The meeting began with tributes to past Councillors Rob Hill and Burt Williams, who had recently died. Councillors then heard deputations from residents on the condition of Palace Road Nature Garden, the need for cycle hangers suitable for cargo bikes, and poor housing conditions and repairs on the Tulse Hill Estate.

Councillors voted to approve the appointment of Ian Davis as the new Chief Executive of the Council. Councillors also approved updates to the Council’s constitution. These included changes made to reflect the bringing of the Council’s housing company, Homes for Lambeth, back in house, the formal inclusion of the Lambeth Adult Safeguarding Panel to the Constitution, and the renaming of the Equality Impact Assessment Panel to the Equity and Justice Member Panel.

Supporting the Climate and Nature Bill

Councillors debated a motion from the Liberal Democrat group calling on the Council to support the Climate and Nature Bill and to lobby Lambeth’s MPs to vote in favour of the bill at its second reading on 24th January 2025.

The Climate and Nature Bill is a Private Members Bill¹ introduced by Dr Roz Savage MP on 16 October 2024 that requires the government to set legally binding targets for climate change mitigation and biodiversity protection.

The Liberal Democrats proposed that the Council should:

Support the Climate and Nature Bill. Inform local residents, and inform local press/media, of this decision. Ask the Leader of the Council to write to Lambeth MPs about this Motion, urging them to vote in favour of the Bill at second reading on 24 January 2025. Ask the Leader of the Council to write to Zero Hour, the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the Bill, expressing Lambeth’s support.

The Labour group proposed an amendment that replaced these proposals with one calling on the Council to:

Support the Climate and Nature Bill’s ambitions and principles but focus on delivering Lambeth’s Climate agenda by working with residents, businesses and organisations in Lambeth.

Councillor Donna Harris, for the Liberal Democrats, highlighted the scientific evidence that shows the urgent need for climate change mitigation. She argued that the Climate and Nature Bill provided a “comprehensive and science-based roadmap to address these intertwined crises”.

Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, for Labour, argued that Lambeth Council was already delivering “real, tangible policies to tackle the threat of climate change here in Lambeth” and highlighted the Council’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions to net-zero by 2030, the planting of trees, the introduction of cycle lanes and School Streets, the expansion of landlord licensing and the investment in electric vehicle charging points.

Councillor Scott Ainslie, for the Greens, argued that the Labour Party was trying to take credit for the work of Green campaigners and politicians, who had been raising awareness of the need for climate change mitigation for many years.

The Labour amendment to the motion was passed and the motion, as amended, was carried.

Becoming a Living Wage Place

Councillors debated a motion from the Labour group reaffirming Lambeth Council’s commitment to becoming a Living Wage Place.

The London Living Wage is a higher minimum wage than the National Living Wage, calculated to be the amount a person needs to earn to be able to afford to live in London.

Labour proposed that the Council should:

Continue to push for more local employers of all sizes to become living wage accredited, and work alongside them to support them in this journey. Establish a Local Action Group: This group would acknowledge local businesses that achieve Living Wage accreditation, addressing the issue of in-work poverty while fostering an equitable economy. Collaborate with the Living Wage Foundation: Formation of a Living Wage Local Action Group, alongside the development of a strategic Action Plan, aimed at increasing Living Wage accreditation throughout Lambeth. Work in partnership with businesses and trade unions to make sure that the Living Wage works for both businesses and employees. Through the implementation of these measures, Lambeth can contribute to the creation of a more equitable community in which all residents have the opportunity to thrive.

The Liberal Democrats proposed an amendment to add an additional bullet to the resolutions:

Press local care providers that do not currently pay the London Living Wage to apply a £2 per hour boost to care workers’ minimum pay in order to make care careers more attractive and to improve staff retention.

Councillor Irfan Mohammed, for Labour, spoke of the council’s commitment to promoting fair pay in the borough. He said that the council was “the ones taking action, fighting for workers and creating fair pay”.

Councillor Ben Curtis, for the Liberal Democrats, expressed support for the Labour motion but pointed out that it did not include proposals to increase the pay of care workers. He argued that care workers were among the poorest paid in the health service and that this was a factor in poor staff retention in the sector.

Councillor Scott Ainslie, for the Greens, argued that Labour was not doing enough to tackle poverty in the borough. He said that increasing the cost of temporary accommodation, cutting council tax support and proposing to cut frontline services contradicted the message of the motion.

The Liberal Democrat amendment was not carried and the original Labour motion was carried.

Reduce Single Use Plastics Consumption and Waste in Lambeth

The Green group proposed a motion calling on the Council to reduce the consumption and disposal of single-use plastics in the borough. The motion was not debated.

The Liberal Democrats proposed an amendment that added an additional bullet to the list of things the council should ask the government to do as part of the motion:

Aiming for the complete elimination of non-recyclable SUPs within three years.

The Liberal Democrat amendment to the Green motion was not carried and the original Green motion was not carried.

