Agenda item

To consider the following motions:

 

·  Protect Southwark Parks from anti-social behaviour

·  Homelessness and rough sleeping

·  Ending violence against women and girls

·  Towards a greater provision of public toilets

·  Southwark stands with the trans community

Motion 1: Protecting Southwark Parks from Anti-Social Behaviour

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen. 

 

Councillor Jane Salmon moved the motion. Councillor Adam Hood seconded the motion.

 

There was one amendment to the motion.  Councillor Sarah King moved Amendment B.  The guillotine fell at this point and the amendment was deemed formally moved.  

 

Amendment B was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The substantive motion as amended 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

 

a.  We know how much residents value our award winning parks and green spaces. We will protect and invest in them, as well as creating new ones, ensuring that everyone has access to nature. Our satisfaction rates for our parks are between 90% and 96%.

 

b.  Parks teams provide vital support to our many and diverse friends of groups and other volunteers throughout the borough, helping with planting activities, supplying materials and offering advice and supporting grant funding bids for park improvements. The average yearly number of volunteer hours delivered across our parks is 30,000, with thousands more hours delivered in other settings, green spaces, nature reserves and woodlands.

 

c.  Groups are also consulted with as vital stakeholders for new development applications, park improvement projects, events and filming projects. We have a £35m capital improvement programme for our parks and a £5m tree planting delivery plan that will see Southwark exceed 100,000 directly maintained trees.

 

d.  Developing strong relationships with “Friends of…” groups is key to fostering valuable community engagement, maximising the enjoyment of our parks and open spaces for the widest range of our residents.

 

e.  We have a team of six officers who provide a vital service in tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) across our parks. Regular visits are undertaken to sites, issues are dealt with using a calm, friendly and educative approach. If necessary, further action is taken for breaches of parks bylaws or escalated to the police in order to tackle criminal activity.

 

f.  We are very proud to have successfully retained all 30 Green Flag Awards this year for our outstanding parks and open spaces. This prestigious status stands as a testament to the relentless efforts made by volunteers, community groups, park staff and our contractors Quadron/Idverde, in maintaining well-managed, safe and welcoming open spaces for park-goers.

 

g.  We are equally proud to have won the overall Good Parks for London award for 2022-2023 which has recognised outstanding performance and innovation across a wide range of criteria, including community engagement.

 

h.  The grounds maintenance contract has recently entered a 3-year extension period with Quadron/Idverde following successful delivery over the initial 7-year term. Performance tracked through KPIs has consistently scored at above 95% along with positive feedback from members of the public, “Friends of…” groups and our other stakeholders.

 

i.  At Nursery Row Park, a partnership between Parks, Parks Liaison Officers, the Safer Neighbourhoods Team and a mediator resulted in an improvement in ASB reported by residents living to the north of the park. The same partnership was reformed in response to the recent increase in ASB and reported criminal behaviour when a new group also became active on site. This has resulted in considerable resources being allocated to Nursery Row Park in attempting to resolve issues.

 

j.  This model of collaboration is one we adopt across all of our parks, green spaces and other areas of public realm. All year round, we work to design out ASB, prevent crime and deliver activities in our parks that support the safety and well-being of all our residents in these natural settings.

 

k.  We develop specific strategies to tackle ASB and crime for organised events of varying size and complexity in our strategic parks and larger green spaces.

 

2.  Council assembly resolves:

 

a.  To continue to work with our Parks Liaison Officers, the Metropolitan Police Service and local residents to find a resolution to the issue of ASB in our parks.

 

b.  To develop plans to improve areas of Nursery Row Park through capital funding; with the designs being subject to public consultation.

 

c.  To invest in all our parks, providing large scale capital investment in sports facilities, new and refurbished playgrounds, improved open gym equipment and better walking and cycling routes to connect them to communities around them.

 

d.  To tackle the ecological emergency, by making our council the first in inner London to have over 100,000 trees, and creating more parks, woodlands, nature sites, wildflower meadows and community gardens. People, birds, bats and bees can all thrive in Southwark.

 

e.  To deliver even more high quality green spaces, working with local people to create more parks, nature sites, woodlands and urban planting. This includes brand new parks at Canada Water and off the Old Kent Road, and strengthening further through the council’s response to the recent land commission.

 

Motion 2: Homelessness & Rough Sleeping

 

This motion was considered after the guillotine had fallen.

 

There was one amendment to the motion. 

 

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

 

The substantive 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:

 

a.  13 years of government cuts by Conservative and Liberal Democrat governments have left local services for single homeless people with a huge funding gap.

 

b.  Between 1997 and 2010, the last Labour Government cut rough sleeping in England by three quarters, to the lowest level on record.  Since the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties came to power in 2010 the number of people sleeping rough in England has more than doubled.

