Agenda, decisions and minutes

None were made.

None were made.

Matter Referred by the Public Accounts Select Committee – Budget 2022-23

Having considered an open officer report, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed that

the tabled response prepared by Executive Director for Corporate Resources

be approved and reported to the Select Committee.

Matter Referred by the Public Accounts Select Committee – Budget 2022-23

The views of the Public Accounts Select Committee were presented by their  

Chair, Councillor Mark Ingleby. The Mayor thanked the Select Committee and

the other Scrutiny Chairs for their diligence and professionalism in the way

they had reviewed the Budget proposals. The Mayor ensured a written  

response to the views of the Select Committee was tabled at the meeting and

the Cabinet agreed it should be reported to the Select Committee.

Having considered an open officer report, the Mayor and Cabinet:

RESOLVED that the tabled response prepared by Executive Director for

Corporate Resources be approved and reported to the Public Accounts Select

Committee.

Having considered an open officer report, and presentations by the Cabinet

Member for Finance & Resources, Councillor Amanda De Ryk, and the Chair

of the Public Accounts Select Committee, Councillor Mark Ingleby, the Mayor

and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the comments of the Public Accounts Select Committee of 27 January

2022 be received;

(2) That, having considered the views of those consulted on the budget, and

subject to consideration of the outcome of consultation with business

ratepayers and subject to proper process, as required, the Mayor and Cabinet

adopted the following recommendations:

General Fund Revenue Budget

(3) asks Council to note the projected overall variance of £2.9m (or 1.2%)

against the agreed 2021/22 revenue budget of £243.100m as set out in

section 6 and that any year-end overspend will be met from corporate

provisions and reserves;

(4) endorses and asks Council to endorse the budget cut reduction measures

of £11.835m as per the Mayor and Cabinet meeting of the 2 February 2022,

as set out in section 6 and summarised in Appendix Y1 and Y2;

(5) agrees and asks Council to agree the allocation of £6.500m in 2022/23 be

set aside for corporate risks and pressures;

(6) agrees and asks Council to agree the allocation of £21.315m of resources

from the corporate risks and pressures, social care precept, new homes

bonus, social care grant, lower tier grant, market sustainability and Fair cost of care grant, services grant and legacy s31 monies in 2022/23 to be invested in

funding quantified budget pressures and opportunities, both recurring and

once-off and that within this £1.877m is held in corporate provisions for the

Executive Director for Corporate Resources to apply as necessary to the

identified but as yet unquantified risks as set out in section 6;

(7) agrees to recommend to Council that a General Fund Budget Requirement

of £248.610m for 2022/23 be approved;

(8) asks Council to agree to a 2.99% increase in Lewisham’s Council Tax

element. This will result in a Band D equivalent Council Tax level of £1,421.22

for Lewisham’s services and £1,816.81 overall. This represents an overall

increase in Council Tax for 2022/23 of 4.2% and is subject to the GLA precept

for 2022/23 being increased by £31.93 (i.e. 8.78%) from £363.66 to £395.59,

in line with the GLA’s draft budget proposals;

(9) notes the final settlement figure for 2022/23 has not yet been announced

and delegates authority to the Executive Director for Corporate Resources to

include any change to the provisional settlement of £124,170,641 in the report

for Council with any difference covered from provisions and reserves as

necessary;

(10) notes the provisional and estimated precept and levies from the GLA and

other bodies as detailed in Appendix Y6 and delegates authority to the

Executive Director for Corporate Resources to include any changes to these

in the report for Council with any difference covered from provisions and

reserves as necessary;

(11) notes and asks Council to note the Council Tax Ready Reckoner which

for illustrative purposes sets out the Band  ...  view the full decision text for item 621.

The Mayor presented his fourth budget, the last of this administration by

reflecting that the Council had suffered Government cuts every year since

2010 and in real terms the Council’s budget had been slashed from over

£400m to £248m resulting in having 1,000 fewer members of staff 

When austerity was combined with COVID an even more difficult position was

presented for all councils The Mayor added that one-year budgets made it

difficult to plan for the long term and suggested three-year budgets as

operated by Government Departments would be preferable. The Mayor noted

the “Levelling Up” agenda would drive money out of London. Added to that

was the cost of living crisis evidenced by inflation, rising food prices and fuel

costs.

The Mayor stated the intention to increase Council Tax by 2.99 per cent which

was the highest possible without holding a referendum. The budget did not

propose to use reserves to balance the budget. A balanced budget was a

necessity to avoid the alternative of a Council run by Government

commissioners.

The Mayor pledged to continue to prioritise good contract management and

improve demand management such as the Newton Review of Adult Social

Care. He said the Council needed to do more of this type of work –

transforming services to deliver differently not just trying to do more with less.  

