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Council - Wednesday 16 July 2025 7.00 pm
July 16, 2025 View on council website Watch video of meetingSummary
The council of Lambeth was scheduled to meet on 16 July 2025 to discuss a range of topics, including the allocation of seats to political groups, the council's constitution, and reports from various committees. Councillors were also expected to answer questions and debate motions on issues of local and national importance.
Council Questions
Several councillors had submitted questions to the cabinet, which were scheduled to be answered at the meeting. These included:
- Councillor Donna Harris, a Liberal Democrat Councillor, asked Councillor Danial Adilypour, Deputy Leader of the Council (Housing, Investment, & New Homes), about Lambeth Council's plans to meet its responsibilities under Awaab's Law1.
- Councillor Scott Ainslie, a Green Party Councillor, asked Councillor Danial Adilypour about the possibility of using a vacant council-owned site on Lambeth Walk for a GP surgery and council flats.
- Councillor John-Paul Ennis, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Ben Kind, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, for an update on the removal of 'No Ball Games' signs across the borough.
- Councillor Isla Wrathmell, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Nanda Manley-Browne, Cabinet Member for Healthier Communities (job-share), what actions the administration would take to ensure the safety and dignity of transgender people in Lambeth, following interim guidance from the EHRC.
- Councillor Sarah Cole, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Mahamed Hashi, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, for an update on the restructuring of policing for schools.
- Councillor James Bryan, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, Deputy Leader of the Council (Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air), about plans to extend Car Free Days to other parts of the borough.
- Councillor Christine Banton, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Danial Adilypour for an update on how the delivery of new affordable homes like Roman Rise is helping more families across Lambeth get the housing they need.
- Councillor Ibtisam Adem, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Rezina Chowdhury how Lambeth is developing its understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by bus companies operating in the borough.
- Councillor Matthew Bryant, a Liberal Democrat Councillor, asked Councillor David Amos, Cabinet Member for Finance, about the total predicted legal costs regarding the recent unsuccessful court cases in respect of Brockwell Live and the West Dulwich LTN.
- Councillor Olga Fitzroy, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Rezina Chowdhury if she would support residents asking for close engagement with TFL on the future of the Tulse Hill Gyratory.
- Councillor Ibrahim Dogus, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Rezina Chowdhury what steps are being taken to ensure Lime and other rental e-bikes are parked responsibly in the Waterloo and Southbank area.
- Councillor Paul Valentine, a Green Party Councillor, asked Councillor Rezina Chowdhury if there are plans to perform an Accessibility Feasibility Study for Loughborough Junction Station.
- Councillor Tim Windle, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Martin Bailey, Chair of Pensions Committee, how Lambeth's £1.8bn Pension Fund is putting responsible investment into practice.
- Councillor Deepak Sardiwal, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Donatus Anyanwu, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, how the Brockwell Hall project will benefit local communities.
- Councillor Ben Curtis, a Liberal Democrat Councillor, asked Councillor Rezina Chowdhury if she would consider making Hazelbourne Road a priority area for more regular street sweeping.
- Councillor David Robson, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Marcia Cameron, Cabinet Member for Economic Inclusion, how Lambeth can ensure that Clapham gets its fair share of Community Infrastructure Levy funding.
- Councillor Jackie Meldrum, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Mahamed Hashi to summarise the success of the initial selective licensing scheme in four wards in the south of the borough.
- Councillor Marianna Masters, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Ben Kind what initiatives Lambeth Council is delivering this summer to ensure our most vulnerable children and young adults are engaged, safe, and well-nourished.
- Councillor Alison Inglis-Jones, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor David Amos about the use of Amazon accounts by Lambeth Council.
- Councillor Diogo Costa, a Labour Councillor, asked Councillor Ben Kind when free breakfast clubs can be expected to roll out to the rest of the primary schools in Oval and surrounding wards.
Motions
Two motions were submitted for debate:
Responding to the Supreme Court judgment on sex and gender
A motion from the Liberal Democrats addressed the Supreme Court judgment on sex and gender, and the interim guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The motion stated that the council:
- Affirms its support for trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse residents and its commitment to defending their rights and dignity.
- Notes the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers on the relationship between the Equality Act 2010 and Gender Recognition Certificates and call on Government and Parliament to legislate to restore the rights of trans people on the basis that trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary people are non-binary.
- Asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Minister for Women and Equalities to make clear the position of this Council and to ask for guidance on how existing legislation will protect the rights of trans people, and what new legislation is envisaged.
- Seeks legal advice before altering guidance for staff or the provision of services in light of the Supreme Court judgment.
- Where it is lawful, appropriate and practical to do so, provide gender-neutral bathrooms and changing room facilities, separate from and including similar facilities for disabled people.
- Commits to ensuring that Lambeth is welcoming and inclusive to the LGBT+ community, embracing difference and ensuring action to secure the safety of all residents.
An amendment from the Labour group proposed changes to the original motion, including awaiting developing guidance and a statutory code of practice for public bodies following the Supreme Court ruling, and working with Lambeth's LGBTQ+ staff forum, E&J Panel and local LGBTQ+ partners and groups to advance inclusivity within the organisation and borough.
Tackling Child Poverty in Lambeth
A motion from the Labour group addressed tackling child poverty in Lambeth. The motion stated that the council:
- Will continue to work with the Labour Government, the Labour Mayor and primary schools across Lambeth to roll out more free breakfast clubs for children offering much-needed support during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
- Will continue to harness the talents of young people through ambitious apprenticeships to drive affordable housing, growth and unlock opportunity.
