Brenda Dacres - Mayor for Lewisham ( Ward)

Mayor Brenda Dacres

 Labour and Co-operative Party  Ward  Mayor

Email: brenda.dacres@lewisham.gov.uk

Council: Lewisham

Council Profile: View on council website

Committees: Council (Committee Member) Mayor and Cabinet (Chair) Health and Wellbeing Board (Chair) Public Accounts Select Committee (Mayor) Works Council Brent, Lewisham and Southwark IT Committee

Activity Timeline

Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.

34 meetings · Page 1 of 7

Mayor and Cabinet Chair

Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 3rd December, 2025 6.00 pm

At a meeting of the Lewisham Council Mayor and Cabinet, the council agreed to extend contracts for extra care and learning disability services, approved participation in a sexual health commissioning agreement, and set the council tax base for 2026/27. The cabinet also approved a number of procurement exercises for housing works, IT services, and waste management. Additionally, they noted the progress made in delivering the Corporate Strategy and reviewed the annual complaints report.

December 03, 2025
Council Committee Member

Council - Wednesday, 26th November, 2025 7.30 pm

The Council of Lewisham was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, to discuss the statement of accounts for 2024-25, consider several motions, and address questions from both the public and council members.

November 26, 2025
Mayor and Cabinet Chair

Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 22nd October, 2025 6.00 pm

At a meeting on 22 October 2025, Lewisham Council's Mayor and Cabinet agreed to extend the advice services grant, implement changes to bulky waste disposal, and transfer management of Whitefoot Lane Playing Fields to Bonus Pastor School, among other decisions. The cabinet also approved a new active travel strategy and discussed ways to improve housing policies and services.

October 22, 2025
Health and Wellbeing Board Chair

Health and Wellbeing Board - Monday, 13th October, 2025 3.00 pm

The Lewisham Health and Well-Being Board convened to discuss several key initiatives, including updates on health inequalities, flu vaccination campaigns, sexual health strategies, and the implementation of the NHS 10-Year Plan. The board approved the Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Bromley and Bexley sexual health strategy, and delegated approval of the neighbourhood health plan to the chair of the board. Members also received updates on the Birmingham Lewisham African Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR), the flu vaccination campaign, and the Better Care Fund.

October 13, 2025
Council Committee Member

Council - Wednesday, 24th September, 2025 7.30 pm

Lewisham Council met to discuss a range of issues, including increasing councillor allowances, the use of substitutes on committees, and motions on childcare and public ownership of Thames Water[^2]. Councillors agreed to increase their basic allowance by 3.2% to £13,201 per year, and approved the use of substitutes on certain committees to ensure meetings can proceed even if some members are absent. A motion supporting the Labour government's plan for 30 hours of free childcare was passed, as was an amended motion calling for Thames Water to be brought back into public ownership.

September 24, 2025

Decisions from Meetings

249 decisions · Page 34 of 50

Council Budget 2025/26

From: (Budget), Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 12th February, 2025 6.00 pm - February 12, 2025

...to recommend to the Council a General Fund Budget Requirement of £312.515m for 2025/26, a 4.99% increase in Lewisham’s Council Tax element, a 2.7% increase in dwelling rents, and approved the Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26, the Capital Programme of £421.4m, and the Climate Budget 2025/26 – 2027/28, along with other related financial and budgetary measures.

Recommendations Approved (subject to call-in)

Lewisham Local Plan - Main Modifications Consultation (Regulation 24 Independent Examination)

From: EGM, Council - Tuesday, 11th February, 2025 7.30 pm - February 11, 2025

... to release the proposed Main Modifications to the new Lewisham Local Plan, along with its accompanying Integrated Impact Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment, for public consultation.

Recommendations Approved

Permitted Extension of the Change, Grow, Live Contract (Adults Substance Misuse Service)

From: Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 29th January, 2025 6.00 pm - January 29, 2025

...to extend the contract with Change, Grow, Live for the Adult Substance Misuse Service for two years, from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027, at a total cost of £3,890,072.

Recommendations Approved

Local Plan - approval to consult on modifications

From: Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 29th January, 2025 6.00 pm - January 29, 2025

The Mayor and Cabinet of Lewisham decided ... to commend to Full Council that the proposed Main Modifications to the new Local Plan, along with its accompanying assessments, be released for public consultation, and delegated powers to the Director of Planning to correct minor errors in the relevant documents.

Recommendations Approved

Approval to procure the appointment of external enforcement agents for the collection of council tax and business rates

From: Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 29th January, 2025 6.00 pm - January 29, 2025

...to procure three external enforcement agents for the collection of council tax and business rates, extend current contracts for three months, use the Crown Commercial Service framework for procurement, award contracts to preferred providers within a £1,995,000 limit, and delegate final selection to the Executive Director for Corporate Resources.

Recommendations Approved

Summary

Meetings Attended: 34

Average per Month: 1.8

Decisions Recorded: 249