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Weekly updates

Lewisham: Deptford Venue Licence Row, Budget Concerns Raised

This week in Lewisham:

Deptford Residents Clash with Venue Over Late-Night Licence

A decision on a new premises licence for Deptford Junction, located at Unit 8 Titan Business Estate, Ffinch Street google maps link to Unit 8 Titan Business Estate, Ffinch Street, has been delayed following a heated Licensing Committee hearing on Wednesday. The application, seeking permission to sell alcohol and provide live music until the early hours, has sparked significant opposition from local residents who fear increased noise and antisocial behaviour.

  • The Application: Mark Walker, the applicant, described Deptford Junction as a small family business aiming to provide a social environment for local musicians. He highlighted efforts to mitigate noise, including the installation of a sound wall.
  • Resident Objections: Six residents voiced strong objections, citing existing noise disturbances and concerns that a permanent licence would exacerbate the problem. One resident presented images showing how the location funnels noise towards residential areas.
  • Noise Concerns: Residents described noise from people drinking outside the venue, shouting, arguing, and leaving with open containers of alcohol. One resident, Linda Enstein, said she was concerned about the mental well-being of her family and neighbours due to interrupted sleep at night.
  • Licensing Policy Clash: One objector, Keith, argued that the venue's location in a local hub makes it inappropriate for a nightclub, citing Lewisham's own licensing policy document.
  • Committee Deliberation: Following the hearing, the committee went into a private session to discuss the application. A decision is expected within five working days.

The outcome of this decision could set a precedent for future licensing applications in mixed residential and industrial areas, and will significantly impact the quality of life for residents living near the Titan Business Estate.

Audit Committee Reviews Risk Management Amidst Financial Uncertainty

The Audit and Risk Committee met on Tuesday to review the council's audit plans, risk management strategies, and external audit updates. Key discussion points included the election of a new chair and vice-chair, and concerns about the council's ability to set a balanced budget.

  • New Leadership: Councillor Ava Kessner was elected chair, and Councillor Luke Sauber was elected vice-chair of the committee.
  • Internal Audit Plan Approved: The committee approved the internal audit plan for 2025/26, which is risk-based and designed to be flexible to changing circumstances.
  • Risk Register Update: The committee reviewed the updated corporate risk register, noting the addition of a new risk related to the PSTN switch-off1.
  • Budget Concerns: Councillor James Rathbone questioned the reduction in risk score for Unable to Set a Balanced Budget, arguing that it seemed unjustified given the council's financial uncertainty. He noted the use of reserves and the inability to finalise the MTFS2 in July.
  • External Audit Update: The committee received an update on the external audit of the 2024/25 Statement of Accounts, with officers aiming to conclude the audit in November 2025.

The committee's discussions highlight the ongoing financial challenges facing Lewisham Council and the importance of effective risk management to ensure the delivery of essential services.

Licensing Committee Discusses Dokis Lounge Application in Private

The Licensing Committee met on Monday to discuss a licensing application for Star & Garter AKA Dokis Lounge, 490 New Cross Road google maps link to 490 New Cross Road.

  • Exclusion of Public: The committee agreed to exclude the press and public from the meeting, citing the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the Local Government Act 1972.
  • Private Discussion: The committee then moved into a private session to discuss the application.

The decision to exclude the public from this meeting raises questions about transparency and public access to information regarding licensing decisions that can impact local communities.

Upcoming Meetings

  1. PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network, which is the traditional circuit-switched telephone network. ↩

  2. MTFS stands for Medium Term Financial Strategy. ↩

Lewisham: Planning Decisions Delayed, Addiction Strategy Agreed

This week in Lewisham:

Planning Decisions Delayed Amidst Resident Concerns

Several key planning applications were scheduled for review at this week's Planning Committee B meeting on Tuesday, but no decisions were made, as no video or transcript of the meeting was provided. These included proposals for new housing, alterations to existing buildings, and the continued use of a meeting hall. The applications had drawn significant public interest, with numerous objections raised by local residents.

  • 23 Mercia Grove: Residents voiced concerns about the impact of adding two storeys with 15 flats on the Mercia Grove Conservation Area, loss of privacy and light, and inadequate refuse storage.
  • Lee Meeting Hall: Objections to the continued use of Lee Meeting Hall for religious worship and proposed extensions focused on overdevelopment, impact on open space, and increased noise.
  • 55 Broseley Grove: Residents questioned whether amendments to a previously approved scheme for mews houses at 55 Broseley Grove were within the scope of a minor material amendment, citing overdevelopment and inadequate access.
  • 179 Sandhurst Road: Concerns about overdevelopment, traffic safety, and loss of amenity were raised regarding the construction of two semi-detached houses at 179 Sandhurst Road.

