Council - Wednesday 10 December 2025, 7:30pm - Wandsworth Council Webcasting

Council
Wednesday, 10th December 2025 at 7:30pm

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Disclaimer: This transcript was automatically generated, so it may contain errors. Please view the webcast to confirm whether the content is accurate.

Good evening, councillors, staff and members of the public. I hope you are having a good

autumn and welcome to the December council meeting. I'm delighted to welcome Ashad Daud,

who is chair of the management committee from Balaam and Tuting Islamic Centre,

Balaam Mosque and Tuting Islamic Centre, to say a few words.

Councillors on the Finance, Overview and Scrutiny Committee will know Ashad served on the Council's

Cost of Living Commission.

Also he's the chair of the Interfaith Organisation in Balaam and Tuting, BACTA.

His charity work is both local and international.

Hachet, you and your family are an inspiration

and we look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Thank you, Mayor Jeremy, for your kind introduction

and for inviting me here tonight

to share my reflections and my thoughts

and it's an absolute honour to stand before all of you today

to do that.

I hope what I've got to say today,

I did promise I'm not gonna use a script,

but been hell busy, so I will do.

What I hope to do is encourage and inspire

with my reflections and thoughts specifically.

So to start with, let me acknowledge

the incredibly responsible work

that all of you carry out on a daily basis.

Every decision you make, directly or indirectly,

touches the lives of residents, businesses,

and community organisations across the borough

of Wandsworth and beyond.

What you do is no small task and it deserves respect.

Each of you, every single one of you,

has earned your place in this chamber.

Your personal experiences have shaped who you are

and how you lead.

The diversity in this room across backgrounds,

perspectives, and contrary to popular belief,

political parties is a strength.

When different ideas meet, and these are channelled constructively, they spark innovation and progress.

Healthy debate is not something to fear, it's the engine of democracy.

The diversity displayed here also protects against groupthink.

If we only agree to things with a herd mentality, we risk missing creative solutions and fresh approaches.

Community changes, communities change,

and so must our decisions.

As a community leader myself, clarity of purpose matters.

Bringing your best self to the table

ensures that the decisions you make collectively

and the decisions I make collectively

truly serve the people that either we represent

or that we manage on a daily basis in the community.

My focus on agility in decision making ensures that the decisions I make collectively are

relevant to the outcomes that will be experienced by the communities that I serve and in your

case those that you have been elected to represent.

And of course disagreement will happen and we know that too well.

That is part of leadership but how you respond to disagreement does matter.

Learn how to challenge and disagree well.

Even when questions feel antagonistic or disrespectful,

answer with respect and thoughtfulness.

Be ambitious and realistic,

focusing on positive impact and outcomes.

Always reflect on the fact, and this is certainly one that I do,

that history will never remember the question.

It will always remember your answer and your response.

The quality of your contribution is how you will be known,

and that will one day become your legacy.

Finally, just to touch on leadership and accountability.

For me, leadership is more than holding office

or serving a community and managing that community.

It's about setting the tone, it's inspiring trust,

and it's taking responsibility for outcomes.

Accountability, on the other hand, ensures decisions

are transparent and grounded in the public interest.

Together, these principles build confidence in governance

and strengthen the bond between you

and the communities you serve.

To conclude, I'd personally like to thank all of you

for your service and for the commitment you all bring

to make our borough of Wandsworth a better, safer place

that offers the opportunity for all communities to thrive.

Thank you, Mayor Jeremy, once again for inviting me.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Arshad, for your advice and your inspiration.

Now, we go to apologies that have been received from

Councillor Davies, Dobres,

Locker, Marshall,

Mayokas, Paul,

Rigby, and Suttas.

And apologies for lateness from

Councillor Cooper, French,

Pridham and Stock.

Are there any other apologies that I haven't yes councillor?

Thank you mr. Mayor apologies for lateness from councillor Richard's Jones

Thank you any further apologies

Okay, thank you very much item one

The minutes of the meeting held on 22nd of October have been circulated

Are there any objections or extensions to me signing the minutes as a correct record?

No, taken as agreed.

Thank you very much.

I'm on to item two, mayor's announcements.

First I'm going to cover some mayoral events and visits.

The mayoral programme for myself and the deputy mayor, Councillor Rosemary Burchell, continues

apace and I want to mention a few of the highlights.

We have lively classes of primary school children

with teachers and parents in the council most weeks

learning about our history and how the council works,

including having debates here in the council chamber.

On the London Borough Culture Year,

this has supported the unveiling of a number of green plaques

celebrating our history and many significant local people

who live in Wandsworth, Jean Rathbone and the Batty Society

have been an inspiration in making much of this happen.

We had a brilliant and inspiring evening

celebrating the 11 outstanding new Civic awardees.

I attended the opening of the new Paddock School in Tooting,

formerly Beechcroft, giving increased

and much needed local special needs education.

The new buildings were on time and on budget, but more than that, a credit to the partnership

between the Council, the school and the contractors.

The new building looks designed and built to provide a great environment for children

with special needs.

Good luck to the new Paddock School.

The Deputy Mayor and I have been busy switching on Christmas lights in our high streets.

These have been memorable events with school children singing carols, children's art

and craft activities, local businesses raising money for charities, local pantos and even

donkeys.

Credit to the local High Street Bids and the Council's High Street team for making the

light switch on such special events.

I have been delighted to open new and upgraded play facilities as part of our year of play

in Wandsworth Parks in Earlsfield and in Southfields and in Battersea.

Others are being planned.

This is part of a programme to enhance parks across the borough.

I've been particularly impressed that council officers and the park section with ENABLE,

They have done this work in close collaboration with residents, community groups and local

schools.

I hope the children and residents will enjoy the basketball courts, the fun play facilities,

the outdoor gyms, the outdoor table tennis tables and the chess tables and seating as

much as Councillor Paul White and I have done at the openings.

Thanks.

Just wanted to say a few words about our work on the OSCs.

I'd like to congratulate members of the Health Over Euen

Scrutiny Committee and Children's Over Euen

Scrutiny Committee for holding such a productive

joint meeting reviewing our approach to violence

against women and girls, VOG.

The inclusion of young people from the youth council

from refuge and the evidence received from the voluntary

sector and teachers made this work particularly powerful.

However, our commitment to VARG is an ongoing journey

strengthening our efforts in this area,

is a continuous process, and demands strong dedication

and collaboration.

Better never stops.

But the cross -party approach and the broad brush

cross -departmental and partnership efforts

have been instrumental.

and we must build on this as our foundations for the future.

As we anticipate the final report in February,

let's ensure that it serves as a robust groundwork

for further enhancements to our VARG services.

Provided by the council, our partners,

and together we can make a significant difference

in the lives of those affected by VARG.

The highlights of other council OSC committees included focus work on specific areas and

issues and areas of service.

Particularly notable work included tackling challenging areas such as the housing OSC

doing a review of homelessness and temporary accommodation and the environmental overview

and scrutiny committee reviewing the approach to a cleaner borough including the rubbish

collection services. Council is well down on making your work on OSCs slightly less

combative and more positive and productive, with the aim that we should share, all of

us, for continuous improvement of our council services.

A word on charities and fundraising. I want to thank you, who supported the recent comedy

night helping raise money for my three mayoral charities, Mind Works, Oasis and

Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees. We had a fun and hilarious evening and raised about

four and a half thousand pounds profit. Our next mayoral charity event is our

Christmas party. Please put it in your diaries for the evening of Tuesday the

16th of December.

On tonight's agenda, can members please note that a number of supplementary items have

been circulated, and these are required to be considered as a matter of urgency.

The reasons are set out in full at the top of those items.

Is that agreed?

Council, thank you.

Please remember to speak through the chair.

