At a meeting on 22 October 2025, Lewisham Council's Mayor and Cabinet agreed to extend the advice services grant, implement changes to bulky waste disposal, and transfer management of Whitefoot Lane Playing Fields to Bonus Pastor School, among other decisions. The cabinet also approved a new active travel strategy and discussed ways to improve housing policies and services.

Housing

Temporary Accommodation

The Mayor and Cabinet approved a plan for Lewisham Homes to lease 35 self-contained flats at 485 New Cross Road from L&Q to use as temporary accommodation for homeless households. Councillor Will Cooper, Cabinet Member for Better Homes, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that 1,141 of the 2,527 households in temporary accommodation were in nightly paid accommodation. He praised the work of officers in reducing the number of people in temporary accommodation from almost 3,500.

Housing Policies

The council approved a consolidation of several housing policies to improve efficiency and clarity. These included the disabled facilities grant, discretionary disabled facility grant policy, homeowners grant policy, tenant aids and adaptions policy, and the required access policy. Councillor Will Cooper said that the previous housing assistance policy had been split in two to improve clarity, and that the tenant aids and adaptions policy was created with input from residents panels. The required access policy includes new provisions for emergency access to resolve issues such as leaks.

Knowledge and Information Management

The Housing Service's Knowledge and Information Management Strategy 2025-2028 was approved. Councillor Will Cooper said that effective management of knowledge and information is essential for good governance, regulatory compliance and rebuilding residents' trust. He acknowledged that information and knowledge keeping in the housing services had not been at the expected level, as confirmed by feedback from the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman.

Private Rented Sector Regulation

The council approved four policies relating to licensing and enforcement in the private rented sector, with the aim of raising standards and improving compliance. Councillor Will Cooper said that the licensing and enforcement policy outlines the council's powers regulating the private rented sector, including advice and emergency enforcement, and includes the selective licensing scheme and minimum energy efficiency standards. The civil penalty notice policy sets out the criteria and process for imposing financial penalties on landlords as an alternative to prosecution. The smoking carbon monoxide, alarms and electrical safety policies bring the guidance up to the most recent legislation. Councillor Will Cooper also noted the forthcoming renters reform bill¹, which he described as an amazingly progressive piece of legislation that will change the lives of millions of people in this country.

Environment and Transport

Bulky Waste Disposal

The council approved changes to the bulky waste disposal service, including reducing the price of a single item pickup to £5, including mattresses, and £25 per fridge/freezer. Councillor Louise Krupski, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Climate Action, said that the changes were in response to residents' concerns about the cost of bulky waste pickup and the limited opening hours of the recycling site. The council will also pilot three bulky waste amnesty days in two of the most affected wards.

Active Travel Strategy

The council approved the Active Travel Strategy, which aims to improve walking and cycling routes across the borough. Councillor Louise Krupski said that the strategy was widely consulted on and has been positively received by the public. The strategy prioritises routes based on data, demographics, deprivation and population density, resulting in a list of 21 prioritised routes.

Community and Resources

Library Services

The council agreed to procure a new courier services framework agreement for The Libraries Consortium² for four years. This will allow Lewisham residents to access a wider range of books and resources from other libraries in the region. Councillor Sakina Sheikh, Cabinet Member for Culture, Communities, Libraries and Sports, said that the scheme is fantastic and that it means that the council has a huge libraries in the region award. She also mentioned that Lewisham Library will be fully refurbished by the end of next year.

Advice Services Grant Extension

The council agreed to extend the advice services grant for 12 months with the current provider, Citizens Advice Bureaux Service Limited, for £600,000. Councillor Sakina Sheikh said that this would allow time for the procurement of a more formalised, procured advice service that could be tailored and more specific. Councillor Amanda De Ryk, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Performance, said that it was important to have a fresh look at who does what and make sure that there are no gaps and make sure that the council is supporting residents and getting the best value for money.

Transfer of Whitefoot Lane Playing Fields

The council agreed to transfer the management and maintenance of Whitefoot Lane School Playing Fields to Bonus Pastor Secondary School by way of a long-term lease. Councillor Edison Huynh, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said that the cost of maintaining the playing fields had previously been funded by the Department of Education, but that this funding was coming to an end. He said that the school was the primary user of the playing fields and that it was fair that they should cover the cost of maintaining them. Terry Archbold, the secretary of the archery club that uses the field, spoke at the meeting to express concerns about the potential impact of the transfer on the club. Councillor Edison Huynh said that he would always put the needs of Lewisham children first, but that he was happy to have a conversation about the concerns.

Health and Wellbeing

Sexual Health Services

The council approved the procurement and award of contracts for local primary care long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) provision for five years, with an estimated total contract value of £1,200,000. Councillor Paul Bell, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, said that LARC provisions support Lewisham's health and wellbeing priorities and aims to improve access to contraception, reduce unwanted pregnancies and address health inequalities. The council also approved participation in a multi-authority procurement service for online sexual health and reproductive health services, led by the City of London.

NHS Health Checks

The council approved the extension of the contract with One Health Lewisham for NHS health check support services for two years. Councillor Paul Bell said that NHS health checks are a free statutory service for adults with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and dementia, and that local authorities must offer a health check to eligible residents.

Stop Smoking Service

The council approved the extension of the contract for the stop smoking service for two years. Councillor Paul Bell said that there are no benefits to smoking and that the service has been very successful, with actual performance exceeding targets across all quarters.

Finance

Treasury Management

The council approved the Treasury Management Outturn report for 2024/25 and the Mid-year Treasury Management report 2025/26. Councillor Amanda De Ryk said that the report reaffirms the council's commitment to prudent financial stewardship and that the council has ensured full compliance with statutory requirements. She noted that the capital program has expanded to £4.993 million, but that none of the varying limits have been breached.

Corporate Performance

The council noted the progress made during Quarter 1 2025/26 in delivering the Corporate Strategy, as measured through the revised key performance indicators. Councillor Amanda De Ryk said that some metrics are newly introduced and that the work to refresh what is measured and how the council benchmarks against statutory targets and peers is ongoing. She noted that the council tax collection rate is below where it needs to be, at around 92% compared to 97% before the pandemic.

Regeneration

Ladywell Playtower

The council agreed to a new process to seek a replacement restoration partner for Ladywell Playtower. Councillor James-J Walsh, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning, said that the original project was no longer financially viable due to increased costs. He thanked the Ladywell Society and residents for their continued advocacy and said that the council is committed to bringing the playtower back to life.