Health Board Prioritizes Addiction and Prevention Strategies

The Health and Wellbeing Board met on Monday to discuss and agree on strategic priorities for drugs, alcohol, and tobacco (DAT) for 2025-28, as well as to review and approve the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2025-2030.

  • DAT Strategic Priorities: The board agreed to focus on culture change, prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, community safety, and emerging challenges related to substance misuse. The report highlighted rising alcohol-specific mortality rates and hospital admissions for substance misuse among young people.
  • Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030: The new strategy aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all Lewisham residents and reduce health inequalities by addressing poverty, housing, education, and prevention.
  • JSNA Update: The board received an update on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), including population projections and data on mortality and life expectancy. The JSNA also included in-depth topic assessments on autism and children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
  • Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA): The board received an update on the next Lewisham Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2026, which is used by NHS England to make decisions on which funded services need to be provided by local community pharmacies.
  • Better Care Fund: The board received an update on the Better Care Fund plan, which supports the integration of health, housing, and social care.

Council Meeting Held, No Transcript Available

The Council met on Wednesday, but no transcript or video was provided.

Upcoming Meetings

  • Licensing Committee - Wednesday 23 July 2025 - New premises licence application for Unit 8 Titan Business Estate.
  • Audit and Risk Committee - Tuesday 22 July 2025 - External and internal audit updates, corporate risk register review, and IT risks discussion.

Lewisham Council Faces £30m Budget Gap, Local Plan Approved

This week in Lewisham:

Council Faces Tough Choices to Balance Budget Amidst Rising Demand

Lewisham Council is grappling with significant financial pressures, with potential cuts to essential services on the horizon as it seeks to address a £30 million budget shortfall. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday to review the process for scrutinising budget savings proposals for 2025/26 and 2026/27, before a final decision by the Mayor and Cabinet.

  • Savings Target: The council needs to identify £30 million in savings, with each directorate given a target proportionate to their net budgets.
  • Savings Gap: Despite efforts, a £0.750 million savings gap remains, and officers are developing further proposals for consideration in the autumn.
  • Uncertainty Ahead: The council is awaiting the outcome of government funding reforms, which could lead to a revised Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and potentially a new budget gap for 2026/27 and beyond.
  • Assemblies at Risk: One proposal involves ending funding for the council-run assembly programme, potentially saving £203,000 annually. This decision would affect eight staff roles and require a change to the council constitution. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) suggests that older people may be disproportionately affected.
  • Grants Programme Reduced: A further reduction of £217,000 is proposed for the Main Grants Programme, impacting community services and support. The council acknowledges that the voluntary and community sector (VCS) has already been significantly impacted by austerity and the cost of living crisis.
  • Adult Social Care Cuts: New savings proposals include reviewing care home placements, managing vacancies, increasing charges for the Linkline service, and reducing the Public Health Grant for prevention. These measures could have a significant impact on vulnerable adults and their access to care.

Local Plan Faces Final Hurdle as Council Prepares for Adoption

The Mayor and Cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the adoption of the Local Plan, a key document that will shape development in the borough for years to come.

  • Inspector's Approval: The Planning Inspector has deemed the plan sound, subject to a number of main modifications.
  • Council Decision: The Mayor and Cabinet were scheduled to recommend that the council also agree to its adoption.
  • What's in the Plan: The Local Plan sets out policies and proposals for land use, housing, employment, transport, and the environment. It will guide decisions on planning applications and investment in the borough.

IT Committee Focuses on Cyber Security and Service Improvements

The Brent, Lewisham and Southwark IT Committee met on Tuesday to discuss the performance of the Shared Technology Service (STS) and receive an update on cyber security.

  • Cyber Security: The committee discussed the cyber security status, threats, and mitigations identified in relation to the STS.
  • Service Improvements: The STS has achieved the second lowest amount of open issues and requests for staff since its inception, despite having the largest user base on record.
  • Laptop Projects: Laptop projects are underway for Brent, and the Lewisham and Southwark business cases have been approved.

Other Matters

  • The Governance Committee discussed updates to the council's petition scheme, potentially allowing e-petitions submitted via Change.Org to be considered valid. The committee also discussed the use of substitutes on council committees to avoid meetings being inquorate.
  • The Mayor and Cabinet discussed the Main Grants Programme for 2026-29, the Building for Lewisham Programme, and sustainable street measures in various locations.

Upcoming Meetings

Lewisham: Defibrillator Locations, Workplace Safety, and More

This week in Lewisham:

Health and Safety Committee Discussed Workplace Safety and Defibrillator Locations

The Health and Safety Committee met on Tuesday to discuss a range of issues related to workplace safety and public health.

