Agenda and minutes

Southwark Brexit Panel - Tuesday 27 April 2021 6.00 pm

Venue: Online/Virtual: please contact Poonam.Patel@southwark.gov.uk for a link to the meeting and the instructions for joining the online meeting

Contact: Poonam Patel: Email  Poonam.Patel@southwark.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

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    Minutes:

    The Chair welcomed everyone to the Southwark Brexit Panel meeting and the representative form Community Southwark.

2.

APOLOGIES

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    To receive any apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    There were none.

3.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

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    To agree the updated Terms of Reference.

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED –

     

    That the updated Terms of Reference were agreed.

     

4.

DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS AND DISPENSATIONS

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    Members to declare any interest and dispensations in respect of any item of business to be considered at this meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were none.

5.

MINUTES

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    To agree as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2021.

    Minutes:

    The minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2021 were agreed as a correct record of the meeting.

6.

BREXIT UPDATE REPORT

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    To note the latest Brexit position.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    Matthew Rolfe, Strategy Officer and Andrew Matheson, Senior Commissioning Officer, answered the panel’s queries arising from the report.

     

    The panel noted the following points in response to a question and answer session:

     

    • There were no existing EU Structural Funds allocated to the Local Economy and Communities teams to finance their respective projects.

     

    • The risks vs. rewards in bidding for funds were outweighed by the challenges in securing a viable bid.

     

    • London Borough of Southwark were not chosen by Government to be a priority place to receive funds from the UK Community Renewal Fund worth £220m.

     

    • The 100 chosen priority places were selected from applying the Government’s index of economic resilience methodology. Further details are available onnline:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-community-renewal-fund-prospectus/uk-community-renewal-fund-prioritisation-of-places-methodology-note

     

    • Paragraphs 30 to 38 of the report presented a detailed position in response to the UK Community Renewal Fund.

     

    • There was still no single reliable data source available for the council to use and identify the number of residents that were yet to apply for EU settlement status by the set deadline, 30 June 2021.

     

    •  Residents from not just the Latin American community needed to be reached and supported to apply for EU Settlement status.

     

    • The local economy team were working with Central London Forward and were relying on the work of London Councils and the GLA to represent Southwark council in securing a firmer position in bidding for funds from the UK Community Renewal Fund.

     

    • The four proposals as set out in the main and addendum reports were expected by the officers in handling the proposals.

     

    • The VCS could apply for the council’s reactivated restoration fund should they have the structures in place to meet the timescales in securing their bid for funds.

     

    • All four proposals would be taken forward for implementation.

     

     

    RESOLVED –

     

    1.  That the Southwark Brexit Panel noted the report.

     

    2.  That the Southwark Brexit Panel receive a copy of the latest communications plan to ensure all that can be done was being done to inform residents of the EU Settlement Scheme deadline, 30 June 2021.

     

    3.  That the Southwark Brexit Panel receives an updated report at a future meeting.

     

    The Chair thanked everyone for their contributions to this item.

     

7.

COMMUNITY SOUTHWARK UPDATE

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    To discuss with Community Southwark the impact of Brexit on our communities and the role of the voluntary community sector.

    Minutes:

    Deborah Hayman from Community Southwark explained that the following three areas remained to be the challenges:

     

      i.  There remained a number of citizens that were yet to apply for EU settlement status;

     

      ii.  The official channels to obtain EU settlement status needed to be known and complied with; and

     

      iii.  Need local champions to reach residents communities from either door knocking or other means.

     

    RESOLVED –

     

    That the Chair will liaise with key officers in the council to identify what social media was being used to reach residents and other methods.