Defibrillator Access and Training in Lambeth

Councillors debated a motion from the Labour group calling for improved access to, and training in the use of, defibrillators in the borough.

Defibrillators are devices that can be used to restart the heart of a person who is having a cardiac arrest.

Labour proposed that the council should:

Push for and promote first aid training (including CPR and defibrillator training) in Lambeth, alongside our NHS partners and bodies like the British Heart Foundation and the Resuscitation Council UK. Raise awareness of the location of defibrillators in the borough. Encourage businesses, schools and community groups to register defibrillators with The Circuit and to move to 24/7 public access. Signpost community groups and funds to grant funding for new defibrillators, particularly in areas with poor existing provision. Push housing associations and other public bodies to install new publicly accessible defibs.

The Green group proposed an amendment to add an additional bullet to the list of things the council should do as part of the motion:

Introduce compulsory training sessions in schools to pupils and staff that includes awareness of ‘The Circuit’.

The Liberal Democrats also proposed an amendment, adding two bullets to the list of things the council should do as part of the motion:

Encourage clear signage around their location and developing a dedicated app with automatic location detection to help people find them in an emergency.

Ask The Circuit to create a simple system for the public to report missing or damaged defibrillators, and to reflect this status information in the entry for each defibrillator on its website.

and replacing one:

Push housing associations and other public bodies to install new publicly accessible defibs.

with:

Ensure housing associations and other public bodies to install new, publicly accessible defibs.

and adding a bullet to the list of things the council should ask the government to do:

Ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Government asking for a statutory requirement to register defibrillators with the Circuit.

Councillor David Robson, for Labour, spoke about the importance of defibrillators in saving lives. He said “defibrillators can make the difference between life and death” and that “we must make sure that the public are fully aware of the importance of defibrillators and how to use them”.

Councillor Scott Ainslie, for the Greens, argued that first aid training should be compulsory in schools and that the council should work with housing associations to ensure that all their properties had access to defibrillators. He said that “we need to make sure that everyone in Lambeth has access to a defibrillator in an emergency”.

Councillor Donna Harris, for the Liberal Democrats, supported the motion but pointed out that many of the defibrillators in Lambeth were not properly registered or maintained. She said that “we need to make sure that all defibrillators in Lambeth are registered with The Circuit and that they are regularly checked and maintained”.

The Green amendment to the Labour motion was not carried, the Liberal Democrat amendment to the Labour motion was not carried, and the original Labour motion was carried.

Towards a Social Model of Disability

Councillors debated a motion from the Labour group calling on the Council to follow a social model of disability when delivering services to disabled people in the borough.

The social model of disability is a framework for understanding disability that sees disability as a result of the way society is organised, rather than as a result of a person's impairment.

Labour proposed that the Council should:

Follow the approach requested by people with disabilities, which is to look at how our communities can adapt and include people with disabilities. Continue to work with our disability advisors from groups such as Disability Advice Service Lambeth (DASL) to improve access and remove barriers. Strengthen employment pathways for disabled residents, working with local businesses and trade unions to increase opportunities and encourage disability-confident workplaces. Ensure council communications and services are accessible in multiple formats. Continue to become an Age Friendly borough, becoming the best place to age well by 2030. Equity and inclusion will be central to this effort.

The Greens proposed an amendment that added a new bullet to the list of things the council should do:

That Active Lambeth continue to improve accessibility at their centres through awareness training for staff, upkeep of lifts and other equipment, and adequate signage.

and changed one:

Continue to work with our disability advisors from groups such as (DASL) to improve access and remove barriers.

to:

Continue to work with our disability advisors from groups such as (DASL) to ensure improved awareness, reliability and ease of access and removing barriers of all kinds. Including dropped kerbs, regular pavement repair, and removal of obstructions.

The Liberal Democrats also proposed an amendment that added a new bullet to the list of things the council should do:

That residents with disabilities currently housed in TA, need adapted and accessible social housing as a priority.

and changed one:

Continue to work with our disability advisors from groups such as (DASL) to improve access and remove barriers.

to:

Continue to work with our disability advisors from groups such as (DASL) and Age UK to improve access and remove barriers.

Councillor Tina Valcarcel, for Labour, said that “we need to make sure that we are listening to the needs of disabled people and are doing everything we can to make our borough accessible to everyone”.

Councillor Scott Ainslie, for the Greens, supported the motion but said that Labour needed to do more to promote disability rights in Lambeth. He called for improved access to Active Lambeth leisure centres, including awareness training for staff. He also highlighted the need for improved street accessibility for disabled pedestrians, including the installation of dropped kerbs and the removal of street obstructions.

Councillor Matthew Bryant, for the Liberal Democrats, supported the motion and spoke about the need for better housing for disabled people. He said that “we need to make sure that disabled people have access to suitable accommodation that meets their needs”.

The Green amendment to the Labour motion was not carried, the Liberal Democrat amendment to the Labour motion was carried and the motion, as amended, was carried.