Agenda item

To consider the following motions:

 

·  Southwark welcomes 400th refugee family

·  Southwark Stands Against Welfare Cuts

·  Making Space for Girls in Parks and Open Spaces

·  Implementation of a Tourist Tax

·  Limiting the spread of damaging gambling premises in the Blue

Councillor Suzanne Abachor left the meeting at this point.

 

Motion 1:Southwark welcomes 400th refugee family

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen. 

 

Councillor Jasmine Ali moved the motion. Councillor Mohamed Deen seconded the motion.

 

There were no amendments to the motion.  After debate (Councillor Maria Linforth-Hall, Youcef Hassaine) Councillor Jasmine Ali responded to the debate.

 

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 celebrates:

 

a.  The council’s achievement in resettling the 400th family under the Refugee Resettlement Programme.

 

b.  The outstanding contribution of the voluntary and community sector for their continued work in helping sanctuary seekers and refugees to settle in our borough.

 

c.  The generosity and support of Southwark residents in coming forwards and opening their hearts and homes to refugees.

 

d.  The efforts of partner organisations and officers in helping to resettle so many families in our borough.

 

e.  The collective efforts of the council, voluntary and community sector (VCS) and partner organisations in making Southwark a Borough of Sanctuary, welcoming refugees and sanctuary seekers in all walks of life.

 

2.  Council Assembly recognises:

 

a.  The support provided by the council for 116 children seeking sanctuary since 2022.

 

b.  The council’s work in supporting almost 600 Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

 

c.  The council’s work in supporting 50 Afghan refugees as part of the Afghan Resettlement Scheme in addition to the 200 individuals supported in the borough.

 

d.  The council’s support of the Home Office accommodated 574 asylum seekers.

 

e.  The council’s £24.6 million expenditure since 2022 in supporting almost 800 households with No Recourse to Public Funds.

 

f.  The continued support for the Southwark Law Centre’s vital work in supporting sanctuary seekers and refugees.

 

g.  The support provided to over 650 sanctuary seekers and refugees who found themselves homeless.

 

3.  Council Assembly stands united in:

 

a.  Welcoming sanctuary seekers and refugees to Southwark.

 

b.  Doing everything in our power to support those who have fled the most unimaginable of circumstances.

 

c.  Our belief that our diversity makes our borough stronger, and that our culture, cuisine, community and spirit have been enriched a thousand-fold by citizens and families from all over the world.

 

d.  The continued belief that sanctuary seekers should be granted the right to work rather than having to wait 12 months or for their application to be decided, supporting the Lift the Ban coalition.

 

4.  Council Assembly reiterates:

 

a.  Its commitment to the five City of Sanctuary values:

 

1.  Inclusivity: welcoming and respecting people from all backgrounds, placing value on diversity and committing to equality

 

2.  Openness: Committing to a culture of working collaboratively across the City of Sanctuary network and in partnership with other councils

 

3.  Participation: Working with people seeking sanctuary and valuing and recognising the contribution of all. Aspiring to ensure that people seeking sanctuary are involved in all decision making at all levels and are supported to become leaders in the organisation, networks and the wider movement.

 

4.  Inspiring: Working with enthusiasm and positivity and being determined to surpass what has already been achieved to welcome refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

 

5.  Integrity: Aspiring to high standards of honesty and behaviour and always acting in the interests of people seeking sanctuary.

 

5.  Council Assembly notes:

 

a.  The four objectives of the Borough of Sanctuary Action plan:

 

1.  Stand together: We want Southwark to be a place of safety, support and opportunity for those seeking sanctuary and amplify their voices and experiences to shape positive change.

 

2.  Voice: We want to celebrate the culture, diversity and contributions of those seeking sanctuary and amplify their voices and experiences to shape positive change.

 

3.  Shaping Services: We want to better understand the experiences and needs of those seeking sanctuary and ensure that services and local agencies are responding to these issues and enabling opportunities.

 

4.  Bespoke support: We want to foster collaboration between different local agencies so they can respond effectively, cooperatively and flexibly to the ongoing and changing needs of sanctuary-seekers.

 

6.  Council Assembly asks Cabinet to:

 

a.  Continue its role in delivering on the Borough of Sanctuary Action Plan to surpass what has already been achieved to welcome refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

 

b.  Enable our Borough of Sanctuary team to continue to provide essential wrap around support for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants.

 

c.  Ensure a whole council approach is being taken to support refugees and sanctuary seekers, including helping those who find themselves homeless.

 

d.  Publish a report to mark one year of Southwark as a Borough of Sanctuary.

 

e.  Reiterate its support for and membership of the Lift the Ban coalition.