 

c.  That rough sleeping in London is on the increase, up 12% on the same time last year.

 

d.  That according to the latest figures, homelessness is up by 10%, with nearly 105,000 households in temporary accommodation, in England, last March, the highest number ever recorded.

 

e.  The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) covers only 2.3% of properties advertised to rent in London. This is making it harder and harder to secure temporary accommodation in the capital.

 

f.  That collectively London Councils are spending £52m every month on temporary accommodation.

 

g.  That these figures are rapidly worsening as a result of Home Office policies relating to the asylum process, and in particular the decision to give successful applicants just 7 days’ notice to quit their accommodation following a positive decision.

 

h.  That Southwark is seeing a dramatic increase in homelessness applications resulting from Home Office cases, with a tenfold increase observed in the last two months.

 

2.  Council Assembly recognises:

 

a.  That Southwark Council has a goal to support everyone who is on the street to access a home of their own.

 

b.  That Southwark is also committed to being a ‘Borough of Sanctuary’ giving a warm welcome to refugees and assisting with resettlement.

 

c.  That in 2010, homelessness figures were less than half what they are today, and rough sleeping virtually eliminated, thanks to the focused efforts of the last Labour government

 

d.  That the Council is continuing to invest in homelessness prevention with family mediation, and has set up ‘surgeries’ to support refugees with their housing options

 

e.  That the work of public and voluntary sector partners is vital, including Robes, BEAM, the Manna Centre, Southwark Law Centre, and St Mungo’s, in our ambition to end homelessness and rough sleeping

 

f.  That partnership, innovation and advocacy will all be essential this year as we approach the winter months

 

g.  Southwark has the largest council house-building programme in the country.

 

h.  We must build affordable homes in order to end homelessness. That is why since 2014 we have built or started building over 3,000 new council homes. It is also the reason the council works with external partners to ensure that social rent homes are delivered as part of every major schemes. This has led, directly, to a net increase of at least 3,600 approved social rent homes in Southwark since 2014 – 2015. 

 

3.  Council Assembly resolves:

 

a.  To write to both the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, and the Home Secretary, requesting urgent action to deal with the crisis in rough sleeping and temporary accommodation including:

 

  i.  An immediate increase in the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) so that it covers the bottom 30% of rents in the local area

  ii.  Additional financial support through an increase to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, recognising the additional costs that are falling on local authorities

  iii.  An increase in funding for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) to support residents struggling with rents in a cost of living crisis

  iv.  An urgent review of Home Office policies to prevent refugees, including those who have arrived from Afghanistan and Sudan, becoming homeless.

  v.  A Cross-Departmental Strategy to end homelessness and rough sleeping.

  vi.  A long-term commitment to dramatically increase the number of social rent homes being built across the country, with an increase in dedicated grant to support this.

 

b.  To request publication of a ‘winter plan’ bringing together borough-wide efforts to prevent rough sleeping over the coming months

 

c.  To develop a new Homelessness Strategy for adoption in 2024 which takes account of the rapidly deteriorating context

 

d.  Ask the council to explore every lever available to build and deliver social rent homes in Southwark.

 

e.  Continue the work to guarantee support to everyone who is on the street in Southwark to access a home of their own and campaign for the government action needed to end rough sleeping for good

 

f.  Calls on the next Government with a plan to end homelessness, get Britain building again and deliver the biggest boost to affordable housing for a generation.

 

Motion 3: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

 

This motion was considered after the guillotine had fallen.

 

There was one amendment to the motion. 

 

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

 

The substantive motion as amended 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

 

a.  Sexual violence, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse remain endemic in modern society, highlighted most recently by the appalling murders of Sabina Nessa, Sarah Everard, sisters Bibba Henry and Nicole Smallman, and Elianne Andam.

 

b.  The distressing statistics that show at least 1 in 4 women have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult, and that the conviction rate of reported rapes is below 1%.

 

c.  The Casey review that included a sobering quote from an officer that states that ‘you might as well say it’s legal in London’ in relation to low detection rates of rape and serious sexual assault.

 

d.  The lived experience of survivors of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence, unknowable to those who have not gone through it.

 

e.  The recent consultation conducted by the council last year, and the valuable contributions made by councillors, residents, and organisations.

 

f.  The existing council strategy, which has a time frame of 2019-2024.

 

g.  The recommendations made by the Housing and Community Safety Scrutiny Commission on this subject, and the Cabinet’s subsequent response earlier this year.

