Lewisham London Borough Council

Last updated

Lewisham London Borough Council
Coat of arms of the London Borough of Lewisham.svg
Coat of Arms
Lewisham Council Logo.svg
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Jacq Paschoud,
Labour
since 27 March 2024 [1]
Brenda Dacres,
Labour
since 8 March 2024
Jennifer Daothong
since April 2023 [2]
Structure
SeatsElected mayor plus 54 councillors [3]
London Borough Council July 2024.svg
Political groups
Administration (53)
  Labour (53)
Opposition (1)
  Independent (1) [4]
Elections
First past the post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
Lewisham Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 3164946.jpg
Town Hall, Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU
Website
www.lewisham.gov.uk

Lewisham London Borough Council, also known as Lewisham Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Lewisham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. It has been led by a directly elected mayor since 2002. The council meets at Lewisham Town Hall in the Catford area of the borough.

Contents

History

There has been an elected Lewisham local authority since 1856 when the Lewisham District was created, covering the ancient parish of Lewisham and the hamlet of Penge, governed by an elected board. It was one of the lower tier authorities within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London. [5] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, each with a borough council, one of which was called Lewisham. The borough covered a different area to the old Lewisham District; Penge was transferred to Kent, but the new borough gained the parish of Lee. [6]

The larger London Borough of Lewisham and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964. [7] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities, being the councils of the two metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford. [8] The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished. [9]

The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Lewisham", but it styles itself Lewisham Council. [10]

From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Lewisham) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees. [11] Lewisham became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved. [12]

Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions. [13]

Data protection

In 2012 the Council was fined £70,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after a social worker "left files containing GP and police reports and allegations of sexual abuse and neglect in a shopping bag on a train". [14] Commenting on Lewisham and other authorities who had made similar data protection breaches, the ICO said "It would be far too easy to consider these breaches as simple human error. The reality is that they are caused by councils treating sensitive personal data in the same routine way they would deal with more general correspondence. Far too often in these cases, the councils do not appear to have acknowledged that the data they are handling is about real people, and often the more vulnerable members of society." [14] In August 2015, it was reported by the News Shopper that between April 2011 and April 2014, Lewisham Council had disclosed the public's sensitive data 64 times, whereas the neighbouring councils of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich had not committed any data breaches in that period. [15]

Governance

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates. [16] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health. [17]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010.

The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows: [18]

Party in controlYears
Labour 1965–1968
Conservative 1968–1971
Labour 1971–2006
No overall control 2006–2010
Labour 2010–present

Leadership

Prior to 2002, political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. The leaders from 1965 to 2002 were: [19] [20]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Fred Winslade Labour 19651968
Norman Banks Conservative 19681971
Andy Hawkins Labour 19711984
Ron Stockbridge Labour 19841985
Dave Sullivan Labour 19851988
Steve Bullock Labour 19881993
Margaret Moran Labour 19931995
Jim Mallory Labour 19951998
Dave Sullivan Labour 19982002

In 2002 the council changed to having a directly elected Mayor of Lewisham as its political leader, after which the former ceremonial role of mayor was initially renamed the chair, subsequently becoming the speaker. [21] The directly elected mayors since 2002 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Steve Bullock Labour 6 May 20026 May 2018
Damien Egan Labour 7 May 201810 Jan 2024
Brenda Dacres Labour 8 Mar 2024

Composition

At the 2022 election, Labour won all 54 seats on the council and the mayoralty. Following a by-election in May 2024, [22] and a councillor leaving Labour in July 2024, [4] the current composition is:

PartyCouncillors
Labour 53
Independent 1
Total54

The next election is due in May 2026.

Premises

Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU: Council's additional offices opposite the Town Hall Lewisham Council Offices, Catford - geograph.org.uk - 3940316.jpg
Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU: Council's additional offices opposite the Town Hall

The council meets at Lewisham Town Hall on Catford Road in the Catford area. The first town hall on the site was completed in 1875 for the old Lewisham District Board of Works. A large extension to the east was added in 1932, comprising a concert hall and municipal offices with a distinctive curved frontage facing Rushey Green. A new office wing was subsequently added to the west, being completed in 1963. The original 1875 part of the building was then demolished and replaced by a new civic suite, including the council chamber, which was completed in 1971. [23]

Town Hall Chambers: Council's offices 1932-2020 Lewisham Town Hall (9175916169).jpg
Town Hall Chambers: Council's offices 1932–2020

In 2020 the council vacated the 1932 municipal offices, by then known as Town Hall Chambers, having consolidated its offices in the 1963 and 1971 wings of the Town Hall and at a 1960s office building called Laurence House on the opposite side of Catford Road. [24]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022, the council has comprised the elected mayor plus 54 councillors representing 19 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewisham London Borough Council elections</span> London local authority, elections and history

Lewisham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Lewisham, in London, United Kingdom. Elections are held every four years using a plurality bloc vote electoral system for the councillors and the supplementary vote electoral system for the elected mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney London Borough Council</span>

Hackney London Borough Council, also known as Hackney Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Hackney, in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2002. Since 2002 the council has been led by a directly elected mayor. The council meets at Hackney Town Hall and has its main offices in the adjoining Hackney Service Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newham London Borough Council</span> Local authority in London, England

