Agenda item

To consider the following motions referred from council assembly:

 

• Cross River Tram
• Youth Provision
• Bus Route 42
• A Borough Wide Food Strategy
• Council Housing for Southwark
• Surrey Canal Road Station
• Fuel Poverty Bill

RESOLVED:

 

Cross River Tram

 

1.  That the continuing cross-party support in Southwark for the cross river tram be noted and disappointment be reiterated that the Mayor of London has chosen not to support the project by removing a commitment to develop the project from the Transport for London business plan.

 

2.  That it is  believed that the tram would increase access to employment for people from some of London’s most deprived areas, support the regeneration of Elephant and Castle, Aylesbury and Peckham and provide construction jobs, while providing a clean, green transport solution for one of the few areas in central London without a tube line.

 

3.  That the decision to kick-start the East London Line extension 2B, which with the cross river tram would transform transport options in Southwark be welcomed.

 

4.  That the chancellor’s announcement in his 2008 pre-budget report of £20bn in fiscal stimulus to be brought forward before April 2010 be further noted.

 

5.  That it be noted that the leader of the council wrote to transport minister Lord Adonis, seeking funding for the cross river tram from this fiscal stimulus and that the response said that the cross river tram does not currently qualify for money from the pre-budget report fiscal stimulus, where existing funding is brought forward, because spending on the project is not currently part of Transport for London’s business plan: It further notes, however, that the response also said: ‘Should the Mayor [of London] decide to fund the project, we would be happy to discuss with him the possibility of delivering it expediently.’

 

6.  That executive write to the Mayor of London asking him to make the cross river tram project part of Transport for London’s business plan.

 

7.  That the executive to write to the Chancellor asking him to review the decision to only bring forward existing funding in the fiscal stimulus, and make provision for the funding of the tram as part of the fiscal stimulus package.

 

8.  That the executive member for regeneration’s assertion at the January council meeting that he would “continue [to seek] funding sources for the project, be they public or private, through a variety of forums such as Cross River Partnership be noted.

 

9.  That the executive member for regeneration to continue to seek such funding sources in his role as chair of the Cross River Partnership and update members on his current progress.

 

RESOLVED:

 

Youth Provision

 

1.  That it be noted that in the Liberal Democrats’ 2006 election manifesto the party pledged to carry out a full audit of youth facilities in the borough.  It is noted that in July 2007, the executive agreed a report entitled ‘Activities for Young People – Things to do, places to go, someone to talk to in Southwark’ which reported the results of the audit that had been undertaken.

 

2.  That it be noted that the audit informed the creation of the Children and Young Peoples Partnership’s Things to do priority areas and resulted in a rebalancing of spending on youth services and facilities across Southwark, compensating for historic under-investment in parts of the borough.

 

3.  That it be noted that last year’s joint area review the council’s youth services were given only an ‘adequate’ or two star rating.

 

4.  That it be noted that in the 2008 residents’ survey, youth facilities were the services that residents thought were most important and also the services that they were most dissatisfied with. It notes that the same was true in the 2006 residents’ survey and that despite massive government grants for children and young people and significant capital investment in youth facilities by the council, residents’ satisfaction with youth facilities has not significantly improved.

 

5.  That it be noted that as a result of the government’s failure to take account of the significant additional pressures placed on the council’s budget by the recession, the executive was forced to identify £17.3m of savings in the 2009-10 budget.  It is noted that £381,000 (4.5%) of the savings were from the youth service budget, and that this amount equates to approximately 0.3% of the budget for 11-19 year old and youth services division.

 

6.  That it is noted that the £381,000 savings identified from youth services will be generated from the modernisation and integration of the division and will not involve cuts in front-line services in the youth service. It is further noted that £150,000 of new funding was allocated to the youth service from the WNF programme for work-based learning sites.

