The committee discussed progress with the Air Quality Action Plan 2022-2027, the Lewisham Town Centre Improvements Programme and the committee's future work programme. The committee made several recommendations relating to these issues, including that officers discuss with private businesses raising awareness of car idling, that the accessibility of air quality data on the council website should be improved, that discussions be held with Transport for London (TfL) to consider if bus movements can be altered to support sustainable transport in the town centre, and that the committee receive further information about a licensing review.

Air Quality Action Plan

The committee heard a report from Dr Catherine Mbema (Director of Public Health) and Lucy Kirk (Environmental Protection Manager) that detailed the progress made on the Air Quality Action Plan and highlighted key areas of focus for the coming year. The committee received a briefing from Sefkan Altuntop (Senior Air Quality Officer) about Nitrogen Dioxide levels, which were found to be exceeding World Health Organisation (WHO) targets for air quality across the borough.

There was a discussion about the Loampit Vale monitoring site, where hourly monitoring data will be analysed to determine the source of an exceedance in Nitrogen Dioxide levels. The committee noted that the expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) was anticipated to significantly improve air quality.

The committee sought further information from officers about a number of areas relating to the Air Quality Action Plan, including the responsiveness of the 'parking issues' reporting system to reports of car idling, the number of homes set to be improved by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and whether work is being done to improve the energy efficiency of housing association and private landlord properties. The committee also requested details of the timeline for the agreement of the Integrated Active Travel Strategy and further information on plans for low-carbon energy and decarbonisation measures.

The committee made a number of recommendations relating to the Air Quality Action Plan, including:

• That officers should discuss with private businesses ways of raising awareness of car idling on their premises.
• That the council should improve the availability and accessibility of air quality data on its website. In particular the data should be presented in a way that allows for comparison with other boroughs.
• That the committee reaffirms the urgent need to decarbonise the council's fleet of vehicles.
• That the council should endorse the ambition to meet WHO air quality targets.
• That the council should support the strategic roll out of Electric Vehicle charging points, and that measures be taken to ensure they are affordable.

Lewisham Town Centre Improvements Programme

Councillor James-J Walsh (Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning) addressed the committee about the Lewisham Town Centre Improvements Programme, noting that resources available for the scheme are very tight across all services. He stated that consideration should be given to the integration of the scheme with other projects in the town centre, such as the Lewisham Shopping Centre development. Councillor Walsh also told the committee that the council is considering what the new community and cultural hub in the former library building should be called.

The committee was then addressed by Spike van der Vliet-Firth (Acting Head of Economy, Jobs and Partnerships), who provided an update on the delivery of the scheme. There was discussion of the cost of the scheme, which was said to be subject to ongoing uncertainties, though contingency funding is in place. Mr van der Vliet-Firth told the committee that officers have developed a good relationship with the scheme's funders to ensure open and constructive communication. He also noted that the government funding for the scheme has to be spent by the end of March 2026, but that work could continue after this date as long as the funding had been drawn down by this deadline.

There was also discussion of the results of a public consultation on the scheme, in which a lack of wayfinding and a lack of a feeling of safety in the town centre had been raised. The consultation report will be shared with the committee.

The committee also discussed the potential for the scheme to enhance the night-time economy in Lewisham. The market canopy and cultural and business hub were noted as offering possibilities for night-time events. Mr van der Vliet-Firth said that officers had been challenged to ensure that the scheme helps businesses make the most of the opportunities provided by the regenerated town centre. The committee noted the importance of ensuring that the market is protected from the effects of gentrification and that it continues to be accessible to existing traders.

Further information will be provided to the committee about the work being done to renovate Riverdale Sculpture Park.

The committee made a number of recommendations relating to the Lewisham Town Centre Improvements Programme, including:

• That TfL be asked to consider if current bus movements can be improved to support cycling and walking in the town centre.

Select Committee Work Programme

The committee discussed the Select Committee work programme, and agreed the agenda for its meeting in November.