Evictions, LTNs, Council Tax and Trans healthcare: Questions and motions on the Lambeth Full Council meeting agenda

Questions about evictions during the pandemic, low traffic neighbourhoods and the low vaccination rates in Lambeth will be asked at the January Full Council meeting today (January 19).

Written replies submitted in advance by Labour councillors, who constitute 95% of

Lambeth Council, are customarily hostile towards questions from their six opposition councillors in the Green and Conservative parties. Although this limits the scope for cross-party collaboration to solve key local issues, Questions from Councillors is one of the main ways Clapham's councillors can represent the local residents in their wards, Clapham Common and Clapham Town. Two of Clapham's six councillors submitted questions. Lone Conservative and one of Clapham Common's three representatives, Cllr Tim Briggs, referring to low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) asked: "Will Labour councillors now finally listen to residents suffering from this ridiculous policy and remove the LTNs – or will they ignore residents on the advice of their racist friends in the LCC, and the wealthy Labour supporters and councillors who benefit from property price increases within LTNs?" Cllr Wellbelove for Clapham Town referred to the rise in cases of poor mental health. He asked: "Can the Cabinet Member tell us how that rise in cases compares to the number of referrals made to voluntary sector organisations who provide mental health support, and how many of those organisations have continued to provide valuable face to face service, and what guidance / recommendations has Lambeth given to the sector?" No questions have been asked by Cllr Linda Bray and Cllr Nigel Haselden for Clapham Town, or Cllr Joanna Reynolds and Cllr Joe Corry-Roake for Clapham Common. Representing neighbouring wards, Cllr Liz Atkins for Streatham Hill asked: "How effectively is the Council working with the NHS to tackle Omicron - in particular to boost vaccination rates and to stem the huge surge in cases?" Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, also for Streatham Hill, asked: "As we all want LTNs to work for everyone, can you provide reassurances that these recommendations will be taken forward by the council and considered seriously before implementation of future LTNs?" St Leanords Green representative, Cllr Nicole Griffiths, asked: "Will the council re-set and improve targets to reduce waste sent for incineration, and to increase recycling rates?"

Opposition party motions

Motions on the Lambeth Full Council meeting agenda in July included improvements to temporary accommodation for Lambeth residents (Green), supporting refugees to make Lambeth their home (Labour), and an independent committee to reduce youth knife crime in Lambeth (Conservative). In today's Full Council Meeting, Green party councillors have tabled a motion to increase the development of local green infrastructure projects, recognise carbon off-setting as a last resort in a hierarchy of actions to tackle climate change, accelerate waste reduction, sustainable food strategies and natural carbon capture, and continue to contribute to transport system transformation in London. Conservative cllr Tim Briggs argues for Council Tax cuts, using data from the last 50 years of Council Tax to compare Lambeth with neighbouring Wandsworth, ranked the fourth best place in the country for social mobility and where residents in the lowest tax band pay £559 (residents in the lowest Council tax band in Lambeth pay £1,061).

Labour motions

Citing Stonewall research and committing Lambeth to continue working with Stonewall, Gallop and The LGBT Consortium, Labour's motion 'Trans and non-binary healthcare' also asks the government to increase funding that expands gender identity services and train staff across the NHS on issues affecting trans and non-binary people. The Labour motion, 'Building Lambeth's economic recovery', resolves to support its Economic Resilience Strategy, to call on the government to match the council's investment in Lambeth, and to assist the post-pandemic recovery of local communities, residents and businesses In its motion, 'Stop the Tory attacks on our rights', Labour councillors resolve to write to the Home Secretary about both the Nationality and Borders Bill and the right to protest in the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill.