This meeting was to consider the scope of a review into how the Lewisham Council and its partners respond to anti-social behaviour in the borough. Councillors were scheduled to be asked to consider a scoping report that outlined the issues, to define the intended outcomes of their review, agree what questions they would ask, who they would ask them to, and how they were going to get it done.

Anti-social behaviour in Lewisham

The meeting was provided with statistics on the prevalence and types of anti-social behaviour in Lewisham:

In the 12-month period to October 2024, Lewisham had a rolling 12-month rate of 22.5 police-recorded anti-social behaviour (ASB) offences per 1,000 population, slightly below the London average of 25.9.

The report pack also included information about the powers available to the council and its partners to address anti-social behaviour, including the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which this Task and Finish Group is intended to examine. The document also discussed the Lewisham Council Public Spaces Protection Order, which gives the council powers to address behaviour like dog fouling, intoxication, and unreasonable noise.

Housing-related anti-social behaviour

The meeting was scheduled to consider a report that provided details of the responsibilities of social landlords like Lewisham Homes to their tenants who experience anti-social behaviour, and outlined the different categories of anti-social behaviour. The report also included a summary of the powers available to the council to take action against perpetrators, including evictions.

Methodology

The meeting was provided with details of the approach intended to be taken for the review, and the timescales of the review, which was scheduled to be completed by 5 November 2025.