Agenda item

Members' Motions

To consider the following motions:

 

·  Day Centre Services in Southwark

·  Don’t Shaft Faraday

·  Tackling Congestion on Jamaica Road

·  Save Southwark Post Office services

·  The Dubs’ Amendment

·  NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan

Minutes:

MOTION 1: DAY CENTRE SERVICES IN SOUTHWARK (See pages 18 - 19 of the main agenda)

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen.

 

Councillor Anood Al-Samerai, seconded by Councillor David Noakes, moved the motion.

 

Councillor Rebecca Lury, seconded by Councillor Charlie Smith, moved Amendment B.

 

Following debate (Councillors James Okosun, Richard Livingstone, Hamish McCallum, and Anood Al-Samerai), Amendment B was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

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

 

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

 

1.  Council assembly notes:

 

·  The excellent work which takes place at the Queens Road and Riverside Day Centres, run by the Camden Society, and the life changing importance of these centres for some of Southwark’s most severely disabled residents.

 

·  That, despite having had largest cuts in government funding to any London council, Southwark Council currently spends more per person with a learning disability and their family carers than any other council in England. The council budget agreed last month ensures that the council will continue to spend more per service user than the average for our comparator boroughs.

 

·  That there are currently considerable pressures on adult social care budgets and the system of personal budgets in Southwark.

 

·  That the Care Act 2014, passed when Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb was Minister for Care and Support, removed discretion from councils to provide personal budgets to people with moderate care needs.

 

·  That, these pressures notwithstanding, personal budgets cannot be spent on day centres which no longer exist. It is therefore important that the council works with service providers, service users and their families to ensure that Southwark has services for people with learning disabilities that are sustainable in the long term given these financial pressures.

 

·  That council policy since the 1990s has been to let buildings at market rent levels, unless there are exceptional circumstances. The council will always assess the likelihood that a leasee is able to pay the required rent before agreeing a new lease.

 

·  That the rent-free leases on the Queen’s Road and Riverside Day Centres both ended on 31 January 2017, as originally set out in both leases. In both cases, these rent-free arrangements were always time-limited.

 

2.  Council assembly welcomes:

 

·  The borough’s continuing commitment to protect the most vulnerable in the borough as much as is possible from the impacts of government cuts.

 

·  The agreement by the property department of a tenancy at will arrangement at Queen’s Road Centre to allow for the full assessment of every service user’s needs. This arrangement will run until 30 June 2017, but the property department has indicated that some flexibility on this end-date may be possible to ensure that all the Queen’s Road assessments are completed.

 

·  A similar tenancy at will agreement will be put in place to allow for assessments of that centre’s users that is currently planned to run until 30 November.

 

·  The establishment of a working group involving the council, the Camden Society, Southwark Resource Centre and representatives of both service users and their carers to explore future options to provide day care and develop a hub model of service delivery, as has already been established for mental health service users in the borough.

 

·  That this working group will also consider how to best meet the needs of service users and their carers who fall in the moderate needs category.

 

3.  Council assembly calls on the cabinet to:

 

·  Continue in its commitment to protect the most vulnerable in our community despite the severity of government cuts facing our borough.

 

·  Monitor the work of the working group to ensure that Southwark develops a hub meeting the needs of people with learning disabilities in the borough that is sustainable given the 2014 Care Act and financial pressures.

 

·  Work to ensure that a hub model ensures that people with learning disabilities who have moderate needs still have those needs met.

 

·  Ensure that service users and their carers are kept informed of progress of the work of the working group.

 

MOTION 2: DON’T SHAFT FARADAY(See pages 19 - 20 of the main agenda)

 

The guillotine haven fallen, revised Amendment C was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

1.  Council assembly notes that following successful campaigns over a number of years by Southwark Labour MPs, councillors, residents and community groups, Transport for London (TfL) are currently consulting on the Bakerloo Line extension.

 

2.  Council assembly welcomes this consultation on the Bakerloo Line extension, which will improve connectivity, increase the capacity and resilience of the transport network and reduce journey times between key destinations, as well as helping the area to grow by supporting new homes and jobs.

 

3.  Council assembly notes that TfL’s consultation includes the location of a ventilation shaft between Elephant and Castle and the proposed Old Kent Road 1 station with two possible locations identified for the proposed shaft; the Bricklayers Arms road junction area and Faraday Gardens on Portland Street.

 

4.  Council assembly notes its concern that Faraday Gardens, a much loved and historic green space, is listed as a potential site.  To build the proposed shaft there interrupts a well used park, and places it within yards of a primary school, and flats in the Liverpool Grove conservation area. Faraday Gardens is an iconic part of our community, lending its name to the council ward, and its history, from its establishment by Octavia Hill to its extension to replace bombed out buildings, is part of the pioneering story of our borough. Construction traffic would have to use the new Portland Street quietway, placing extra dangers for the cyclists TfL are encouraging to use the route.

 

5.  Of the options presented in the TfL consultation, council assembly calls on the cabinet to lobby TfL to support the Bricklayers Arms option, to avoid causing unnecessary damage to a local park, subject to strict conditions, with the health and safety of local residents and school pupils a priority.

 

6.  Council assembly further calls on cabinet to formally request TfL consider an additional station at Bricklayers Roundabout.

 

7.  Council assembly calls on the cabinet to lobby TfL that should Bricklayers be chosen as the site of a vent shaft, that further work and consultation is carried out with the council and local residents on the possible design and local impact of the shaft, and that rigorous monitoring and mitigation of air pollution at this location takes place.

 

8.  Council assembly notes concerns from residents near the Bricklayers Arms about the impact of a shaft worksite area here and the implications for traffic management and local schools and nursing homes, with no benefit to residents to set against the issues caused by construction.

 

9.  Council assembly notes that Bricklayers Arms is the point of intersection for residents of Walworth, Bermondsey and the western reaches of the Old Kent Road, who presently need to take a bus to the Elephant and Castle to join the tube network. An additional underground station here would be a sensible distance from the Elephant and Castle and would save residents time and money.

 

10.  Council assembly therefore calls on the cabinet to work closely with TfL to secure an additional station, incorporating a ventilation shaft, at the Bricklayers Arms Roundabout, with a view to removing the need for a separate ventilation shaft on this stretch of the Bakerloo Line extension and creating a station which benefits residents of the Bricklayers Arms and surrounding areas.

 

11.  Council assembly further calls on the cabinet to:

 

·  Continue to fight for a second branch of the Bakerloo Line extension to Camberwell, supporting the long running residents' campaign group there.

·  Make representations to TfL to ensure that residents at Elephant and Castle are protected in any plans for the worksite to enlarge Elephant and Castle underground station.

 

MOTION 3: TACKLING CONGESTION ON JAMAICA ROAD(See pages 20 - 21 of the main agenda)

 

The guillotine haven fallen, Amendment E was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

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

 

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

 

1.  Council assembly notes that:

 

·  Jamaica Road is one of the most congested roads in the country, being used by more than 1,000 cyclists and 14,000 vehicles per day with an average rush hour speed of just 0.1 miles per hour (MPH) and an average mid-morning speed of just 1.2 MPH.

 

·  Air pollution in the local area is more than three times the legal limit and that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution levels along Jamaica Road are 1.23 tonnes per km per year.

 

2.  Council assembly recognises that:

 

·  A major cause of the congestion is the layout of the Rotherhithe roundabout which creates a bottleneck for vehicles travelling into the tunnel or onto the peninsula.

 

·  The cycle hire (“Boris Bike”) scheme does not include Bermondsey or Rotherhithe and that an extension of the scheme along Jamaica Road would encourage more people to cycle rather than travel by car.

 

3.  Council assembly welcomes:

 

·  The Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund (MAQF) £20 million fund to support new projects by Boroughs to improve air quality for the next ten years.

 

·  The Mayor of London’s planned introduction of the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to remove diesel vehicles from our Borough.

 

·  The Mayor of London’s announced plans to protect London's schools from pollution with 50 'air quality' audits at primary schools in areas exceeding legal limits of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

 

·  The Mayor of London’s support for a walking and cycling bridge between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf which will ease congestion on local roads and on public transport.

 

4.  Council assembly therefore commends the cabinet for requesting from Transport for London:

 

·  The need to urgently redesign the Rotherhithe roundabout to ease the flow of vehicles queuing to enter the Rotherhithe tunnel.

 

·  To introduce a variable messaging system on approach roads to warn drivers when the tunnel is closed or if queues are particularly long, as the Cabinet did with drivers on Tower Bridge Road through the MAQF.

 

·  To bring forward their proposals for Cycle Superhighway 4 (CS4) and implement safer conditions for cyclists along Jamaica Road and begin a public consultation this year.

 

·  To improve pedestrian crossings along Jamaica Road, especially at Bermondsey Tube Station and the entrance to Southwark Park as part of its CS4 design work.

 

·  To develop with TfL a detailed programme for the extension of the cycle hire docking scheme to Walworth, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, to form the basis of discussions with local landowners, TfL and the council to commit capital funding.

 

MOTION 4: SAVE SOUTHWARK POST OFFICE SERVICES(See pages 21 - 22 of the main agenda)

 

The guillotine haven fallen, the motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

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

 

1.  Council assembly notes that:

 

·  The Post Office announced on 10 January this year that it would be closing and franchising 37 Crown Post Offices across the country, including the New Cross branch which serves residents in Peckham Rye, Livesey and Nunhead ward.  This follows the closure of the Crown Post office on Rye Lane in August 2016.

 

·  The Post Office also announced in late 2015 that it would be franchising Blackfriars and Walworth Road branches.

 

·  Closures across the country will lead to the loss of over 400 jobs nationwide, and they follow the announcement of 62 planned closures in 2016.

