The Council of Lewisham Council met on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, for its annual general meeting, and to discuss a review of the council's constitution. The agenda included the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, and the allocation of seats and appointments to committees.

Review of the Constitution

A report pack included a recommendation to approve a new version of the council's constitution. According to the report pack, the constitution is:

the document that governs how the Council makes decisions, how scrutiny operates, how the public engages with the Council and how the Council operates.

The report pack noted that the council is required to keep the constitution under review and that the council’s Monitoring Officer is the custodian of the Constitution.

The report pack stated that the proposed new constitution was split into parts, tidied up and structured for ease of navigation. The new constitution is structured as follows:

• Part 1 Summary & Explanation
• Part 2 Articles
• Part 3 Responsibility for Functions (inc. the Scheme of Delegation)
• Part 4 Rules of Procedure
• Part 5 Codes of Conduct
• Part 6 Scheme of Members’ Allowances
• Appendices

The report pack noted several specific changes to the constitution:

• References to Local Assemblies were removed.
• Additional wording was included in Article 6.13 confirming the political balance rules apply to Task & Finish Groups.
• Additional wording was included in Article 9 for the Terms of Reference for Strategic Planning Committee.
• New Chief Executive Urgency Provisions were added.
• The Scheme of Delegation was structured as a single Scheme of Delegation covering both Executive and Non-Executive delegations.
• The current requirement for a Mayor & Cabinet decision to make a grant funding application was removed from the Scheme of Delegation.
• The Council Procedure Rules were revised relating to Motions on Notice.
• The restrictions on the business that can be conducted at an extraordinary meeting of the Council were revised.
• The restrictions on the business that can be conducted at the budget meeting of the Council were revised.
• The rules relating to councillor and public questions were revised.
• The end of meeting guillotine provisions were revised.
• The amendment to confirm that Chairs and Vice chairs of committees and sub committees are determined at the Annual General Meeting of Council was added.
• The provisions that detail the disapplication of specific Council Procedure Rules to committees and sub committees were revised.
• Cabinet Advisors cannot sit on the Overview & Scrutiny Committee but can sit on scrutiny select committees provided the remit of the select committee does not conflict with the portfolio supported by the Cabinet Advisor.
• With regard to call-in that: Specific and reasonable reasons for call-in must be stated; The Monitoring Officer will consider the validity of any call-in application and consult with the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny in advance of rejecting any application; All executive decisions are subject to call-in with the exception of decisions to note reports and decisions to recommend matters for onward consideration and decision by Council; and In order to be valid any application for call-in must be supported by a minimum of seven councillors that are not members of the Executive or Cabinet Advisors
• The wording should be amended to reflect that the outturn reporting is included in the routine financial reports that go to Council.
• The requirement that income receipts over £100,000 shall be notified to the Section 151 Officer in advance of receipt is deleted.
• The recording threshold is increased to £40,000 (rather than £20,000 as currently) for assets valued at purchase to be logged and the reference to a specific IT product is deleted.
• Council staff under local management arrangements are expected to respect and uphold the Financial Regulations.
• References to the Community Right to Challenge should be removed from the Contract Procedure Rules.
• When calculating the value of procurement exercises, the figures should be inclusive of VAT to align with the Procurement Act 2023.
• The Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer should determine the level and nature of security for contracts, taking into account the nature and risks of the contract.
• Quotations and Tenders should be obtained as follows:
  • Upto £10,000 – One Quotation;
  • Between £10,000 and £50,000 – Two Quotations;
  • Between £50,000 and £100,000 (Services and Supplies) and £500,000 (Works) – Three Quotations;
  • Between £50,000 (Supplies and Services) and £100,000 (Works) and the relevant Procurement Threshold – 4 Tenders;
  • Above the relevant Procurement Threshold – 5 Tenders.
• Arrangements for signing and sealing should be as follows:
  • Upto £200,000 total contract value – Signed by the relevant Executive Director, Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer or any other officer duly authorised under the Scheme of Delegation;
  • Over £200,000 total contract value or any other contract as directed by the Monitoring Officer – Sealed.
  • That all of the above figures are adjusted annually in accordance with movement in the Consumer Prices Index (to reflect the agreed practice relating to Key Decision Thresholds).
• That example scenarios be included in the Protocol as detailed in paragraph 12.3 of this report;
• That provisions relating to the relationship with committee chairs and the scrutiny function be included in the Protocol as detailed in paragraph 12.3 of this report;
• That the Protocol contain provisions on what to do when things go wrong or there are potential breaches of the Protocol as detailed in paragraph 12.3 of this report.
• The inclusion of a requirement for all Council planning applications to be considered by committee;
• The inclusion of a requirement for members of the committee to attend training before sitting on the committee;
• The inclusion of a requirement that to be able to vote committee members must be present throughout the duration of the item being discussed.
• To note the decision of the Council’s Licensing Committee dated 24th April 2025 and to approve the Licensing Remote Hearing Protocol, attached to this report as Appendix 19.

Election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker

The council was expected to elect a speaker and deputy speaker for the 2025/26 municipal year.

Approval of Minutes

The council was scheduled to approve the minutes of the previous council meeting held on 5 March 2025. Councillor Jacq Paschoud was in the chair, and Councillor Laura Cunningham was the vice-chair.

Some of the announcements and communications that were made at the meeting included:

• The death of Lieutenant Colonel Conrad St John Graham OBE TD DL, former Representative Deputy Lieutenant for Lewisham.
• The death of Lisa Fallon, a senior public health officer.
• The launch of Elevate 100, a new employment skills and wellbeing hub for young people aged between 16-30 years in Downham.
• Funding had been secured for upgrading the lighting systems at the Broadway theatre which would be replaced with environmentally friendly LED lights.
• Lewisham’s 12 libraries have been shortlisted by the British Book Awards for the library of the year 2025.
• Mayor Brenda Dacres thanked Councillor Chris Barnham, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, who was stepping down from the Cabinet.

Other Matters

The council was also scheduled to:

• Note the composition and portfolios of the Mayor’s Cabinet.
• Agree the terms of reference of the Committees.
• Agree the allocation of seats and appointments to the Committees, including the appointment of Chairs and Vice Chairs for 2025/26.
• Appoint named Members to outside bodies.
• Agree a programme of meetings for 2025/26.
• Note the Mayor’s delegation of Executive functions as set out in Part III of the Council’s Constitution.