This is to ensure that we don't have two or three people

speaking at the same time.

So I choose the speaker when you have been able

to catch my eye and I will do my best to do this

in a fair and impartial way.

Please could all speakers keep to time

and wind up your speeches when the red light comes on.

When the red light comes on,

you will have 30 seconds remaining to wind up.

This is to allow as many possible

of all counsellors to participate.

I hope councillors and officers will join me for festive drinks and a meet -and -buy after the meeting. Thank you.

We're on to item 3. Are there any members who have any declarations of disposable

or precunery interests, other registrable interests,

or non -registrable interests relevant to any matter

to be considered at the meeting.

Any no direct declarations of interest?

Okay, thank you.

On to item four.

Members, please raise your hands to indicate

if you have a petition to hand in once I've called your name please announce

the subject title of the petition and who you are presenting it on behalf of

please then come forward and hand your petition to Mr. Kelly. Are there any

petitions? Yes, Councillor Covelli. I have a petition on behalf of 149 residents in

East Putney in respect of the coach parking proposals that the council has

made in respect of Lytton Grove and Carlton Drive.

Councillor Graham. Thank you Mr Mayor. I'm calling on behalf

of Eatonville Road and Eatonville Villas rear petition as they're extremely unhappy about

the pavements, their trip hazards, older people have complained of serious injuries and of

there is mobility and sight loss as regards to the disabilities.

And it's calling on the council for repayment.

Thank you.

Any more petitions?

Yes, Councillor Corner.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

I have a petition on behalf of 159 residents in Nine Elms

to address the increasing problem of crime in the area.

we're calling for the council to better deliver better use skill in the area to invest in crime prevention.

Measures take action against excessive long -running protests and antisocial behaviour

and we're also asking the Mayor of London to increase resources focused on tackling crime

and reversing the trend of redeploying police officers away from the nine -ounce area.

Thank you, Councillor Corner. Any more petitions?

Thank you. Each of these petitions will be dealt with in accordance with the Council's

petition scheme. We're on to item 5, Leader's Questions. Before we begin, questions, may

I remind all members that the overall period of members' questions to the Leader and

the Cabinet members is 45 minutes, with 20 minutes for Leader's questions and 25 minutes

for cabinet members questions.

However, if the leader's questions overrun,

this time is taken off cabinet members' questions.

Councillor Caddy will take that one.

Just one.

I think, Councillor Caddy, you're going to do question one.

Thank you very much, Mr Mayor.

Question one to the leader.

I thank the Councillor for that question,

and I'm sorry, Councillor Richard Jones can't be here.

I know, ariasidiously, he does this,

and I hope everything's well and that he'll be able to be with us soon.

I thank the Councillor for the question.

There's going to be lots of finance questions today.

I think we've got two full debates on finance, too.

And that's great because value for money is at the heart of everything we do.

Wandsworth has one of the lowest levels of debt in London,

some of the highest financial reserves, and Wandsworth Labour is proud

to have set the lowest council tax in the country through three separate freezes.

She raises a question about the recent government's budget and we know that the Chancellor is

doing her hardest to continue to clean up the mess created by 14 years of the previous

Conservative government which oversaw rampant inflation, volatile interest rates and declining

growth.

The national budget included some great measures, cuts to energy bills, that's going to save

lower income families £150 on average next year, rising to £300. There's a freeze on

train fares and prescription charges. And we're moving on from austerity by maintaining

the highest levels of public investment for four decades. And it's worth noting that wages

for workers increased more under 12 months of labour than the first decade under the

Conservatives. Now, one of the proposals for delivering this is a new surcharge on properties

over a certain value that would be collected by local authorities on behalf of the government.

And that means that councils will not benefit financially from the government's policy.

This administration has had a clear position that council tax should be kept as low as

possible.

It is an unfair tax.

I think it's Britain's most Google tax.

It's a hugely unpopular and disliked tax.