 

f.  Actively support our sisters and brothers in their annual celebration of refugee week to make Southwark Refugee Week the loudest, most inclusive and celebratory refugee celebrations in the country.

 

Motion 2: Southwark Stands Against Welfare Cuts

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen. 

 

Councillor Victor Chamberlain moved the motion. Councillor Jane Salmon seconded the motion.

 

There were two amendments to the motion.  Councillor Maria Linforth-Hall moved Amendment B.  Councillor Emily Tester seconded Amendment B.  Councillor Stephanie Cryan moved Amendment C.  Councillor Ian Wingfield seconded Amendment C. 

 

At this point, the guillotine fell. 

 

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

 

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

 

The amended 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.  That 3.7 million people in England and Wales currently receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

 

b.  PIP is a benefit not linked to being in work or out of work, but instead designed to help people with the additional unavoidable costs of having a disability. Many disabled people use PIP to cover the cost of getting to and from work, for paying for essential equipment and for meeting their social care charges.

 

c.  That Universal Credit contains a health-related element that currently supports 2.25 million people with severe health problems.

 

d.  Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which has found that 50% of recipients of the health element of Universal Credit are either unable to heat their home, are behind on their household bills or have low food security.

 

e.  That there are 900,000 children currently living in households where someone receives the health-related Universal Credit.

 

2.  Council Assembly notes:

 

a.  The regrettable consequences of austerity on Southwark’s most vulnerable residents, instigated by the Conservative - Liberal Democrat collation, which has had deleterious and long-lasting effects on our residents living with disabilities and health conditions, including children. Policies such as the Bedroom Tax and Benefit Cap pushed vulnerable people into poverty and homelessness.

 

b.  That the previous Labour government took a million children out of poverty and reduced homelessness by more than two-thirds.

 

c.  That the £22 billion black hole in the public finances left by the Conservative Government has resulted in tough decisions having to be made.

 

d.  That despite tough decisions, the Labour Party is committed to fixing the broken welfare system, and that tackling poverty and inequality has always been central to the Labour Party’s mission.

 

3.  Council Assembly welcomes:

 

a.  The work of the Southwark Labour administration to provide welfare support to those most in need across our borough:

  i.  We have delivered the country’s most comprehensive free healthy school meals programme across our nursery, primary and secondary schools, and in the school holidays. Furthermore, Southwark Labour has led the way nationally, by providing free school meals universally to primary school children since 2013, and by extending free school meal provision in secondary schools with £3.2m of investment for children who need it most.

  ii.  In 2024 alone, the Southwark Cost of Living Support Fund distributed more than £40 million to families in immediate need. Since the start of the Cost of Living Crisis in 2021, the Council has reached over 100,000 Southwark residents, those on the lowest incomes and most vulnerable to the impacts of rising costs.

  iii.  Offering a package of cost-of-living support that includes help for residents on low or insecure incomes and dealing with problem debt

  iv.  The Holiday Food and Fun programme funded nearly 70,000 free meals for children aged 4-6 in 2024

  v.  The distribution of Rose Vouchers, to help families buy fresh fruit and vegetables

  vi.  The Pension Credit take-up campaign, which supported eligible residents in applying for Pension Credit, enabling them to benefit from the Winter Fuel Allowance

  vii.  The Southwark Energy Savers Scheme, which provides energy-saving advice and support to residents struggling with rising energy bills and the cost of living crisis.

 

b.  The role that Labour MPs have played:

  i.  Voting for the amended Welfare Reform Bill, recognising the impact that the original bill would’ve had on those claiming PIP

  ii.  The work done by MPs Florence Eshalomi and Helen Hayes, in scrutinising the government’s welfare plans and securing changes, so that no one currently in receipt of the health top-up of universal credit, will lose out.

 

c.  The proposed Timms Review to examine eligibility for PIP, and the changes now secured around the implementation timetable to take account of that review which will be co-produced with disabled people.

 

4.  Council Assembly recognises:

 

a.  That the Labour government inherited a mess from the Tories but that over the last year, important steps have been taken to invest in the NHS and get waiting lists down and put money back in people’s pockets through a significant increase in the national minimum wage.

 

b.  That the current welfare system needs a thorough review, to take account of emerging health challenges, address high levels of worklessness amongst young people, and to tackle child poverty and homelessness.

 

c.  That the government has committed to investing £1bn in vital back to work support;

 

d.  That despite this, there have been significant concerns raised by disabled people and anti-poverty organisations about proposals that were put forward around PIP eligibility, and the health-related top-up to Universal Credit.

 

5.  Council Assembly resolves to:

 

a.  Ask that the Council continues to provide support to residents who need it most:

  i.  Continuing to provide Short Breaks to children with SEND through the Thrive-to-25 programme

  ii.  Continuing to lend a helping hand to families during school holidays in providing free healthy meals through initiatives such as Holiday Food and Fun

  iii.  Continue to provide free healthy school meals in nursery, primary and secondary schools, including the Department of Education’s pilot free breakfast clubs currently running in some Southwark primary schools

  iv.  Continuing to provide financial assistance to those receiving domiciliary care

 

b.  To write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to set out our priorities for Welfare Reform, including the abolition of the two-child limit in Universal Credit and permanent re-pegging of the Local Housing Allowance.

 

c.  To engage with the Timms Review and ensure that the voices and experiences of disabled Southwark residents are heard in that process

 

Motion 3: Making Space for Girls in Parks and Open Spaces

 

This motion was considered after the guillotine had fallen.

 

There were no amendments to the motion. 

 

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.  This Council notes:

 

a.  This Labour administration’s continued investment in parks, green spaces, and leisure facilities, including:

  i.  Having 30 Green Flag parks and an extensive parks and playground investment and improvements programme that has delivered major upgrades the length and breadth of the borough.

  ii.  A borough-wide plan to tackle safety and antisocial behaviour in parks.

  iii.  Upgrades to outdoor gyms and sports facilities.

  iv.  Initiatives such as the creation of more community growing spaces and the borough-wide action plan for Right to Grow so that our green spaces can meet the leisure needs of even more of our residents.

 

2.  This Council also notes:

 

a.  That despite these positive developments, there is compelling evidence from the Make Space for Girls campaign showing that teenage girls continue to feel excluded from parks and open spaces.

 

b.  That the provision of multi-use green areas (MUGAs), skateparks and other facilities tends to cater to boys, and does not reflect the social needs of girls.

 

c.  That often facilities such as outdoor gyms are designed with equipment that can be daunting or inaccessible to female users and particularly teenage girls.

 

d.  That the work concerning our green and open spaces, while extensive, does not yet include specific design standards or data monitoring to ensure teenage girls are equitably served.

 

e.  That research from Women in Sport indicates that teenage girls are almost twice as likely than teenage boys to disengage from sport during adolescence. Primary reasons for this include fear of judgement, a lack of confidence and not feeling safe outdoors.

 

f.  That exercise has significant physical but also mental health benefits and can support young people with improved social and emotional resilience.

 

3.  This Council believes:

 

a.  That all young people deserve green and public spaces where they feel welcome, safe and seen – and that girls and young women must be part of shaping the parks, playgrounds, sports facilities and outdoor spaces that serve them.

 

b.  That we have an opportunity to build on Southwark’s leadership in public space investment by becoming a national leader in designing spaces for teenage girls and young women.

 

4.  This Council resolves to:

 

a.  Include a gender-inclusion strand in the new Green Spaces Plan, specifically focused on teenage girls’ use of parks and green spaces, and informed by the research and guidance from Make Space for Girls.

 

b.  Undertake an audit of a representative sample of Southwark’s parks and play areas by Autumn 2026 to assess current usage, inclusion, and accessibility for teenage girls and other underrepresented groups.

 

c.  Engage girls and young women across the borough – including through schools, youth groups and other community partners – to understand what facilities, layouts and activities would make public spaces work for them.

 

d.  Deliver at least three co-designed pilot interventions in parks or green spaces or new public realm by Summer 2027. These will be pilots within existing capital projects. The pilots will look to include some of features known to support the use of spaces by girls and young women such as:

  i.  Social Seating Arrangements: Designing seating in clusters or circles facilitates social interaction, allowing girls to gather comfortably without feeling isolated or exposed.

  ii.  Subdivided and Open Sports Areas: Instead of large, enclosed multi-use games areas (MUGAs), creating smaller, open courts can prevent domination by single groups and make the spaces more inviting for all users, including girls.

  iii.  Inclusion of Swings and Natural Play Elements: Incorporating swings and natural play features like logs or climbing structures can cater to varied interests and promote active engagement among girls.

  iv.  Accessible and Quality Toilets: Providing clean and well-maintained toilets can remove barriers to access and comfort for girls. 78% of girls say they avoid sport during menstruation.

  v.  Circular Pathways: Designing circular paths around parks encourages movement and can be particularly appealing for walking and socialising, activities often preferred by teenage girls.

 

Above all, these pilots should actively involve teenage girls in the design process to ensure that their specific needs and preferences are addressed, leading to more inclusive spaces.

 

e.  Build on these pilot interventions by then embedding girl-inclusive principles in all future park and playground refurbishments.

 

f.  Join the Make Space for Girls local authority network, working collaboratively to share learning and push national standards forward.

 

g.  Publish an update report alongside the pilot projects delivery, and ensure equalities reporting, with data broken down by sex and age, is regularly reviewed by Cabinet.

 

Motion 4: Implementation of a Tourist Tax

 

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 amended 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.  That millions of people visit Southwark every year, with the Imperial War Museum receiving over 1 million tourists annually and Borough Market attracting 500,000 visitors every week.

 

b.  That visitors to Southwark, whilst significantly contributing to the local economy, place additional strain on infrastructure, public services, and the local environment.

 

c.  That many cities, such as Venice and Amsterdam, successfully employ a tourist contribution scheme (colloquially known as a tourist tax) to offset these impacts, without deterring visitors to the local economy.

 

d.  That several cities in the UK have now implemented, or are in the process of implementing their own tourist tax, including Manchester, York, Liverpool, and Edinburgh, with the latter two having just implemented the tax in May 2025.

 

e.  Manchester City Council reportedly made £2.8 million from their tourist tax, whilst Edinburgh expects to bring in as much as £50 million per year.

 

f.  The recent support for a tourist tax from the Mayor of London.

 

g.  That a tourist tax could provide additional revenue for maintaining public spaces, public transport, heritage conservation, waste management, sustainability projects, supporting the borough’s long-term goals and for promoting Southwark.

 

2.  Council Assembly believes:

 

a.  Welcome though visitors are, a tourist tax would allow Southwark to ensure visitors contribute fairly to the borough’s upkeep and to its sustainability, and to better manage the pressures that mass tourism brings.

 

b.  Evidence from numerous cities shows a modest visitor levy would not deter tourists and is now an accepted contribution across Europe to the costs of maintaining and enhancing popular visitor destinations.

 

c.  A London-wide tourist tax could, by some estimates, potentially generate hundreds of millions of pounds in revenue for the capital

 

3.  Council Assembly resolves to:

 

a.  Utilise our strong relationships with Business Improvement Districts in order to understand the potential impact of a tourism levy on businesses, particularly those in the hospitality sector.

 

b.  Support the call to implement a London-wide tourism levy through accommodation costs.

 

Motion 5: Limiting the spread of damaging gambling premises in the Blue

 

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 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:

 

a.  Notes the successes of the Blue Lettings Strategy, established with the support of local councillors, Blue Bermondsey business improvement district (BID) and the council over the past decade, that has seen:

 

  i.  Major public realm improvements

  ii.  Market infrastructure upgrades

  iii.  Shopfront improvements

  iv.  Four new restaurants set up on the high street

  v.  New locally owned uses such Brotherhood of Games thriving and bringing footfall and vitality

  vi.  The upcoming launch of the new B223 Multi-arts centre and community centre in the Thorowgoods building

  vii.  New affordable workspace supported to be established in the arches.

 

b.  Notes that more needs to be done drive footfall and improved mix of shops and stalls, creating new jobs as well as progression for local entrepreneurs, especially with the growing population (as well as retail competition) deriving from the new development at the Biscuit factory.

 

c.  Notes the growing prevalence of Adult Gaming Centres in the borough and nationally, and recent research showing their propensity to target areas of higher deprivation, and findings from addiction experts showing a spike in clinical referrals for gambling addicts.

 

d.  Notes that the Blue currently has an over-concentration of five gambling premises along a 150 yard stretch, in units that could do more to support the local economy, and less to fuelling addiction and financial distress.

 

e.  Calls on the council assembly to restate its commitment to the Blue lettings strategy, working with private commercial landlords and the Blue Bermondsey BID, to curate the high street and prioritise marketing and letting of commercial premises that:

 

  i.  Bring pride &/or distinction to the area

  ii.  Are independent businesses

  iii.  Avoid duplication

  iv.  Introduce uses that meet the needs of different incomes and backgrounds in the community

  v.  Drive footfall

  vi.  Generate local jobs and promotes skills development opportunities

  vii.  Support progression for locally owned businesses

  viii.  Avoid known public health risks.

 

f.  Calls on the council to re-commit to the Blue lettings strategy covering the above principles, and to use every available lever to avoid turning over leases of existing betting shops within its property portfolio in deprived or over-saturated areas.

 

g.  Calls on the Leader and Cabinet Member for Business to organise a meeting with local ward councillors, Blue Bermondsey BID and other stakeholders to support the strategy for improving the Blue, and long-term prospects for commercial property portfolio.

 

h.  Calls on the council to explore options for strengthening planning policy to combat over-concentration of gambling premises, through its forthcoming review of the Southwark Plan.

 

i.  Calls on the council to commission independent field research with local health charities and research organisations, to better understand the spending profiles and psychological backgrounds of repeat customers of gambling shops at the Blue, and to publicise those findings on its website.