The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Lambeth Council met on Wednesday 19 November 2025, to discuss a range of topics including the fortnightly black bin collection, proposals relating to parks in the borough, and the committee's work programme. A supplementary agenda was published to include discussion of the Medium Term Financial Strategy Savings Proposals.

Public Notice Question: Fortnightly Black Bin Collection

The committee was scheduled to consider a question submitted by a resident regarding the fortnightly black bin collection schedule that was implemented in April 2024. The resident stated that bins in Crewdson Road were overflowing and rubbish was spread across the street, and asked what steps Lambeth was taking to address this issue.

The response noted that while some areas had experienced issues, the change to fortnightly collections was implemented in line with Lambeth's Waste and Recycling Strategy and the government's Simpler Recycling framework, to improve recycling rates and reduce carbon emissions.

Steps to improve the situation included:

• Targeted collections and monitoring in affected streets
• Direct engagement with residents to reinforce proper bin use
• Reviewing bin capacity where property layouts or occupancy levels justify adjustment.

The response stated that officers had visited Crewdson Road and found the issues were due to insufficient bin capacity, residents not recycling as well as they could, and some bins not having lids. The bins with missing lids had been replaced, and additional bins were due to be delivered.

Parks in the Borough

The committee was scheduled to discuss a report outlining Lambeth's approach to managing and maintaining its parks and open spaces.

Key points covered in the report included:

• Lambeth's Parks Service manages 137 green spaces, ranging from Clapham Common to highway verges.
• The Parks Service has 64 full-time posts and operates from three main depots.
• A number of statutory requirements apply to the management of open spaces, though there is no obligation to provide public open space.
• Data from the Outdoor Recreation Valuation Tool (ORVal) estimated 7,066,512 annual visits to Lambeth parks, with a social welfare value of £20,370,408.
• Many parks and open spaces were gifted to the authority with restricted covenants requiring specific use in perpetuity.
• Under the Environment Act 2021, all local authorities have statutory responsibilities relating to biodiversity.
• All open spaces (excluding verges) have a management plan.

The report also provided information on facilities provided within parks, including tennis courts, play areas, sports facilities, drinking fountains, water features, cafes, community food growing areas, outdoor gyms and public toilets. In 2024/25, the Events team facilitated 147 events across the public realm, with 80 of these taking place within parks and open spaces.

The report noted that parks were identified as the best thing about living in Lambeth in the 2021 resident survey.

The report also addressed specific lines of enquiry requested by members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, including:

• Community involvement in the management of parks
• User satisfaction and feedback
• Green Flag Accreditation
• Key Performance Indicators
• Commercial uses of parks
• Parks Investment Levy
• Event-related issues
• Sustainability and environmental concerns
• Events and planning processes

The report included a list of parks and green spaces managed by Lambeth's Parks team¹, the council's Volunteering Policy², and Tree Risk Management Policy³, as well as management plans for Agnes Riley Gardens and Grafton Square.

Medium Term Financial Strategy Savings Proposals

The committee was also scheduled to review savings proposals as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). The report stated that the council needed to find savings to deliver a balanced budget for 2026/27 and beyond, due to reduced government funding and increased demand for services.

The report set out savings proposals totalling £28.269 million across the MTFS period, with £14.249 million in 2026/27. This left an estimated remaining budget gap of £35.661 million for 2026/27.

The savings proposals were summarised by directorate:

• Housing: £3.397 million in 2026/27, rising to £6.3 million from 2027/28
• Children, Families and Education: £4.239 million in 2026/27, rising to £2.695 million from 2028/29
• Resources: £1.788 million in 2026/27
• Integrated Health and Adult Social Care: £3.550 million in 2026/27
• Growth and Environment: £3.550 million in 2026/27

The report stated that initial equalities analyses had been undertaken of all the savings proposals, with a fuller Equality Impact Assessment to be undertaken for those where potential adverse impact had been identified.

Work Programme

The committee was also scheduled to discuss its work programme for 2025-26. The draft work programme included a review of invoices payable and receivable, asset management, highways and pavements, housing stock, developer contributions, air quality, and the Safer Lambeth Partnership.

The report included a table summarising the status of current scrutiny commissions, and noted that all proposals for scrutiny commissions should be submitted to the Scrutiny Team and would be considered by the OSC Chair and Vice-Chairs.