Agenda item

To consider motions on the theme submitted by members of the council:

·  Motion 1 – Community response to August’s disturbances

·  Motion 2 – State of the Borough: Significantly improved but could do better.

MOTION 1 - COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO AUGUST’S DISTURBANCES

(See pages 5-6 of the main agenda)

The Mayor stated that following consultation with the whips and in line with council assembly procedure rule 2.7(3) on allowing sufficient political balance in the themed debate she had agreed to vary the way that Motion 1 was considered as follows:

• The motion and each amendment would be moved and seconded and then all the items would be opened up for debate
• Towards the end of the themed section of the meeting the Mayor would move to the vote on each amendment and the substantive motion.

Councillor Michael Situ, seconded by Councillor Rowenna Davis, moved Motion 1.

Councillor Helen Hayes, seconded by Councillor Sunil Chopra, moved Amendment A.

Councillor Claire Hickson, seconded by Councillor Althea Smith, moved Amendment B.

Councillor Anood Al-Samerai, seconded by Councillor Paul Noblet, moved Amendment C.

During the debate (Councillors Lisa Rajan, Lewis Robinson and Catherine Bowman), at 10.18pm the bell was rang and the Mayor announced that the guillotine had fallen and each item would be voted upon without further debate.

Amendment A was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

Amendment B was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

Amendment C was put to the vote and declared to be lost.

The substantive motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

RESOLVED:

1.  That council assembly notes the letter to all members from the leader of the council on 7 September outlining tonight’s theme.

2.  That council assembly notes the disturbances and looting that took place on 8 August 2011 and condemns the criminality and lawlessness which took place across the borough.  However, it further notes residents’ response in the days that followed, and the action by our community to come together and repair the damage that had been done.

3.  That council assembly believes that this community response more accurately reflects the state of the borough than the disturbances themselves, but further believes that the causes of the disturbances require a genuine and thoughtful response.

4.  That council assembly notes the authority’s ongoing “community conversations”, engaging with residents on the causes of the disturbances.  It calls on the leader to update members on the council’s response to disturbances of the initial findings of the “community conversations”.

5.  That council assembly believes that the themed debate ought to feed into that wider “community conversations” and notes the questions contained within the leader’s letter:

·  What caused the outbreak of disturbances and looting in Southwark?

·  What caused the community to respond in the positive way that it did?

·  What can we all do to continue to build our civil society in Southwark?

Council assembly calls on all members to contribute their views on those three questions in the debate. It calls on the cabinet to take those views on board, to feed them into the ongoing community conversation and to feed back to council assembly on what action will be taken following the community conversations in no more than six months.

6.  That council assembly calls on cabinet to ensure feedback from the council’s community conversations informs how we can create a fairer future for all in Southwark.

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

MOTION 2 - STATE OF THE BOROUGH: SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BUT COULD DO BETTER

(see pages 6-7 of the main agenda)

The time allocated for the themed debate having expired, Motion 2 and Amendment D were formally noted having not been moved and seconded at the meeting.