Councillor Suzanne Abachor

Budget and council tax setting meeting, Council Assembly - Wednesday 26 February 2025 7.00 pm

The Council Assembly approved the proposed budget for 2025-26 as amended by the Liberal Democrat group. It also approved the associated council tax increase of 4.99% and agreed to continue existing local schemes for war disability and war widow/widower housing benefit. In addition, the Capital Strategy and the Treasury Management Strategy were approved without amendment.

Extraordinary meeting, Council Assembly - Wednesday 26 February 2025 9.00 pm

Southwark Council held an extraordinary meeting to discuss a motion of no confidence in the leader of the council and the cabinet member for finance in relation to the performance of the Housing Department. An amendment to the motion, proposed by the Labour Group, was passed and the substantive motion, as amended, was also passed.

Licensing Sub-Committee - Thursday 20 February 2025 10.00 am

The Licensing Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for a food hall[^1] at Tower Bridge Blend, 224 - 226 Tower Bridge Road, London. The application, from Tower Bridge Blend Ltd, sought permission to provide live music, recorded music, and performances of dance from 08:00 to 23:00 every day, and to sell alcohol from 10:30 to 23:00 every day. Sixty-eight representations were received from local people objecting to the application, as well as representations from the Metropolitan Police and the council's environmental protection team. The police and environmental protection team subsequently withdrew their representations after agreeing schedules of conditions with the applicant.

Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Wednesday 12 February 2025 6.30 pm

This meeting was scheduled to include a review of the Southwark Community Safety Partnership, and updates to the council's Statement of Community Involvement. It also included an update on how the council's scrutiny function was being improved.

Licensing Committee - Tuesday 11 February 2025 6.00 pm

The Licensing Committee of Southwark Council had two substantive items on the agenda for their meeting. Firstly they were scheduled to decide whether to adopt the council's new statement of gambling policy, which would set out the council's approach to the licensing of gambling premises between 2025 and 2028. Secondly, they were scheduled to decide on a protocol for whether or not the committee's licensing sub-committee hearings should continue to take place remotely, or whether they should return to being held in person.