Agenda item

To consider motions on:

 

·  Future of Southwark, Opportunities and Challenges

·  Busking

·  Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in Southwark.

RESOLVED:

 

Future of Southwark, Opportunities and Challenges

 

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

 

1.  Council assembly welcomes the huge progress that the council has made since 2010 delivering a fairer future for all.

 

2.  Council assembly notes that this progress was in stark contrast to the previous eight years where the Liberal Democrat and Conservative administrations had the wrong priorities and lacked ambition for the borough.  Council assembly notes the record of the previous administration where:

 

a)  Council housing was the worst in the country, and almost half of council homes failed to meet basic decency standards.

b)  The environment was neglected, with recycling  the sixth worst in the entire country.

c)  Council tax collection was the third worst in the country, and council tax increased by 17.5% despite record investment in Southwark from the Labour Government. Adult social care went from being one of the best to the eighth worst in the country.

d)  CCTV coverage was cut, making it harder to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime.

e)  Despite a housing crisis, they only built three new council homes in the last term of the former administration.

 

3.  Council assembly notes that in the first four years of this administration, Southwark made huge progress despite a Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition government that:

 

a)  Introduced the bedroom tax hitting some of our poorest residents the hardest.

b)  Almost halved the grants from central government to pay for local services.

c)  Slashed childcare support by up to £1,500 per family.

d)  Trebled tuition fees to £9,000 after promising not to.

 

4.  Council assembly notes that the public rightly gave their verdict of the shameful record of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats by kicking out the local Liberal Democrat MP, and slashing the number of Conservative and Liberal Democrat Councillors across the borough.  Council assembly notes the public’s confidence in this administration and hard working local Labour MPs by consistently electing them to serve this borough.

 

5.  Council assembly notes the proud record of this Labour administration over the last eight years and the work that has been done to deliver a fairer future for all, including:

 

a)  Making every council home warm dry and safe, and rolling out quality kitchen and bathroom so that over 95% of council homes now meet the decent homes standard, so our council tenants can live in a high quality home they can be proud of.

b)  Tackling the housing crisis by building new homes of every type, including new council homes because our residents should be able to afford good quality homes in the borough they call home. 535 council homes are already completed, 471 are being built or have permission to start, and a further 513 are going through the planning process.

c)  Helping over 5,000 people into work since 2014 – more than any other London borough – and creating nearly 2,000 apprenticeships – again more than any other London borough – because this council wants to give residents the skills and opportunities to get good quality, secure jobs. 

d)  Improving healthy lives for children by introducing free healthy school meals and free fruit for all primary school children, and expanding and refurbishing popular schools so that every child has the best start in life. 

e)  Introducing free swim and gyms for all residents – with nearly half a million visits since 2016, so it’s easier and cheaper to keep fit and healthy.

f)  Diverting over 99% of waste away from landfill, and making our recycling rate the best in inner London, and making our borough even greener with more award winning green flag parks than any other borough in inner London.

g)  Developing and delivering a Women’s Safety Charter, increasing the number of arrests from our CCTV cameras, and installing new estate security doors, to prevent and tackle crime and antisocial behaviour more effectively.

h)  Keeping our libraries open, and investing in them whilst many other councils cut theirs. Canada Water Library is now the busiest in London and Camberwell now has a nationally recognised award winning library thanks to Labour’s investment.

 

6.  Council assembly is disappointed that Liberal Democrat members opposed many of these policies which have improved life for Southwark residents, including:

 

a)  Campaigning against free healthy school meals, and voting to cut the funding needed to pay for it.

b)  Voting against plans to keep all of Southwark’s libraries open.

c)  Voted against the money for Southwark staff to be paid the London Living wage and recently proposed that they should work in dirty offices and even provide their own stationery.

d)  Voted against funding more CCTV cameras which prevent crime and antisocial behaviour and help the Police to catch criminals.

 

7.  Council assembly resolves to call on cabinet to agree a Council Plan early in the new administration which will continue to deliver a Fairer Future for Southwark’s residents, including:

 

a)  Every child having the best start in life: some of Southwark’s schools are already outstanding, but others are struggling. The new council plan must include plans to drive up standards in all Southwark’s schools. Southwark’s children should have healthy, active childhoods, which means continuing and extending free school meals to school nurseries so all children have the opportunities to thrive.

b)  Building high quality homes that residents can afford, with more homes of every type being built across the borough to tackle the housing crisis. This must include building more council homes so that we meet our 11,000 new council homes by 2043 target, and improving the quality of housing in the private rental sector.

c)  Making sure Southwark continues to be a great place to live. Recycling rates are already high, and they must stay that way. Air quality is one of the greatest public health challenges for Southwark, and the next council plan must tackle poor air quality, as well as the challenge of climate change. 

d)  Southwark being a healthy borough, where your background doesn’t determine your life chances.  Swimming and going to the gym are now free in Southwark, and now walking, cycling and other types of exercise must become more accessible to all so that everyone has the chance to be fit and healthy.

e)  Making Southwark a full employment borough, where the barriers keeping people out of work are swept away, and everyone has the skills to play a full part in our economy. The next council plan needs to consider the jobs of the future, so it must ensure more residents are helped to get the skills they need to get these new jobs.

f)  Keeping Southwark Council a modern and efficient organisation, which listens to and works with residents and communities? In a changing and increasingly digital world, council must keep digitally innovating: the way that residents want to access services is changing and the council must change with it. At the same time, the council must improve digital inclusion, so no one and nowhere is left behind.

