 2018

This Council also supports the efforts of the 'Cinderella Line' campaign and

Vicky Foxcroft MP to promote improvements to the unacceptably poor service

on trains serving Crofton Park, Catford, Bellingham and stations beyond.

But the proposed improvements, while welcome, do not go far enough. We

therefore call on Thameslink also to ensure:

            That trains into central London do not terminate at Blackfriars – they

should continue through to Kentish Town/St Pancras, because Blackfriars is

difficult as an interchange.

            four trains an hour also on Sundays, when demand can be as high as

on other days

            trains are timed evenly at 15–minute intervals, instead of 10 or 20

minutes, so that people have greater certainty about when the next train is

due.

            Coordination with London overground services at Denmark Hill and Peckham.

This Council call upon the Mayor of Lewisham to write to Southern on behalf

of all Councillors and all passengers who use these services calling for the

direct Service to East Croydon from these stations to be maintained and not

cut. Whilst welcoming any proposed increase in Overground trains to

Canada Water we have concerns with regards to safety at this already

overcrowded station, furthermore we call upon the Mayor to oppose any cut in

peak hour services to London Bridge. This Council calls on this matter to be

referred to the Public Transport Liaison Committee and its finding to be

reported back to full Council.”

The meeting closed at 9.53pm