The Council Assembly of Southwark Council met on Wednesday 22 February 2023 to discuss the setting of the council tax and the revenue and capital budgets for 2023-24. The meeting also included a debate on housing and several motions covering a range of social and economic issues.

Budget and Council Tax Setting

The primary focus of the meeting was the setting of the council tax and the associated budgets for the upcoming financial year. The report pack indicated that discussions were scheduled regarding the Policy and Resources Strategy 2023-24 - Revenue Budget, the Setting the Council Tax 2023-24, and the Capital Strategy and Treasury Management Strategy 2023-24. These items are crucial for the council's financial planning and service delivery.

Housing and the Private Rented Sector

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a themed debate on housing, with a particular focus on the private rented sector. The debate included evidence submissions from Akinkunmi Mojeed Raji, Ina Negoita (Chair of the Homeowners' Forum), Alicia Kennedy of Generation Rent, and Tim Clark from Citizens' Advice Southwark.

Following these submissions, a motion was presented concerning Good quality housing is a human right: the plan for Southwark . The report pack indicated that this motion aimed to address the cost of living crisis, rising private rental costs, and the council's commitment to building new council homes. It noted that since 2014, Southwark had completed or started building 2,561 new council homes and approved 1,000 more, with a net increase of 3,618 approved social rent homes. The motion also called for increased regulation in the private rented sector, lobbying for powers to set fair limits on private sector rent rises, building homes for key workers, and supporting community land trusts.

Deputations were also heard from Rotherhithe Residents say #LetVimalStay (represented by Vimal Pandya), the Scylla Road Community Land Trust, and Pecan/Food aid organisations in Southwark. These groups raised specific concerns to relevant cabinet members.

Motions on Social and Economic Issues

Several motions were scheduled for discussion, covering a broad spectrum of community concerns:

• Council funding crisis: We need a general election now: This motion highlighted the impact of government cuts on local councils, including Southwark, and called for an end to austerity measures and an immediate general election.
• Councils for Fair Democracy: This motion addressed concerns about barriers to political participation, particularly the introduction of voter ID requirements and the removal of permanent postal votes. It advocated for campaigning for a Labour government to scrap voter ID legislation and explore constitutional reforms.
• Free school meals for all primary school children: The motion noted the ongoing cost of living crisis and its impact on child poverty. It referenced Southwark Labour's commitment to providing free healthy school meals since 2010 and called for lobbying the government to implement this nationally.
• Tackling food poverty: This motion acknowledged the cost of living emergency and its effect on food insecurity. It welcomed Southwark's existing commitments, including universal free school meals and the Cost of Living Fund, and proposed further actions such as extending holiday meals and supporting residents to access community fridges and pantry schemes.
• Care leaver as a protected characteristic: This motion highlighted the barriers faced by care-experienced individuals and called for care experience to be made a protected characteristic. It resolved to support the Show Us You Care Too campaign and ensure the council's policies consider the needs of care-experienced people.
• Free Period Products in Southwark Council Buildings: This motion addressed period poverty and noted that Scotland had made period products free for all. It proposed exploring the cost and practicalities of providing free period products in council buildings and calling on the UK government to do the same.
• Supporting insourcing of cleaning staff at our anchor institutions including University of the Arts London (UAL): This motion focused on the benefits of insourcing staff, such as improved terms and conditions and cost-effectiveness. It encouraged the University of the Arts London to directly employ its outsourced cleaning staff and supported an end to outsourcing at anchor institutions.
• The Home Office and the unacceptable backlog of visa cases: This motion highlighted the unacceptable backlog of Home Office visa cases and the dreadful No Recourse to Public Funds policy . It called on the government to resolve the backlog and end the policy, while opposing hostile environment policies .

Reports for Decision

The meeting was also scheduled to consider reports for decision, including:

• Waiver of six month Councillor Attendance Rule - Section 85 of Local Government Act 1972: This item concerned approving Councillor Helen Dennis' non-attendance at meetings until 1 April 2023 due to parental responsibility.
• Re-appointment of Independent Persons: This item involved approving the re-appointment of independent persons, as detailed in a closed report.
• Treasury Management - Outturn 2021-22 and Mid-year Update 2022-23: This report provided an update on the council's treasury management activities and strategy.

The meeting was scheduled to consider the Public reports pack Wednesday 22-Feb-2023 19.00 Council Assembly¹.