 

8.  In a world changed by Brexit, and following on from the tragic Grenfell fire, Southwark council must be fighting for our residents, and standing up against the Conservative Government in challenging and uncertain times.

 

9.  Council assembly believes that this vision for a fairer future for all residents will only be delivered by a financially responsible, ambitious Labour administration, which embodies the council’s fairer future principles.

 

Busking on Bankside

 

The deputation heard from Bankside Busking Work Group was noted. That the motion referred from council assembly as a recommendation to cabinet, set out below be agreed and noted:

 

1.  Council assembly notes:

 

a)  The dramatic increase in footfall alongside Bankside that has occurred over the last 20 years, driven by the opening of the Globe, Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge and the ongoing redevelopment of the riverside area.

 

b)  That Bankside was, and remains, an area with a significant residential population, namely residents in Falcon Point, Bankside & Gallery Lofts, the Bankside houses and Clink Street, plus newer developments in Benbow House, 20 New Globe Walk and the Bear Pit.

 

c)  The work that the council is already doing to tackle nuisance busking, including the re-organisation of the Regulatory Services team which has brought together the Noise and Nuisance team, SASBU, street wardens and other street enforcement teams which work closely together to reduce the disturbance of busking, the ongoing analysis of busking activity to tackle those causing nuisance, anti social behaviour and difficulties, and ceasing the advertising of busking sites in Southwark to discourage a further increase in busking levels.

 

2.  Council assembly acknowledges:

 

a)  The efforts of council officers, Bankside residents, and partners from other stakeholders, including Better Bankside, the Tate Modern and Bankside Residents forum, to find a solution to the busking noise related issues.

 

b)  That the massive increase in visitors and tourists has attracted buskers to the area, many of whom use amplification in their performances

 

c)  That the impact of this noise nuisance on a daily basis can have a detrimental impact on the residential amenity of those who live and work in Bankside, including possibly for some residents on their physical and mental wellbeing.

 

3.  Council assembly supports:

 

a)  The work of the ‘Bankside Busking Working Group’, which seeks to:

 

·  Reduce the number of nuisance buskers along the riverside

·  Improve and better co-ordinate local authority and police force efforts to manage nuisance busking

·  Co-ordinating use of resources to control nuisance buskers

·  Provide residents and businesses with a  voice to lobby for additional resources, and changes to protocols, processes, procedures and legislation controlling busking

·  Explore introduction of a scheme to organise and regulate busking in the Bankside area

 

b)  And looks forward to the group bringing forward options for an effective and proportionate approach to dealing with the issue of nuisance busking.

 

4.  Council assembly resolves to call on cabinet to:

 

a)  look at the recommendations coming forward from the Bankside Busking Working Group and the multi-agency Buskers group, which includes representatives from the council’s noise team, SASBU, EPT, street enforcement teams and the police, with a view to adopting a solution which protects the amenity of local residents and reduces problematic and nuisance busking.

 

Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in Southwark

 

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

 

1.  Council assembly notes that two million Londoners experience poor mental health, which equates to 62,500 people in each borough, and that London’s suicide rate increased by 33 per cent from 552 to 735 incidents between 2014 and 2015 – the highest figure recorded by the Office for National Statistics since records began.

 

2.  Council assembly understands that employment for Londoners with a mental health problem is 31 per cent lower than the UK average and that the financial cost of mental ill-health is approximately £700 million for each London borough.

 

3.  Council assembly reaffirms its commitment to approach mental health and wellbeing as a key priority and to work collaboratively with partners within and outside the borough to address and tackle mental ill-health across our communities.

 

4.  Council assembly welcomes the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy jointly developed by the council and Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group that was agreed by both organisations in January 2018.

 

5.  Council assembly resolves to call on cabinet to commit to support and work with Thrive LDN, and develop the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, to:

 

a)  Create a citywide movement for all Londoners that empowers individuals and communities in our borough to lead change, address inequalities that lead to poor mental health and create their own ways to improve mental health.

 

b)  Following on from the examples set by Harrow Thrive and Black Thrive in Lambeth, look in to localising Thrive LDN to Southwark by exploring the practicalities of establishing a local Thrive hub that responds to local needs.

 

c)  Work with Thrive LDN and the Mental Health Foundation to develop a pilot programme on an estate to develop new approaches to improving mental health well-being.

 

d)  Examine new methods to support more people in Southwark to access a range of activities that help them to maintain good mental health and wellbeing.

 

e)  Work closely with partners across Southwark to end mental health stigma and discrimination.

 

f)  Build on the great work happening across London to engage children and young people in mental health by helping Thrive LDN to develop training and resources for youth organisations, schools and student societies.

 

g)  Support employers to make mental health and wellbeing central to the workplace.

 

h)  Work with partners to explore new ways to access services and support, and consider the use of digital technologies to promote mental health and improve information about accessing support.

 

i)  Work with partners and build on the excellent work being done across the borough to reduce suicides in Southwark. We welcome the vision in the Southwark Suicide Prevention Strategy to reduce suicide, attempted suicide and self-harm in Southwark to among the lowest rates in London, and to work towards this ambition by ensuring that the number of suicides across the borough decreases by at least 10% by 2023.