Councillor Eva Kestner

Public Accounts Select Committee - Thursday, 20th November, 2025 7.30 pm

The Public Accounts Select Committee met to discuss the council's financial performance, income collection strategies, and risk management. Councillors reviewed the period six monthly monitoring report, focusing on areas of overspend and potential risks, and they also discussed strategies for improving income collection and managing corporate resources risks. The committee agreed to note the reports presented, and decided against making a recommendation to Mayor and Cabinet regarding the council tax collection rate target, pending further review.

Audit and Risk Committee - Tuesday, 11th November, 2025 7.00 pm

The Audit and Risk Committee of Lewisham Council met on Tuesday, 11 November 2025, to review external audit findings, internal audit progress, anti-fraud efforts, and the corporate risk register. Key decisions included noting the external audit update reports for the main accounts and pension fund, approving the internal audit plan for 2025/26, and noting the annual report from the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Team and the update on the Corporate Risk Register.

Corporate Parenting Group - Thursday, 9th October, 2025 6.00 pm

The Lewisham Council Corporate Parenting Group met to discuss the upcoming Corporate Parenting Strategy for 2025-2027, receive updates on corporate parenting activities, and review reports related to looked after children. The group also discussed a missing annual report and received an update from health leads.

Pensions Investment Committee - Thursday, 25th September, 2025 7.00 pm

The Lewisham Pension Investment Committee met to discuss a range of issues, including divestment from companies operating in occupied territories, the annual report, and a general update on the pension fund. Representatives from the Lewisham Divest for Palestine campaign addressed the committee, and the committee agreed to prepare a report on using the UN list of companies complicit in human rights abuses as a guide for divestment. The committee also agreed to a referral response to a motion on divestment that was tabled at a council meeting in July.

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.