 

·  Post Offices across the borough are well used by, and valued by the local community. Local residents, councillors and the Walworth Society have been fighting for over a year to keep the Walworth Road branch crown and improve this important local Post Office.

 

·  Post Offices also provide wider social value for older residents, according to a government survey 87% of over-65s use the Post Office for pension’s services and other social benefits. 66% of 65+ use the Post Office for personal banking services, insurance products and foreign currency.

 

·  Independent research shows that franchised Post Offices offer poorer disabled access, longer queuing times, worse customer service and fewer staff, often on minimum wage.

 

2.  Council assembly believes:

 

·  That the continued closures of Post Offices are bad for our community and will downgrade vital services to our local community.

 

·  That the loss of post office services on the Walworth Road is bad for our local economy and would have a detrimental impact on businesses on the Walworth road and the local economy.

 

·  That the closure of New Cross Post Office is bad for postal workers and will lead to good quality, skilled jobs on decent pay being replaced by insecure and low-paid work.

 

3.  Council assembly resolves:

 

·  To affirm our opposition to the closure of New Cross Post Office as well as serving residents in New cross this provides vital post office services for residents in the south of our borough.

 

·  To affirm our opposition to the loss of Post Office services at Walworth Road, Blackfriars and Peckham Branches.

 

·  To call on councillors to offer their support to the CWU campaign against the closure of over 100 Post Offices across the country.

 

MOTION 5: THE DUBS’ AMENDMENT (See pages 22 - 23 of the main agenda)

 

The guillotine haven fallen, the motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

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

 

1.  Council assembly welcomes Lord Dubs’ amendment to the Immigration Act 2016 which offered unaccompanied refugee children safe refuge in Britain.  It notes that this amendment committed the UK to providing a safe haven for vulnerable children fleeing war and persecution.

 

2.  Council assembly is proud of Southwark's tradition of being a welcoming and compassionate borough, ready to play its part in supporting refugees.

 

3.  Council assembly:

 

·  Condemns the government’s decision to end the scheme prematurely which will put the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children at risk.

 

·  Refutes the suggestion that local authorities are not willing to help.

 

·  Notes that the national transfer scheme set up within the act means that the demand on services is shared across the country but the Home Office has simply failed to take up the offers of help from councils.

 

·  Praises local authorities who, despite the government’s underfunding of child refugees¸ are still meeting their commitments and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of child refugees.

 

4.  Council assembly calls on the leader of the council to write to the Home Secretary urging that she:

 

·  Immediately reinstates the Dubs scheme.

 

·  Opens up new consultation with local authorities and commits to provide adequate funding for local authorities taking children under the scheme.

 

·  Publishes a strategy for the safeguarding of unaccompanied refugee children safeguarding of unaccompanied refugee children living in the UK.

 

MOTION 6: NHS SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFORMATION PLAN (See pages 23 - 24 of the main agenda)

 

The guillotine haven fallen, the motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

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

 

1.  The council welcomes the publication in full of work undertaken on the South East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) and the commitment local NHS bodies, including Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group, have made to working collaboratively with the Councils and Southwark residents to further develop these plans. The Council also welcomes the work the Our Healthier South East London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is undertaking to scrutinise these proposals and to ensure they are developed in a way that is accountable to local people.

 

2.  The council notes that:

 

·  There is an urgent need for the government to provide adequate and sustainable funding for health and social care.  Whilst demand for these services is rising rapidly (due in a large part to our ageing population) the Government has cut funding to local authorities every year for the past seven years and now plans to cut in real terms NHS funding per head of population for the next two years. 

 

·  The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures show that the UK now spends less on health care both per a person and as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) than most similar countries including Germany, France, Ireland, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Belgium and Netherlands.

 

·  Significant concerns have been raised nationally about the Government’s approach to STPs. For example the respected think-tank The Kings Fund has pointed out that: “Tight deadlines have made it difficult to secure meaningful involvement in the plans from key stakeholders, including patients and the public, local authorities, clinicians and other frontline staff”; “Despite the focus on local ownership, key elements of the process have been ‘top-down’”; and, “National requirements and deadlines for the plans have changed over time, and guidance for STP leaders has sometimes been inconsistent and often arrived late.”

 

3.  Therefore, the council resolves to:

 

·  Call on HM Government to provide the resources to fund good quality health and social care services across South East London.

 

·  Call on HM Government to ensure the national STP process supports the real and meaningful involvement of and accountability to local people and organisations in South East London, and enables closer partnership between local authorities and health services.

 

·  Request the continued full publication of all South East London STP documents, appendices and impact assessments.

 

·  Require full public consultation on all significant changes to services arising from the South East London STP.

 

·  Require continued pre decision scrutiny of all significant changes to NHS and social care provision arising from the South East London STP.

 

·  Call on HM Government to provide adequate funding support to allow councils to effectively scrutinise STPs.

Supporting documents: