This meeting included seven reports: a waste services update; a flood risk management strategy update; an update on the council's climate emergency action plan; a report about procedure for adopting a new Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule; and an update on the committee's work programme for the year.

Waste services update

This report provided an update on changes to waste services delivered by the Street Environment Service.

The report outlined the impact of forthcoming legislation on services including:

• The government's Simpler Recycling scheme that will require more consistent recycling practices to be adopted by councils across England by March 2025. The scheme will mandate a dual-stream collection system meaning that paper and cardboard will be collected in one bin, while all other recyclable materials will go in a separate bin. The report states that Lewisham already collects at least the six mandated materials, but notes that DEFRA is not providing funding to enhance recycling services. The report also outlines the Simpler Recycling requirements for weekly food waste collections for all household properties by March 2026, and a food waste collection service for all commercial properties by March 2025.
• The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme that transfers the responsibility for managing packaging waste from councils to producers, like manufacturers and suppliers. The government is expected to announce tariffs for producers and allocate funding to councils. The report states that Lewisham has been allocated an initial estimate of £4.6m to cover the net efficient costs of collecting and disposing of household packaging waste. The report notes that to qualify for these payments local authority waste and recycling services must demonstrate that they operate effectively and efficiently.
• The government's Deposit Return Scheme for drink containers will require the introduction of return points for plastic bottles and aluminium cans by 2027. The report anticipates that the scheme will reduce the amount of waste handled by the council, and also reduce revenue from the sale of materials.
• The expansion of the UK Emission Trading Scheme to include incinerators by 2028. The report notes that the annual cost to Lewisham could be in the region of £1m.

Flood risk management strategy update

The report provided an update on the council's Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2022-2027.

It described progress made on projects including:

• The completion of the Beckenham Place Park Flood Storage Area, a 25,000m³ flood water storage facility on the River Ravensbourne. Since opening, the area has been activated three times, protecting over 800 properties downstream from flooding.
• The construction of thirteen rain gardens and a swale along Old Bromley Road that drain into the Beckenham Place Park storage area.
• A new wetlands area constructed in partnership with Thames21, the Friends of Chinbrook Meadows, and Bromley Council. The report states that the wetlands help to manage flood risk from a 15ha catchment area, improve water quality in the River Quaggy and enhance biodiversity in the park.
• The Northbrook Park Stream Restoration project has daylighted an underground stream, creating a new wetlands area on a re-wiggled stream course.
• The installation of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) at over twenty sites in the borough.
• The delivery of new pocket park at Lewisham High Street that includes a flooding memorial to commemorate the 1968 floods.

The report also proposed several new actions, including:

• The delivery of SuDS[^2] and wider climate adaptation measures as part of the Greening Evelyn Project. [^2]: Sustainable Drainage Systems are designed to reduce surface water run off and improve water quality.
• The delivery of a SuDS retrofit at Trinity C of E Primary School, Forest Hill.
• Progressing plans to restore the River Ravensbourne at Riverdale Sculpture Park.

The report also noted the forthcoming publication of the London Surface Water Strategy, and identified some of the risks and opportunities that may emerge from the strategy. The report identified a number of challenges including governance structures for surface water management being highly fragmented, with a lack of coordination between councils, Thames Water, the Environment Agency and Transport for London. It also states that funding shortages are a major challenge, with investment in flood prevention infrastructure... limited and a shortage of skilled staff to implement and maintain infrastructure. The report concludes by stating that the council supports the strategy's aim of improving flood resilience in London, but identifies concerns about resourcing.

Climate emergency action plan update

The report provided an update on the council's Climate Emergency Action Plan.

It identified the following as highlights of the council's work on climate change:

• The publication of the council's Asset Management Strategy and the completion of some retrofit projects for buildings on the council's corporate estate.
• A plan to upgrade Lewisham's street lighting to LED. The project is expected to be delivered in late 2025, and reduce the carbon intensity of street lighting by two-thirds.
• The publication of a Housing Retrofit Strategy and work to retrofit Lewisham's social housing. The strategy outlines plans to scale up retrofitting and bring investment into the borough, as well as engaging with residents on the design of retrofitting programmes.
• The operation of a fuel poverty advice service. The report states that the service has helped over 13,000 households in south London get advice on reducing fuel bills in the last three years.
• The introduction of School Streets at 55 schools in Lewisham.
• The delivery of the Parks and Open Spaces Strategy and the award of best in London for Lewisham's parks.
• Delivery of flood risk mitigation projects in parks, schools and on the highway network, with a value of £3.7m.
• The creation of a Climate Action Subgroup within the Young Mayor's Advisors.
• Funding 18 community-based energy and climate projects under the second round of Lewisham's Community Energy Fund.

The report included 35 climate KPIs, with updates on those KPIs included in an annex to the report. The report also provided an update on the council's climate budget, including estimates of the cost of retrofitting schools and council buildings.

CIL charging schedule review

This report outlined the process for updating the council's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)¹ charging schedule. The report noted that the current charging schedule was adopted in 2015, and that since then there have been significant changes in values across the borough. The report described a number of pieces of evidence that have been prepared to inform a new charging schedule, including a review of the Infrastructure Delivery Plan that estimates that the cost of delivering planned infrastructure projects in Lewisham is between £9.6bn and £12.7bn. The report proposes a set of changes to how the council charges CIL, including:

• The introduction of new charges for student housing, purpose-built shared living, and co-living, as well as large-format convenience retail. The report also proposes the removal of charges for industrial use, publicly-provided education, and publicly-provided healthcare.
• The introduction of a three-zone model for calculating CIL, with different charges for developments in different zones. The report recommends that zone one, with the highest charges, should cover the opportunity areas and growth nodes identified in the London Plan and the emerging Lewisham Local Plan. These include New Cross, Deptford, Lewisham, Catford, Forest Hill and Lee Green. The report states that zone three, with the lowest charges, should cover the strategic areas of regeneration identified in the emerging Local Plan. These areas include the entire south of the borough. Zone two covers the rest of the borough.
• An increase in CIL rates. The report proposes that the highest rate of £200 per square metre should apply to residential development in zone one, with lower rates of £150 per square metre in zone two, and £120 per square metre in zone three.

The report states that the increases are justified by rising sales values, and a need for increased income to fund infrastructure projects. It also notes that the council's viability consultant, BNP Paribas Real Estate, has concluded that the proposed rates are sufficiently modest to ensure that schemes remain viable. The report concluded with a description of the process for adopting a new charging schedule, including a public consultation.

Select Committee work programme

The report outlined the work undertaken by the committee during the 2024/25 municipal year and invited suggestions from members for their work programme in the 2025/26 municipal year.