Newham London Borough Council also known as Newham Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1971. It has been led by a directly elected mayor since 2002. The council meets at Newham Town Hall in East Ham and has its main offices at 1000 Dockside Road, overlooking the Royal Albert Dock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waltham Forest London Borough Council</span>

Waltham Forest London Borough Council, also known as Waltham Forest Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Waltham Forest in London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The council is based at Waltham Forest Town Hall in Walthamstow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redbridge London Borough Council</span> Local authority for the London Borough of Redbridge

Redbridge London Borough Council, also known as Redbridge Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Redbridge in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2014. The council meets at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford and has its main offices nearby at Lynton House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islington London Borough Council</span> Government authority in England

Islington London Borough Council, also known as Islington Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Islington in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The council meets at Islington Town Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeth London Borough Council</span> Local authority in Greater London, England

Lambeth London Borough Council, which styles itself Lambeth Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Lambeth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of the 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2006. The council meets at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton and has its main offices at the nearby Civic Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower Hamlets London Borough Council</span> Local authority in London, England

Tower Hamlets London Borough Council, also known as Tower Hamlets Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under the majority control of local party Aspire since 2022. It has been led by a directly elected mayor since 2010. The council is based at Tower Hamlets Town Hall on Whitechapel Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council</span> Local authority in London

Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council, also known as Kensington and Chelsea Council, is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Conservative majority control since its creation in 1965. It is based at Kensington Town Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnet London Borough Council</span> Local authority of Barnet in London

Barnet London Borough Council, also known as Barnet Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Barnet in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2022. The council meets at Hendon Town Hall and has its main offices at 2 Bristol Avenue in Colindale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenwich London Borough Council</span>

Greenwich London Borough Council, also known as Greenwich Council or the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Greenwich in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1971. It meets at Woolwich Town Hall and has its main offices at the Woolwich Centre opposite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merton London Borough Council</span> Local authority in England

Merton London Borough Council, which styles itself Merton Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Merton in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2014. The council is based at Merton Civic Centre in Morden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wandsworth London Borough Council</span> Local authority for the London Borough of Wandsworth in Greater London, England

Wandsworth London Borough Council, also known as Wandsworth Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Wandsworth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2022. It is based at Wandsworth Town Hall in the centre of Wandsworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bexley London Borough Council</span> Local authority in England

Bexley London Borough Council, also known as Bexley Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Bexley in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2006. It is based at Bexley Civic Offices in the Bexleyheath area of the borough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon London Borough Council</span> Municipal body governing London Borough

Croydon London Borough Council, which styles itself Croydon Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Croydon in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. Croydon is divided into 28 wards, electing 70 councillors. Since 2022 the council has been led by a directly elected mayor. The council has been under no overall control since 2022, being run by a Conservative minority administration. The council meets at Croydon Town Hall and has its main offices in the adjoining Bernard Weatherill House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ealing London Borough Council</span>

Ealing London Borough Council, which styles itself Ealing Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Ealing in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The council meets at Ealing Town Hall and has its main offices in the adjoining Perceval House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enfield London Borough Council</span>

Enfield London Borough Council, which styles itself Enfield Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Enfield in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. It is based at Enfield Civic Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow London Borough Council</span> Local authority for the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London, England

Harrow London Borough Council, also known as Harrow Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2022. Full council meetings are held at the Harrow Arts Centre and the council's main offices are at the Council Hub in Wealdstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwark London Borough Council</span> Local authority in London

Southwark London Borough Council, also known as Southwark Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The council is based at 160 Tooley Street.

The 2022 Lewisham London Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. All 54 members of Lewisham London Borough Council were up for election. The elections took place alongside local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom.

References

  1. "Council minutes, 27 March 2024". Lewisham Council. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  2. "Lewisham appoints new Chief Executive". Lewisham Council. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  3. "Your Councillors". councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk. 19 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 Firth, Robert (13 July 2024). "Deptford councillor resigns from Labour Party after investigation over pro-Palestine rally". Southwark News . Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  5. Metropolis Management Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)
  6. London Government Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)
  7. "London Government Act 1963", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1978 c. 33, retrieved 16 May 2024
  8. Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN   0901050679.
  9. Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN   0901050679.
  10. "Difference between the London Borough of Lewisham and Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Lewisham". What do they know. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  11. "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
  12. Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40)
  13. Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN   978-0714648590.
  14. 1 2 "ICO hits the road to crack 'underlying problem' at data-leak councils". The Register. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  15. Freedom of Information request reveals Lewisham Council lost public's sensitive data 64 times newsshopper.co.uk. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  16. "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  17. "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  18. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  19. "Council minutes". Lewisham Council. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  20. "London Boroughs Political Almanac". London Councils. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  21. "Council minutes, 15 July 2020". Lewisham Council. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  22. Gregory, Ruby (3 May 2024). "Labour wins by-election in Lewisham as new councillor for Deptford announced" . Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  23. London's Town Halls. London: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1998. p. 151. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  24. "Approval to procure - Affordable Workspace Provider - Town Hall Chambers" (PDF). Lewisham Council. 24 January 2024. p. 4. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  25. "The London Borough of Lewisham (Electoral Changes) Order 2020", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2020/1231, retrieved 25 April 2024