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Councillors Column
from SE22 April 2021
by SE Magazines
SE22 Councillors
Dulwich Hill Councillor Maggie Browning | maggie.browning@southwark.gov.uk
It was great to take part in the Empowering Communities South Area public meeting on 23rd Feb. At this meeting, all the council wards in the south of the borough announced their annual funding allocations from the Cleaner, Greener, Safer fund; the Devolved Highways Budget; and the Neighbourhood Fund. Cllr Hartley and I were particularly pleased to allocate £68K from the Cleaner Greener Safer/ Devolved Highways Budget funds to pay for more cycle hangers in Dulwich Hill ward. We are keen to do all we can to encourage active travel for Dulwich Hill residents and providing more cycle hangars is key to this.
Southwark Labour’s 2021/22 Budget
Council Assembly took place on Wednesday 24th February. We are proud that our proposed budget includes maintaining two of our flagship policies -- universal free school meals and free swim & gym -- for another year along with investing in a range of new areas. We have allocated £500k into a food poverty programme to combat the drastic increase in food poverty since the beginning of the pandemic, £300k into Southwark Stands Together to make the changes we need to create an actively anti-racist borough, and £100k into the brilliant Community Hub that has been the epicentre of Covid-19 support throughout the pandemic.
Climate Emergency Update
At Budget Council Assembly, we agreed our Capital Strategy that sets out the council’s investment for the next decade. This includes a £101 million investment in the Capital Programme, which will go towards initiatives that will contribute to our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The Climate Change team have recently completed extensive engagement with residents that will shape the way this money is spent. Our current plans include the Net Zero Operational Estate that will see Southwark-owned property reach net zero carbon through improved insulation, glazing, and solar panels, and a Net Zero Council Fleet that will reduce fleet size and invest in electric alternatives. The council currently has a ten-year programme on Electric Vehicle charging points. We have also committed to accelerating this timeline with additional funding from the £101m.
Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Programme
The council, working with the CCG, has launched a programme of work encouraging and supporting residents to take up the Covid-19 vaccine when they are offered it. The programme aims to help residents understand the risks that Covid-19 poses to them, their families and their community; know the plan for the vaccine rollout and what to expect; and feel confident in their decision about taking the vaccine, based on facts and official information. The programme includes training 1,000 community members including staff, volunteers and our 50 Community Ambassadors, to talk to residents about their concerns and share information. The council is also running public webinars and producing campaign materials including case studies and videos to share through its communications channels and community and faith partners.
New Private Rented Licensing Schemes
The council is looking to protect private renter’s rights through the introduction of two new licensing schemes. The proposed new schemes will encourage responsive repairs, fair rents, secure tenancies with protection from unnecessary eviction, and will give the council new enforcement powers against non-compliant landlords. The council wants to hear from private renters to help shape these new schemes. Please complete the consultation via the link below, which is open until 7th June 2021:
https://consultations.southwark.gov.uk/ environment-leisure/2021-private-rented-sectorproperty-licensing-prop/
Do you have any questions or comments about anything in this report? Please do get in touch: Maggie.browning@southwark.gov.uk
