Agenda item

To consider motions referred from council assembly on 25 January 2012 on the following:

·  Motion on themed debate – Environment

·  Changes to NHS Southwark

·  Save Chambers Wharf

The following additional information was circulated in respect of this item:

·  Comments from the cabinet member for the transport, environment and recycling in respect of the motion on the themed debate on the environment

·  Comments from the deputy chief executive in respect of the motion on Save Chambers Wharf.

RESOLVED:

Motion on Themed Debate: Environment

That the motion referred from council assembly as a recommendation to cabinet, set out below be noted and agreed.

1.  That council assembly believes that even in times of austerity protecting our natural environment is one of the most important issues for the borough and must remain a key priority for the council.

2.  That council assembly believes this is recognised by all political parties and so calls on councillors to work together to suggest innovative ways for the council and Southwark residents to tackle carbon emissions and protect our natural environment.

3.  That council assembly notes that the majority of emissions from transport in Southwark are from road vehicles and welcomes the council’s transport plan which aims to reduce the impact of transport on air quality by encouraging sustainable travel choices within the borough.

4.  That council assembly believes that the council should set an example in energy efficiency and welcomes the fact that it has delivered on its promise to reduce carbon emissions in council buildings by 8.5%.

5.  That council assembly welcomes the introduction of food waste recycling to all street-based properties in the borough and notes the impact this is already having in areas involved in the scheme where recycling has increased to 51%.

6.  That council assembly calls on members to consider these issues and discuss:

·  How the council can encourage more sustainable travel, especially safe cycling and walking

·  How the council can promote energy efficiency, not just in buildings owned by the council, but in all properties

·  Given the huge reductions in the council’s budget this year and in the coming years, how the council can protect the public realm, Southwark’s parks and green spaces.

7.  That council assembly notes the stated aim of the coalition government to be the “greenest government ever” and calls on members to consider how Southwark can use government funding to support green investment and green jobs in our borough.

Changes to NHS Southwark

That the motion referred from council assembly as a recommendation to cabinet, set out below be noted and agreed.

1.  That council assembly recognises and appreciates the excellent work done by doctors, nurses and other health workers in Southwark.

2.  That council assembly believes the government’s Health and Adult Social Care Bill is creating uncertainty in the NHS at a time when budgets are already tight and regrets that Southwark PCT will be required to hold back £21 million, which could be spent on patient care, to pay for the government’s reorganisation.

3.  That council assembly believes the government’s top down reorganisation lacks direction and is an unnecessary distraction to Southwark’s NHS staff at a time when they want to focus on patient care.

4.  That council assembly also notes that the number of people in Southwark waiting more than 18 weeks from referral to treatment has increased by 168% since May 2010 – the largest increase in London.

5.  That council assembly believes the government’s decision to abolish waiting time targets has led to this increase in Southwark and now means fewer than 90% of Southwark patients are being treated within 18 weeks.

6.  That council assembly believes giving patients’ certainty about when they will be treated is fundamentally important to their health and that low waiting times are a benchmark for excellence in the NHS.

7.  That council assembly welcomes the opposition of Harriet Harman and Tessa Jowell to the government’s NHS reforms and notes Simon Hughes’s comments on 8 December that there had been a “particular issue” in Southwark regarding waiting times. It hopes that instead of blaming hardworking NHS staff in Southwark Simon Hughes will take their side and oppose the government’s NHS reforms.

8.  That council assembly rejects David Cameron’s assertion that there was a "real problem" with nursing in UK hospitals and believes that if the Conservative/ Liberal Democrat government really wants to help nurses in Southwark to focus on patient care, it should listen to what nurses are saying and drop this unnecessary health bill.

Save Chambers Wharf

That the motion referred from council assembly as a recommendation to cabinet, set out below be noted and agreed.

1.  That council assembly notes the unquestionable importance of a clean River Thames, but notes the purchase of Chambers Wharf by Thames Water and that it is the company’s preferred construction site in Southwark for a “Super Sewer” junction.

2.  That council assembly notes that 150 residential properties, two schools with over 1000 students and the Thames Path are situated very near to the Chambers Wharf site.

3.  That council assembly regrets the impact Thames Water’s plans could have on the local community and notes that construction will take at least seven years, three years of which will be 24 hours a day for 7 days a week. This will not only lead to an increase in noise pollution but to increased heavy vehicle traffic on the local roads, which are not only narrow but also where the schools are located posing a real danger to school children and local residents.

4.  That council assembly believes construction so close to residents and schools for such a length of time would be a major source of air pollution possibly causing respiratory illnesses, asthma and bronchitis.

5.  That council assembly is also concerned that Southwark residents’ water bills are likely to increase by £70 per year if Thames Water’s proposal goes ahead and, once completed, Thames Water cannot guarantee there will not be sewage smells from the site.

6.  That council assembly requests the cabinet to call on Thames Water to find an alternative non-residential site to Chambers Wharf that will have no impact on Southwark residents and welcomes the report of the Selborne Commission which has been set up by a number of riverside London councils to examine alternatives to the Thames Tunnel.

7.  That council assembly calls on all political groups in Southwark and local MPs to stand up to Thames Water in opposing Chambers Wharf as a construction siteand to respond to the phase 2 consultation.  Council assembly also welcomes Simon Hughes MP's calls for a debate on the floor of the House of Commons and calls for all Southwark's MPs to take part in this.

8.  That council assembly recognises and formally thanks the Save Your Riverside campaign for all their hard work in raising awareness of the issue and detailing credible technical arguments to challenge Thames Water.