And that's why we've delivered a council tax freeze for the past three years, which means

Wandsworth has the lowest council tax in the country and we intend to continue our record of sound financial management

Council Caddy I

Think the lead of his answer

a retiree living on pretty much the basic state pension in a fairly modest tourist house in Battersea

What many years ago may know may now well have to somehow scrape together two and a half thousand pounds?

approximately 27 % of their income just to spend on additional taxes. Do you

think that's fair?

Councillor Hogg. I thank Councillor Caddy for the question and I

think she raises a really valid point. I mean I think we all understand the

intent of this policy but I agree we want to make sure that we do not

unfairly tax people who cannot afford it and the government is consulting next year on the scheme

and how we'll protect those who cannot afford to pay this surcharge and we of course will advocate

strongly for a really clear scheme that protects those on low incomes. As a council we'll support

our residents to make sure their valuations and their council tax bandings are correct to make

sure that no one is unnecessarily affected.

Because on this policy, on every policy, we're on the side of ordinary income residents,

not oligarchs.

But let's be clear, this is not an increase in Wandsworth's low council tax.

This is a separate national tax which goes straight to the government, not to our council.

It is three years off and there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge between now

and then.

This isn't the choice I would have made but let's see where it lands in a few years time and in the meanwhile

We will continue to do everything we can to stand up for Wandsworth residents

including keeping the UK's lowest council tax

Second second supplementary councillor Lee

Thank you second supplementary

Charities like the child poverty action group

Action for Children and the Trussell Trust have long campaigned against the UK's two -child benefit cap,

calling it a major driver of child poverty in the UK.

Does the leader join me in welcoming the abolition of the two -child benefit cap?

Councillor Hogg.

I very much do. This move will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty

and it will serve as an investment in the future of Britain's children.

Around 6 ,000 children in Wandsworth are set to benefit from lifting the two -child benefit

cap and almost 450 ,000 around the country.

This is Labour values in action.

All of our children deserve the best start in life and this move adds to our own local

offer for children this year alone.

We've expanded free school meals to all access for all children.

That's given hundreds of extra children a lunch every day, save their families £500

a year.

We've expanded Magic Breakfast to more schools.

Over one million breakfasts are being provided over this academic year.

And Wandsworth Labour provides the most generous school uniform support scheme in the country

with vouchers of up to £170.

And I know many people here, like Councillor Gasser, like Councillor Boswell, Ms Popovici,

They get out of bed in the morning to think,

how can we help local children?

How can we work hard for them?

Because tackling child poverty is in our DNA.

And let's be clear, it would be at risk

under the Conservatives.

They introduced this cruel two -child limit,

and they've been very clear they would reintroduce it

if they're ever allowed near power again.

Thank you.

Question 2.

Councillor Caddy, are you going to?

Question 2 to the Leader.

I thank Councillor Caddy for that question.

Value for money is at the heart of everything we do.

As I said, Wandsworth has one of the lowest levels of debt, some of the highest financial

reserves in London.

You will have seen our investment strategy was recently recognised as one of the most

effective in the whole country.

we make every pound of yours work harder to generate higher returns.

As she knows, we'll be presenting our 26 -7 budgets and making decisions on council tax in the new year.

And the final local government settlement allocations for next year haven't been confirmed.

Hopefully will be next week.

And the current proposals are very likely to include phasing fair funding in over three years

and an estimated funding floor over that three -year period of 95 % of current funding levels.

I'd like to thank the local MPs, Marsha, Fleur and Rosenna, for their excellent lobbying work on our behalf.

Their hard work and work from partners in London councils and central London forward

have actually caused real changes to the formula to make it fairer, for instance,

to reflect the huge impact of housing costs on life in London.

So whatever the national news brings, council tax will be set by us here in this town hall

and residents trust us to spend every penny wisely and keep the same low council tax.

First supplementary, Councillor Caddy.

I thank the Leader for his answer.

The Leader says that ones with full benefit from the 95 % funding floor.