- Will write to the Secretary of State for Education to ensure Lambeth is considered for the early roll out of education and government schemes.
- Will continue working to reduce road danger for our young people and lead the way on cleaning up air pollution across the borough.
- Will continue to campaign for fairer school funding from national government, to ensure Lambeth schools have sufficient resources to meet rising costs and to deliver high-quality education, especially for children requiring additional support.
- Will continue to work with schools, families and partners to improve support for children and young people with SEND, including reducing assessment waiting times, expanding specialist provision where needed, and ensuring inclusive opportunities in mainstream schools wherever possible.
Two amendments were proposed to this motion, one from the Green Party and one from the Liberal Democrats.
Oppose Cuts to Disability Benefit Payments
A motion from the Green Party addressed opposing cuts to disability benefit payments. The motion stated that the council:
- To act with compassion and courage.
- To ask the Leader to write to Ministers, with support from local MPs, requesting:
- that any changes in the Green Paper be paused until a full impact assessment is undertaken, including robust analyses of employment outcomes and financial impacts on local authorities and the voluntary and charity sector, and
- that the government reissues its consultation, to fully interrogate all aspects of the proposals.
- To call on our local MPs to oppose the package of measures proposed in the Green Paper as they stand.
- To urgently conduct and publish its own assessment of the impacts on Lambeth residents, the council's services and its finances, including a thorough and accessible consultation that seeks input from Disabled residents, carers and community organisations.
An amendment was proposed to this motion from the Liberal Democrats.
Celebrating Pride in Lambeth
A motion from the Labour group addressed celebrating Pride in Lambeth. The motion stated that the council:
- Will support the new Labour Government's commitment to tackling LGBTQ+ hate crime, including the decision to classify LGBTQ+ hate crimes as aggravated offences.
- Will support the Labour Government's plans to ban conversion therapy.
- To continue investing in safe, inclusive community spaces, like our parks, affordable homes, and library services that celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ population.
- Will work with partners to strengthen borough-wide diversity and cohesion and guarantee safe, equal access to all services.
- Will stand with our significant LGBTQ+ community, fighting homophobic and transphobic hate crime and harassment.
- Councillors and officers will march again in Pride in London under the banner of Trans solidarity.
- Will continue to be an inclusive council for the trans and non-binary community both in terms of our staff, councillors and partners and in the delivery of services to our residents.
- Will work closely with our LGBTQ+ staff forum to advance inclusivity within the organisation.
An amendment was proposed to this motion from the Green Party.
Reports
The council was scheduled to consider several reports:
Review of Allocations of Seats to Political Groups
Following the Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction By-Election on Thursday 1 May 2025, a report on the review of allocations of seats to political groups was prepared for discussion. The Review of Allocation of Seats noted that the composition of the Council is now Labour (57 seats), Liberal Democrats (3 seats) and Green Party (3 seats). The report set out the overall party split of seats and seat entitlements on the Council, and the committee sizes of politically balanced committees.
Constitution 2025-26
A report on the Constitution Report sought approval for the Council's Constitution 2025-26, including the executive and non-executive functions with local choice functions, the appointment of Committees and other bodies for 2025-26, and also the appointment of Chairs, Vice-Chairs and other members of those bodies. The Constitution sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made, and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.
The report included a Schedule of Changes to the Constitution, including corrections to typos, updating the Health and Wellbeing Board membership, clarifying that petitions relating to planning or licensing matters cannot be accepted, and amending the expenses for non-councillors.
Following the Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction By-Election on 1 May 2025, the Green Group submitted proposals as set out in Appendix 3 - Green Group Submission - Updated. These proposals were considered by the Constitution Working Group on 25 June 2025, and a summary of the discussion was included in Appendix 3a - CWG Notes.
Appendix 2 - Committee and Outside Body Appointments contained updates to the committee appointments, and an update to Outside Body appointments. The full Lambeth Council Constitution was also included.
Use of Special Urgency in respect of key decisions
A Special Urgency Report set out the decisions taken under the Council's Special Urgency Procedure since 22 January 2025, which are required to be reported to Council.
The report included one decision taken under the Special Urgency procedure:
- Approval of event to be held on Council owned land – Brockwell Live 2025
Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2024-25
The Scrutiny Annual Report 2024-25 provided an account of the activities of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee, Children's Services Scrutiny Sub-Committee, Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee, and Scrutiny Commissions during the 2024-25 municipal year. The Appendix 1 - Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2024-25 set out the activities in the municipal year 2024-25.
Corporate Committee Annual Report 2024-25
The Corporate Committee Annual Report provided a summary of the Corporate Committee's activities during the year to fulfil its responsibilities as set out in its terms of reference. The Appendix A - Corporate Committee Annual Report 2024-25 - May 2025 FINAL set out all the reports which the Corporate Committee received and considered during 2024/25.
Annual Report of the Health and Wellbeing Board
The Annual Report of the Health and Wellbeing Board provided a summary of the Board's activities during 2024/5 to fulfil its responsibilities as set out in its terms of reference. The Appendix 1 - 2024-5 Health and Wellbeing Board Annual Report set out the activities of the Board.
Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024-25
The Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024-25 provided an overview of the work undertaken around Corporate Parenting for the year 2024/25 in Lambeth. The Appx A - Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024-25 outlined the multi-agency work that has been undertaken in the last 12 months to continue to improve services and most importantly outcomes for children looked after and care leavers.
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Awaab's Law is a piece of legislation that is expected to come into force in Autumn 2025. It is designed to protect tenants from health hazards in social housing, particularly damp and mould. It is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family's flat. ↩
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