The Mayor acknowledged overspends were too big and cuts need to be

implemented. Despite huge challenges the Mayor noted significant

achievements had been made and he highlighted Lewisham officially had the

best parks in London; was a top-tier council for climate action; had been made 

London Borough of Culture and was officially the UK’s first Borough of

Sanctuary.

The Mayor concluded by thanking Councillor Amanda de Ryk for her

leadership and the input made by the Executive Director for Corporate

Resources and her Senior Management Team.

This is a budget which delivers on our priorities, safeguards the Council’s

finances, and ensures we are able to continue the important work of putting

Councillor Amanda De Ryk formally moved the recommendations and

confirmed the Council Tax increase and the level of cuts. She reflected that

the long term picture was not positive. She ended by thanking the Officers

who had assisted her in preparing the budget.

Having considered an open officer report, and presentations by the Cabinet

Member for Finance & Resources, Councillor Amanda De Ryk, and the Chair

of the Public Accounts Select Committee, Councillor Mark Ingleby, the Mayor

and Cabinet, for the reasons set out in the report and by a vote of 6-0:

RESOLVED that:

(1) the comments of the Public Accounts Select Committee of 27 January

2022 be received;

(2) That, having considered the views of those consulted on the budget, and

subject to consideration of the outcome of consultation with business

ratepayers and subject to proper process, as required, the Mayor and Cabinet

adopted the following recommendations:

General Fund Revenue Budget

(3) asks Council to note the projected overall variance of £2.9m  ...  view the full minutes text for item 621.

Having considered an open and a confidential officer report, and a

presentation by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport,

Councillor Pat Codd, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed that a contract be

awarded to Bright & True to deliver the design, build and operation of a café

at Mountsfield Park: The concessionaire contract will be for an initial period of

15 years, commencing around March 2022.

Having considered an open and a confidential officer report, and a

presentation by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport,

Councillor Pat Codd, the Mayor and Cabinet, for the reasons set out in the

report and by a vote of 6-0:

RESOLVED that a contract be awarded to Bright & True to deliver the design,

build and operation of a café at Mountsfield Park: The concessionaire contract

will be for an initial period of 15 years, commencing around March 2022.

Having considered an open and a confidential officer report, and a

presentation by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Brenda Dacres, the Mayor and

Cabinet agreed that:

(1) delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director for Community

Services to:

(a) approve the award the contract to the successful contractor for the

Libraries Consortium Courier Service Framework Agreement, following the

procurement activity up to a total maximum of five years.

(b) approve the Call off the Framework Agreement for the Lewisham Library

and Information Service for a period of two years, and subsequent contract

extensions for a further three years (periods of two years or one year), up to a

total maximum of five years.

Having considered an open and a confidential officer report, and a

presentation by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Brenda Dacres, the Mayor and

Cabinet for the reasons set out in the report and by a vote of 6-0:

RESOLVED that:

(1) delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director for Community

Services to:

(a) approve the award the contract to the successful contractor for the

Libraries Consortium Courier Service Framework Agreement, following the

procurement activity up to a total maximum of five years.

(b) approve the Call off the Framework Agreement for the Lewisham Library

and Information Service for a period of two years, and subsequent contract

extensions for a further three years (periods of two years or one year), up to a

total maximum of five years.

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

Member for Children’s Services and School Performance, Councillor Chris

Barnham, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the admissions arrangements for mainstream community nursery, primary,

secondary schools and sixth forms be as set out in Appendix A to G.

(2) the Published Admissions Number (PAN) for each community mainstream

school in the borough be as detailed in Appendix H.

(3) the pan London Admissions Schemes for reception and secondary tranfer

and a local scheme for in year admissions as detailed in Appendix I.

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

Member for Children’s Services and School Performance, Councillor Chris

Barnham, the Mayor and Cabinet for the reasons set out in the report and by

a vote of 6-0:

RESOLVED that:

(1) the admissions arrangements for mainstream community nursery, primary,

secondary schools and sixth forms be as set out in Appendix A to G.

(2) the Published Admissions Number (PAN) for each community mainstream

school in the borough be as detailed in Appendix H.

(3) the pan London Admissions Schemes for reception and secondary

transfer and a local scheme for in year admissions as detailed in Appendix I.

Not considered.

This item was not considered.

Report considered in conjunction with the Part 1 item.

The report was considered in conjunction with the Part 1 item on the same

subject.

Report considered in conjunction with the Part 1 item.

The report was considered in conjunction with the Part 1 item on the same

subject.

The meeting closed at 5.49pm.