 

h.  The launch of the ‘Through Her Eyes’ campaign earlier this year. The video was accompanied by a poster campaign focused in three local areas disproportionately impacted by violence against women and girls. Since its launch in Q2 2022/23, the campaign has registered 396,400 social media views, surpassing our target of 200,000.  The campaign has been circulated to all secondary schools and youth provisions in the borough. The campaign has been circulated to all Metropolitan Police Service Safer Schools Officers operating across London as part of a suite of materials delivered and is therefore available to 1,033 schools across the whole of London.

 

i.  The cross party, cross-borough initiatives such as the Lambeth and Southwark ‘safe havens’ network, where 39 premises will function as places of safety and support, with staff receiving specialised training.

 

j.  The intersectional nature of misogynistic hate crime and violence, including the impact of race, sexuality, and gender identity.

 

2.  Council assembly acknowledges

 

a.  After a consultation the council identified the 5 hotspots where women told the council they felt less safe. All 5 of these had an Environmental Visual Audit undertaken by a specialist design out crime officer and each of which now has an action plan of short medium and longer term works. Not all identified lighting as an issue they include other works. The first audit to have works carried out identified lighting remedial works as an issue, and these works are now underway including LEDs and some upgrades designed as part of the capital programme. The council has also put in place, enhanced patrols by council Wardens and Anti-Social Behaviour Officers complemented by enhanced police activity. In addition to the audits, walk and talks have also taken place in the area with Police and local residents to identify any concerns and deal with them. This area of work is included in the council delivery plan and regularly monitored.

 

b.  The Safe Spaces scheme was launched in 2021/22, providing safe locations across the borough where victims of domestic abuse can access support services. The scheme was initially targeted at Children and Family Centres, primary and secondary schools. This year saw the expansion of the scheme to other community sectors including libraries and leisure centres, cultural and arts venues, places of worship, community venues. 48 venues have now signed up to the scheme.

 

c.  Southwark also launched its Safe Havens scheme jointly with Lambeth. The safe haven network is the first of its kind in London to cross borough boundaries in a joint bid to target harassment hotspot areas along their border. Staff at the 39 licensed premises and other businesses in both boroughs undergo bespoke training with the Safer Business Network, a crime reduction agency. Women who feel unsafe or have been harassed can get assistance at safe haven businesses, including staff helping organise safe transport home or calling family, friends or the police.

 

d.  The council developed the Women's Safety Charter, with venues in the borough. The charter is based on a number of key principles, which ensure that all staff working at licensed premises act in a responsible and supportive manner, taking all reports seriously, sending out a clear message that female harassment in their premises will not be tolerated.

 

3.  Council assembly believes:

a.  That male violence against women and girls is part of a broader culture of misogyny in society.

 

b.  More focus should be placed on changing men’s behaviour than on women taking action to make themselves safer.

 

c.  That despite positive work by the council and local charities, more can always be done, and the opportunity to reaffirm a commitment to end violence against women and girls should not be passed.

 

4.  Council assembly resolves:

 

a.  To encourage all male councillors to take the White Ribbon pledge: to never use, excuse, or remain silent about men’s violence against women.

 

b.  To call out all forms of sexual objectification and all its negative outcomes, and encourage others to do the same.

 

c.  To champion the wellbeing of everyone, particularly of women and girls, and encouraging the education of everyone, particularly of men and boys.

 

d.  To have a zero-tolerance approach to misogyny and backs calls for crimes shown to be motivated by misogyny to be regarded as hate crimes and ensure this is meaningful in the workplace and in interactions with residents.

 

e.  Finish the roll out of upgraded street lighting across the whole borough to LED, which provides better quality lighting and helps to improve street safety.

 

f.  To ask the Cabinet to re-launch the Women’s Safety Charter, encompassing a range of regional and nation campaigns, including ‘Ask for Angela’, to ensure an ever-evolving programme to tackle women’s safety across the borough by delivering a robust and standardised training programme to licensed premises whilst at the same time, increasing public awareness on the topic.

 

Motion 4: Towards a greater provision of public toilets

 

This motion was considered after the guillotine had fallen.

 

There was one amendment to the motion. 

 

Amendment E was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The substantive motion as amended 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:

 

a.  We are committed to improving access to public toilets for all our residents and visitors. This access is important to enable people to get out and about, shop, socialise and live life to the full. We are exploring ways to improve access to toilet facilities.

 

b.  The council has created a directory and map of all the facilities currently available, including opening times.

 

c.  We currently manage and maintain 33 public toilets across the borough.

 

d.  Changing Places Toilets (CPTs) are fully accessible toilets that include a hoist, adult-size changing bench and enough space for people with complex care needs to receive safe and dignified personal care away from home. There are currently seven such facilities in Southwark.

 

e.  From January 2021 a significant change was made to building regulations, requiring the installation of CPTs in any new builds or major refurbishment.

