The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 19 March 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the council's Corporate Strategy 2022-2026 and discussions on its future development.

Corporate Strategy: 2022-2026

The committee will review the development and delivery of the council's Corporate Strategy for the period 2022-2026. This report outlines how the strategy was designed and how it has been implemented across the council's seven priority areas: Cleaner and Greener, A Strong Local Economy, Quality Housing, Children and Young People, Safer Communities, Open Lewisham, and Health and Wellbeing. The report highlights achievements made over the past four years, despite challenges such as the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and sustained financial pressures on local government.

Key achievements mentioned in the report include:

• Cleaner and Greener: Establishing 55 permanent School Streets, retrofitting 1,409 homes with energy efficiency improvements, and adopting an Active Travel Strategy.
• A Strong Local Economy: Supporting 1,833 residents into employment through Lewisham Works, creating 235 apprenticeships, and embedding London Living Wage requirements into procurement policies.
• Quality Housing: Receiving 15,050 selective licence applications, reducing repairs work in progress, and adopting a Housing Resident Engagement Strategy.
• Children and Young People: Operating eight Family Hubs, investing over £6 million in extending Free School Meals into school holidays, and supporting adults with learning disabilities through tailored education and training.
• Safer Communities: Significantly upgrading CCTV infrastructure and promoting the Have a Word campaign to engage men and boys on violence against women and girls.
• Open Lewisham: Resettling over 120 refugee households, maintaining the Safe Surgeries programme, and supporting 111,598 beneficiaries through the Main Grants Programme.
• Health and Wellbeing: Approving the Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025–2030, operating ten Be Well Mental Health Hubs, and providing 43 warm spaces during the cost-of-living crisis.

The report also details the process for developing the 2022-2026 Corporate Strategy, noting that while it was approved by Full Council, wider engagement with residents and partners was not undertaken during its development. The report will also look ahead to the development of the new Corporate Strategy for 2026-2030, indicating an intention to adopt a more data-led and consultative approach following the May 2026 elections. The committee is asked to note the report and provide recommendations on the development of the future strategy and the delivery of Lewisham Council's priorities.

Declarations of Interest

The committee will consider declarations of interest from members regarding any items on the agenda. The report outlines the different types of interests members may have, including disclosable pecuniary interests, other registerable interests, and non-registerable interests, and the procedures for declaring and managing these interests to ensure transparency and prevent conflicts of interest. Failure to declare a disclosable pecuniary interest can lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000.

The report also details exemptions that allow members to participate in decisions despite having certain interests, such as those related to housing tenancies, school meals, or statutory sick pay. Members are advised to seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, Jeremy Chambers, Director of Law and Corporate Governance, in cases of doubt.