 

7.  That it is acknowledged that Southwark has unacceptably high levels of teenage conceptions and child obesity and recognises these are key shared strategic priority for Young Southwark, the primary care trust and the executive. It is further noted the coordinated activities undertaken by these agencies to address these problems, including:

 

a)  The roll out of a healthy schools accreditation which has seen 65% of Southwark Schools attain Health Schools status.

b)  The recent “Team Around the Issue” event on March 11, where officers came together to discuss approaches to the 5 priority areas, including childhood obesity.

c)  The Teenage Pregnancy Summit on March 23 2009 which looked at new approaches to tackling this issue.

 

8.  That it be noted that  Southwark’s levels of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) were the third highest in London in 2007, but notes that the number of Southwark young people in NEET has fallen from 875 in 2004 to 395 (54.8% fall) as a result of coordinated work by the council, including:

 

a)  Targeted work with those with poor attendance at end of Year 11 (e.g. 5 hot spot schools targeted and being support).

b)  Development of Foundation 2 Work programme in Southwark College where 40 young people NEET have been enrolled since Jan’09 and therefore off the NEET register.

 

9.  That the children’s services and education scrutiny sub-committee’s youth provision review, which was discussed by the executive in December last year be noted. It be noted that at that meeting, the executive agreed to ensure that the findings of the review would be taken into account in the current review of youth services across the borough.  It be noted that officers checked this course of action with the chair of children’s scrutiny and agreed with him that the executive would report back as part of that review process in April 2009.

 

10.  That it be noted that the youth service is currently being reviewed and restructured, with a view to meeting government demands for an integrated and targeted youth support service.  It be noted that the restructure is aimed at streamlining management structures and will not affect front-line staff or services.

 

11.  That concern that residents’ satisfaction with youth facilities remains low be expressed and that teenage pregnancy, obesity and the number of young people not in education, employment or training remain serious challenges for the borough.

 

12.  That the review of youth services offered by the council be endorsed which is currently being undertaken and calls on the executive to report back to council assembly on the outcome of the review, given its overwhelming importance to all members.

 

RESOLVED:

 

Bus Route 42

 

1.  That it is believed that the extension of the route of the 42 bus from North Dulwich to Sainsbury’s via East Dulwich Grove to Sainsbury’s on Dog Kennel Hill would benefit Village, East Dulwich and South Camberwell wards.

 

2.  That the cross party work over many years to promote the proposed new route be noted.

 

3.  That the planning consent obtained by Sainsbury’s to accommodate the turn-round on their premises providing a proper terminus for this route with facilities for drivers and standstill space for the buses as presently the buses terminating in Sunray Avenue cause noise and inconvenience to residents be welcomed.

 

4.  That the previous delays by Transport for London (TfL) are regretted, and welcomes a recent undertaking to review the business case.

 

5.  That the widespread support for the extension evidenced by the responses to the recent Village ward councillors’ questionnaire and the interest shown by “Southwark News” be noted.

 

6.  That executive ensure that the council as a whole promotes the extension with vigour and that the executive member for environment writes to London Mayor Boris Johnson requesting that the re-routing proposal be given high priority.

 

7.  That these concerns be fed into the overview and scrutiny work on buses.

 

RESOLVED:

 

A Borough-wide Food Strategy

 

1.  That the executive request that overview and scrutiny committee be asked to consider allocating the issue of a Borough Wide Food Strategy and points raised in the motion as set out below to one of their un-themed committees:

 

a)  Notes the vitality, vibrancy and diversity of Southwark’s food industries and cultures. 

 

b)  Notes that the production, processing and manufacturing, transport, storage and distribution, sale, purchasing, preparation, consumption and disposal of food within and beyond Southwark has significant implications for health, environmental, economic, social/cultural and security issues across the borough.

 

2.  That the value of allotments to the production of sustainable and healthy and local food in the borough be noted, and  adopt the following action:

 

a)  Improve the quality of information available to residents, by improving the council’s website.

 

b)  Look for ways to increase the borough’s allotments, as some of the allotments in the borough are on waiting lists only.

