The most recent meeting of the full Council of Lewisham Council included a motion affirming the commitment of the Labour Group to addressing the climate emergency and included a review of the activities of the council's Overview and Scrutiny committees. The meeting also included discussion of whether the basic allowance paid to councillors should be increased.

Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty

Councillor Liam Shrivastava, seconded by Councillor Aisha Malik-Smith, submitted a motion to the council affirming the Labour Group's commitment to tackling the climate emergency.

The motion noted the council's previous decision to declare a climate emergency in 2019, and the subsequent publication of Climate Emergency action plans, and the progress made in reducing emissions.

The motion went on to describe the scientific consensus on the role of fossil fuels in driving climate change, and the need to transition to a zero-carbon economy.

The motion called on the council to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, to write to the UK government calling on them to endorse the treaty, to continue to decarbonise the local economy and to write to the Local Government Association promoting the treaty to other councils.

Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report

The council were asked to note the Overview and Scrutiny Committee annual report for 2023/24 (Lewisham-Council-Overview-and-Scrutiny-annual-report-202324).

The report described some of the key topics that had been reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny committees, which are made up of councillors who are not members of the council's Mayor and Cabinet. The Overview and Scrutiny committees exist to provide democratic oversight of the work of the Mayor and Cabinet, who make most of the decisions about how the council is run.

Amongst other topics, the report described the committees' work scrutinising the council's plans for bringing the management of its housing stock back in house from Lewisham Homes, its plans for a new Public Spaces Protection Order and its transition to a trauma-informed approach to service delivery.

Members' Allowances

The council were asked to approve an increase to the basic allowance that is paid to councillors to compensate them for their work.

The report explained that:

As no provision was made for an increase in the Basic Allowance or Special Responsibility Allowances for the period starting 1st April 2024, this report seeks agreement to increase all allowances by 2.5%, a increase of the same amount as the majority of Council employees. (Members Allowances Report - 27.11.24)

The report recommended increasing the basic allowance from £12,480 to £12,792.