  • Employee and Public Safety: The committee reviewed the council's responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of employees and the public.
  • Defibrillator Locations: Councillors discussed the locations of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) on council premises. As of the report, there were 18 defibrillators located in various council buildings, maintained by council staff, and registered with the London Ambulance Service. The report noted that this list excluded schools and community locations that maintain their own defibrillators, and that work would be undertaken to create a comprehensive listing.
  • Incident Reporting: The committee reviewed data on reported incidents, noting a slight year-to-year increase, driven by a significant rise in reported verbal abuse or threatening behaviour.
  • Premises Inspections: The council uses new health and safety software to complete quarterly premises inspections, allowing officers to distribute reports with photographic evidence promptly.

Other Matters

  • The Licensing Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled.

Upcoming Meetings

Lewisham Schools Face Funding Crisis, Council Eyes Savings

This week in Lewisham:

Schools Forum Faces High Needs Funding Crisis Amidst Budget Pressures

Lewisham's Schools Forum met on Thursday to grapple with the ongoing financial pressures on the borough's schools, particularly the escalating costs associated with supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

  • DSG Deficit: The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is currently facing a £3 million overspend for 2024/25, primarily driven by the High Needs Block, which funds SEND services. The cumulative DSG deficit now stands at £18.5 million.
  • High Needs Block Strain: The report pack highlighted the continuing pressure on the High Needs Block, with a cumulative variance of £18.9 million. This means that the council is spending significantly more on SEND services than it receives in funding from the government.
  • School Balances Dwindling: Overall school balances have decreased from £13.0 million to £9.9 million, a net reduction of £3.1 million. 25 schools are currently in deficit, totaling £11 million.
  • Premature Retirement and Redundancy Costs: The Schools Forum also discussed how the costs associated with premature retirement and redundancy are met. Lewisham Council's Funding Framework – Scheme for Financing Schools states that early retirement costs should be charged to the school's delegated budget, unless the local authority agrees otherwise in exceptional circumstances.

Council Eyes Contract Extensions and Affordable Housing Acquisition Amidst Financial Scrutiny

The Mayor and Cabinet convened on Wednesday to address a range of issues, including financial performance, climate action, and key contract extensions.

  • Financial Overspend: The draft financial outturn position for 2024/25 revealed a £19 million overspend in the General Fund1, even after using £13.2 million from corporate provisions and reserves. The Dedicated Schools Grant2 also showed a £3 million deficit.
  • Contract Extensions: A significant item on the agenda was the proposed extension of the contract with Matrix SCM Ltd for managed services for temporary agency resources. The extension, valued at £64.7 million, would run for two years, from 29 July 2025 to 28 July 2027. The additional cost was attributed to increased employer's National Insurance contributions.
  • Affordable Housing Acquisition: The Mayor and Cabinet were scheduled to discuss the acquisition of 42 affordable housing units at the Apollo Business Centre from Fosfel Hurlington Limited as part of the Building for Lewisham Programme. The unit mix includes a high number of larger units, with 14 three-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom units, and the social rents are set at London Affordable Rent.

Public Accounts Committee Examines Budget Savings and Financial Strategy

The Public Accounts Select Committee met on Wednesday to scrutinize the council's financial performance, medium-term financial strategy, and proposed budget savings.

  • General Fund Overspend: The General Fund had a reported overspend of £32.2m against directorates' net GF Revenue Budget, reduced to £19m after the commitment of £13.2m from corporate provisions and reserves.
  • Savings Proposals: The committee reviewed draft proposals for budget reductions for 2025/26 – 2026/27, which were needed to address the £30m budget shortfall identified in setting the Council's 2025/26 budget.
  • Equalities Implications: The report included a summary of the equalities implications of the proposed savings.

Planning Committee Considers Residential Developments and Traveller Site Proposal

Planning Committee A was scheduled to discuss several planning applications, including a proposal for a traveller site at Pool Court, Fordmill Road.

  • Traveller Site Concerns: The proposal involves three static traveller pitches, associated modular buildings, utility buildings, and landscaping. The application received 12 responses, including 9 objections and 2 supporting comments. Objections raised concerns about the character of the area, anti-social behaviour, noise, degradation of the SINC3, and increased air pollution.
  • Residential Developments: The committee was also scheduled to consider an application for the demolition of an existing building and the construction of a four-storey building with eight flats at 29 Wynell Road, SE23. The application received 20 responses, including 19 objections. Concerns included overdevelopment, loss of daylight and sunlight, loss of privacy, harm to the character of the area, flood risk, and increased pollution.

Other Matters

  • The Health and Safety Committee is scheduled to meet on 1 July 2025. The meeting will include a review of the minutes from the previous meeting, updates from the Corporate Health & Safety Board, and for councillors to declare any conflicts of interest.

Upcoming Meetings

  1. The General Fund is the main revenue account of a local authority, funding the majority of its services. ↩

  2. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is funding allocated to local authorities specifically for education-related services. ↩

  3. A Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) is an area designated for its significant ecological value. ↩

Recent meetings
Licensing Committee

Licensing Committee - Wednesday, 23rd July, 2025 7.00 pm

The Licensing Committee met to consider an application for a new premises licence for Unit 8 Titan Business Estate, trading as Deptford Junction. The application was met with objections from local residents, and after hearing from all parties, the committee members went into a private session to discuss the application. The decision of the committee will be made available within five working days.

July 23, 2025
Audit and Risk Committee

Audit and Risk Committee - Tuesday, 22nd July, 2025 7.00 pm

The Lewisham Council Audit and Risk Committee convened to elect a chair and vice-chair, review audit plans and risk management strategies, and discuss external audit updates. Councillor Ava Kessner was elected as chair, and Councillor Luke Sauber as vice-chair. The committee also approved the internal audit plan for 2025-26 and noted the updated corporate risk register.

July 22, 2025
Licensing Committee

Licensing Committee - Monday, 21st July, 2025 12.00 pm

The Licensing Committee of Lewisham Council met on Monday 21 July 2025 to discuss a licensing application. The committee agreed to exclude the press and public from the meeting to discuss the application for Star & Garter AKA Dokis Lounge, 490 New Cross Road[^1].

July 21, 2025
Council

Council - Wednesday, 16th July, 2025 7.30 pm

The Council of Lewisham met on 16 July 2025, and agreed to consider a petition regarding divestment from Palestine, adopted the Lewisham Local Plan, and approved the Lewisham Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule. The council also paid tribute to two former councillors who had recently died, and heard announcements on Lewisham schools, the return of the Blackheath fireworks display, and funding for care experienced employment.

July 16, 2025
Planning Committee B

Planning Committee B - Tuesday, 15th July, 2025 7.00 pm

The Planning Committee B met to discuss four planning applications, concerning Mercia Grove, Woodyates Road, Broseley Grove, and Sandhurst Road. Councillors voted to approve all four applications, after hearing from planning officers, local residents and applicants.

July 15, 2025
Health and Wellbeing Board

Health and Wellbeing Board - Monday, 14th July, 2025 3.00 pm

The Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Board met to discuss drug, alcohol and tobacco strategic priorities, the Lewisham Health and Wellbeing strategy, and a joint strategic needs assessment update. The board approved the Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco (DAT) strategic priorities for 2025-28 and the Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030.

July 14, 2025
Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 10th July, 2025 7.00 pm

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet to review the budget scrutiny process and approve the work programmes for the select committees. The meeting was also scheduled to cover declarations of interest from councillors.

July 10, 2025
Mayor and Cabinet

Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 9th July, 2025 6.00 pm

The Mayor and Cabinet of Lewisham Council were scheduled to meet on 9 July 2025 to discuss a range of issues, including the adoption of the local plan, budget savings, and the main grants programme. Other topics for discussion included housing services, corporate banking, social care, transport, and youth services. Some items were marked as Part 1 and Part 2, with Part 2 being held in a closed session, but it was determined that decisions taken in Part 1 were sufficient and Part 2 was not needed.

July 09, 2025
Brent, Lewisham and Southwark IT Committee

Brent, Lewisham and Southwark IT Committee - Tuesday, 8th July, 2025 6.00 pm

The Brent, Lewisham and Southwark IT Committee was scheduled to meet on 8 July 2025, to discuss the performance of the Shared Technology Service (STS), and to receive an update on cyber security. The committee was also expected to confirm the appointment of a chair for the meeting and to approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

July 08, 2025
Governance Committee

Governance Committee - Tuesday, 8th July, 2025 7.00 pm

The Governance Committee of Lewisham Council was scheduled to meet on 8 July 2025 to discuss updates to the council's petition scheme and the use of substitutes on council committees. The agenda for the meeting also included the minutes from a previous meeting, declarations of interest, and a verbal update on the future work programme.

July 08, 2025
Upcoming meetings

Licensing Sub-Committee A - Monday, 28th July, 2025 12.00 pm

July 28, 2025
Licensing Committee

Licensing Committee - Monday, 28th July, 2025 11.55 am

July 28, 2025
Strategic Planning Committee CANCELLED

Strategic Planning Committee - Thursday, 31st July, 2025 7.00 pm

July 31, 2025