 

f.  In April 2022, the Children & Adult Services secured £120,000 from the government’s Changing Places scheme to increase provision in Southwark.

 

g.  The funding is being used to develop provision in two locations, in line with feedback from key stakeholders.

 

h.  The council reached out to local shops, coffee chains and other public buildings to join the Community Toilet Scheme. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown rules made it impossible to continue the work of the Community Toilet Scheme.

 

2.  Council assembly further notes:

 

a.  In January 2023, the council committed to explore the costs and practicalities of providing free period products in all of the council’s public toilets and buildings, including the town hall, libraries and community centres.

 

b.  In April 2023, Corporate Facilities Management drew up plans to install free vending machines at 63 sites and work on this has begun. These machines cost £115 per unit. This includes six additional vending machines, which are being installed in the Tooley Street and Queen’s Road Council offices.

 

c.  Since April, the council has spent circa £7,500 per month on providing free sanitary products in council buildings.

 

3.  Council resolves to:

 

a.  Open new CPTs at Peckham Pulse and Dulwich Park, and explore plans for other CPTs in Southwark

 

b.  As part of our strategy to create a connected network of streets, provide additional facilities to support pedestrian journeys, including information on where to find toilets and other local amenities.

 

c.  Explore ways to reinvigorate the Community Toilet Scheme, ensuring the way forward represents good value for money for the council and builds on existing relationships with businesses.

 

d.  Continue the roll out of additional sanitary product vending machines in council owned buildings.

 

Motion 5: Southwark stands with the trans community

 

This motion was considered after the guillotine had fallen.

 

There was one amendment to the motion. 

 

Amendment F was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The substantive motion as amended 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:

 

a.  Southwark is the proud of home of a large, diverse and thriving LGBTQ+ community.

 

b.  Results of the 2021 Census show Southwark to have the fourth largest population of LGB+ people and the fifth largest community of people identifying as trans or non-binary in England.

 

c.  Southwark Council is proud to have worked with our LGBTQ+ community and the Mayor of London to open an LGBTQ+ centre in our borough to serve our whole city. The centre provides a safe, inclusive, intergenerational and intersectional space run by the community for the community. Work is now underway to build a permanent LGBTQ+ cultural space in Blackfriars in partnership with the community.

 

d.  This year, Southwark held its first ‘Pride in Southwark’ event to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, held at our LGBTQ+ centre. At this event, the leader of the council and leader of the opposition came together to commit to making Southwark a safer, more equal place for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community.

 

2.  Council assembly notes with concern:

 

a.  Hate crimes against trans people have increased by 186% in the past five years.

 

b.  In London, we have seen an increase in LGBTQ+ hate crimes, including two violent attacks recently in neighbouring Lambeth.

 

c.  Some people, including the government, have sought to create division in our community through the stoking of culture wars on LGBTQ+ issues.

 

3.  Council assembly resolves to:

 

a.  Stand united with trans, non-binary and gender diverse people, assert that trans rights are human rights and reject attempts to create division in our society for political gain.

 

b.  Call on national government to:

 

·  Introduce full, no loopholes, trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy.

 

·  Reform the gender recognition law. The current process of gender recognition is intrusive, outdated and humiliating.  The government must introduce a modernised, simplified and reformed process, taking into account international evidence of what works effectively.

 

·  Strengthen and equalise the law on hate crime to further protect trans people by extending the aggravated offences regime for all protected characteristics.

 

c.  Ask Cabinet to:

 

·  Prioritise the delivery of permanent LGBTQ+ cultural space in Blackfriars in partnership with the community to open in 2024/25 financial year.

 

·  Work with Southwark’s LGBTQ+ community to develop and deliver an action plan to address inequalities experienced by LGBTQ+ people in the borough.

 

·  Produce and implement an updated Equalities Framework for Southwark to further promote equality for all those with protected characteristics recognised under the Equality Act 2010.

 

·  Ensure this work addresses the intersectional inequalities that compound the impact on life chances for many people.

 

·  Continue to ensure trans people have access to the services they need, including changing rooms, homeless and domestic violence services, in line with the council’s duties under the 2010 Equality Act, including the legal requirements for single sex exemptions. 

 

·  Create gender neutral bathrooms in addition to single sex bathrooms in council buildings, and work with local businesses across Southwark to try and improve the provision of gender neutral toilets across the borough.

 

·  Ensure the council’s equal opportunities, recruitment and anti-bullying and harassment policies make specific reference to trans equality and ensure that trans equality is included in all induction and training, including staff handbooks.

 

·  Ensure the council continues to take a zero tolerance approach to all forms of hate crime, including against LGBTQ+ people.

 

·  Encourage services across the council to be sensitive to the preferred pronouns of staff and residents.