 

c)  Engage with the London Food Board to look at practical ways in which food can be grown sustainably.

 

d)  Provide an undertaking that the council will not close any allotments, and ensure rents are affordable by the many, not the few.

 

3.  That the development of a borough wide food strategy be undertaken with a view to:

 

a)  improving the health and reduce the health inequalities of people living and working in  Southwark

 

b)  reducing poverty and deprivation

 

c)  reducing the negative environmental impacts of Southwark’s food system

 

d)  supporting a vibrant food economy

 

e)  celebrating and promoting Southwark’s food culture

f)  enhancing Southwark’s food security

g)  encouraging healthy eating in schools.

 

4.  That the executive to report back to council assembly within 6 months on progress in developing the strategy.

 

RESOLVED:

 

Council Housing for Southwark Council

 

1.  That the announcement by the Prime Minister in a speech in January 2009 be welcomed that: “…if local authorities can convince us that they can deliver quickly and cost effectively more of the housing that Britain needs, and if local authorities can build social housing in sustainable communities that meets the aspirations of the British people for the 21st century, then we will be prepared to give you our full backing and put aside any of the barriers that stand in the way of this happening.”

 

2.  That it is believed that Southwark is a local authority which has proven its ability to build sustainable communities and to deliver quickly and cost effectively and notes that there are three barriers to the council building new council homes:

 

a)  the fact that the council is unable to access grant from the homes and communities agency (HCA) to support the cost of building new homes.

b)  the high interest rate applying when the council borrows money under current prudential borrowing rules, which set the effective interest rate at an average of historic rates, rather than the current public works loan board (PWLB) rate.

c)  uncertainty over the future of housing revenue account (HRA) subsidy during the joint CLG/Treasury review, which has not yet issued any proposals.

 

3.  That it be noted with concern that despite past commitments and promises from senior Labour politicians, including the current Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, about the ‘fourth option’ and council home building, these three barriers have remained in place.

 

4.  That the government be called upon to use the next budget to make provision for Southwark and other councils to access grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and to amend borrowing rules to take account of current low interest rates, thereby allowing us to build new council homes.

 

5.  That executive write to the Prime Minister with immediate effect seeking a clear and unequivocal guarantee that his January announcement will be followed by genuine action, rather than repeating the empty promises of the past, which have left so many across the country trapped on housing waiting lists.

 

6.  That disappointment is expressed to the £100 million allocated to the Challenge Fund to develop new properties which has to be shared by all authorities.

 

RESOLVED:

 

Surrey Canal Road Station

 

1.  That the joint funding of £60 million from the Department for Transport and £15 million from Transport for London (TfL) to complete Phase 2 of the East London Line Extension (ELLX) be welcomed.

 

2.  That it be noted that funding for a new station at Surrey Canal Road, just over the border in Lewisham, has not yet been secured as part of the scheme. It notes the considerable local demand in South Bermondsey and North Peckham for a new station there and the strong regeneration case for the station.

 

3.  That the leaders of all the political groups to write jointly to the Mayor of London and the Transport Secretary urging them to fund this vital piece of public transport infrastructure as part of the planned Phase 2 works. It calls on the executive to work with the Mayor of Lewisham to effectively lobby for the new station.

 

4.  That the strong support for a station at Surrey Canal Road from Millwall FC be noted and calls on the leaders, in their letter to the Mayor, to request that TfL officers meet with Millwall representatives to discuss the proposals and ways to involve the club.

 

5.  That the leader of the council to also support Lambeth Council in any bid made for a Brixton ELLX stop, for a better linked inner south London.

 

6.  That the receipt of the letter from the Mayor of London dated May 15 2009 concerning Surrey Canal Road Station be noted. This confirms that the decision and provision of a new station at Surrey Canal Road will follow an assessment process and discussions with the Department for Transport on the additional funding required. 

 

RESOLVED:

 

Fuel Poverty Bill

 

That it be noted that the Fuel Poverty Bill did not succeed.