Agenda item

To consider any deputation requests. The deadline for the receipt of a deputation request is midnight Wednesday 24 April 2019.

The report had not been circulated five clear days in advance of the meeting. The chair agreed to accept this item as urgent as the requests had been received in line with the constitutional deadline for the receipt of deputation requests.

RESOLVED:

That the deputations be received.

Be Active Social Enterprise

The deputation spokesperson addressed the meeting to explain that the deputation was a follow up to a petition submitted to cabinet 9 May 2017. The deputation outlined the volume of tennis-related activities undertaken and the strong position of the group in providing value for the community. The group acknowledged their understanding of resource constraints for the council, but requested that cabinet progress with a long-term tennis plan for the borough, as well as a lease for Burgess Park.

Councillor Rebecca Lury, deputy leader and cabinet member for culture, leisure, equalities and communities responded to the deputation by referencing Item 9: Active Southwark – Sport and Physical Strategy 2019 – 2023. Following agreement of this strategy, the council would be looking to develop a long term strategy for tennis across the borough and to work with the Be Active Social Enterprise group and other partners.

Styles House Tenant Management Organisation (TMO)

The spokesperson for Styles House tenant management organisation deputation expressed broad support for examination of a scheme, with understandable concerns from residents. The organisation asked that the council be flexible in its approach, to appreciate the uniqueness of the estate and to allow the tenant management organisation to lead the scheme.

It was suggested that the scheme would produce a number of negative issues for tenants. It was explained that it was important to find a way to mitigate some of these factors, which would form part of the discussions with Transport for London (TfL). It was considered vital in view of this that tenants were considered as a partner and equal in the discussions and negotiations that take place including discussions with TfL.  Additionally flexibility was requested around decants, for the TMO to be involved and provided finance to facilitate this work. Residents also had understandable concerns around property sizes and height of buildings.

Councillor Leo Pollak, cabinet member for social regeneration, great estates and new homes and thanked the deputation for their hard work and expressed the intention for the council to put the tenant management organisation at the heart of the process.

Plastic Free Peckham

The deputation addressed cabinet in respect of the crisis on plastic. The deputation were comprised of volunteers working in Peckham and Dulwich with local businesses, the community and schools to reduce single-use plastic; the key being reduce, reuse and recycle. The deputation acknowledged the progress made by the council through the introduction of water fountains and other measures, but asked that further work be undertaken with council contractors, tenants and local businesses to further advance the removal of single use plastic.

The deputation requested a number of key actions from the council as follows (some of which were already underway):

  (i)  Accelerated reduction in council’s own carbon emissions with the target to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to change all energy suppliers to be 100% renewable by 2020

  (ii)  Work with partners to produce an emergency action plan, especially with regard to flooding (covering all the relevant council strategies) and to submit plan via scrutiny by the end of September 2019

  (iii)  Examine all current activity across the council for potential improvements to be made on use of pesticides and insecticides in green spaces and regulations be adapted for more radical changes to building standards

 (iv)  Update the New Southwark Plan to account for the climate emergency

  (v)  Training session for all cabinet members.

Councillor Richard Livingstone, cabinet member for environment, transport management and air quality, thanked the deputation for their hard work and confirmed that the council was fully signed up, working alongside these groups and the community to make further progress and produce a strategy to reduce single use plastic. Additionally, Councillor Johnson Situ, cabinet member for growth, development and planning confirmed that the New Southwark Plan was under constant review.