To qualify for that, and I quote from the local government finance policy statement,

any protection available through funding floors assumes local authorities use the full tax flexibility available to them.

Can the leader therefore confirm that he will be increasing council tax by the maximum possible amount?

Councillor Hogg.

No, of course not. We will be keeping the same low council tax.

we will look for every efficiency that we can in the Council.

We've already talked about our excellent investment,

our high reserves and our low debt,

and as I say, we will drive every efficiency we can from the Council

before we even think of going to hard -pressed, ordinary -income residents

to ask them for a greater contribution.

Just to give some examples of recent measurable savings

we've made while improving frontline services,

Our change programme delivered a million pounds a year through smarter staff structures and

a further 1 .2 million for more income generation and simpler systems including £600 ,000 saved

on school transport.

Through stronger prevention work we're avoiding £3 .7 million in additional temporary accommodation

costs each year and since launching food waste collections we've saved £700 ,000 while improving

sustainability and we've also secured four and a half million pounds in

external funding to make our buildings greener and I'd also add thanks to the

property developer taxes we continue to invest strongly in our schools, our

transport, our sport and leisure, community facilities again all at no

extra cost to the council taxpayer. Is there a second supplementary? Councillor

Jaffray. Thank you Mr. Mayor. I'd like to thank the leader on keeping to his

manifesto promised in 2022 by locking in low council tax over the past three

years. I believe that the leader will continue to work hard for the residents

of Wandsworth. My question is as Christmas approaches how is the

administration's sound financial management allowing us to help the most

vulnerable in our community?

I thank Councillor Jeffery for that excellent question. It is beginning to

feel a lot like Christmas.

And it is a joyous time of year, and that's fantastic.

But it can also be a challenging time

for some in our community.

So we are stepping up again to support residents this winter,

making Wandsworth fairer and more compassionate

by doing all we can to help those struggling

with the cost of living.

I'll just give three examples.

We have our ever -expanding network

of now 75 warm and welcoming community spaces

open across the borough.

You can get a warm welcome, a free drink.

you can socialise. £200 ,000 in grant funding is going to 15 charities, everything from

support for debt advice, social supermarkets and digital inclusion, and our warm packs,

I think now 1 ,500 warm packs and 200 deeper interventions including home visits, residents

on low incomes and those with low energy efficiency. And Mr Maor, I'd also like to thank you and

for promoting our Christmas appeal where we're asking residents to contribute to make sure

that refugee children, every refugee child in the borough gets a Christmas present this

year.

We've already had £1 ,300 of donations in the first few days.

The council will top that up to make sure every child gets a gift this Christmas.

I could go on with many more things we're doing this Christmas, but let's zip through

meetings so we can join the Mayor for mulled wine and mince pies later.

Question three, Councillor Varcharage, you're going to ask.

Question three, a listening council to the question.

Thank you very much. It has been a really big goal for this year, sort of looking back

to become a listening council. We relaunched the council at the start of the year, we launched

our Seven Rings, Seven Days pledge and we have to not just listen but we have to deliver

what residents tell us they want. I often remind councillors, we don't work for the council,

we work for local people and our job, all of us, is to make sure that local people get a good deal

from the council. So what have people said to us and have we listened? So people said get the

basics right, pick up the phone, fill in the potholes, so that's the seven rings, seven days

guarantee. How are we doing? Last month in November 85 % of phone calls to the

council were answered within seven rings. 100 % of dangerous potholes were filled,

100 % of graffiti was removed and 100 % of broken street signs were filled within

that seven day target and I think people are starting to notice that in their

neighbourhoods. People said we want cleaner streets. I mean absolutely. So we

We launched our Cleaner Borough Plan.

We guaranteed your weekly waste collections

and added food waste to that.

We expanded the monthly mega skips

and gave you two free bulky waste collections a year

as well.

And people said, Wandsworth's an incredible place to live,

but it is divided.

Not everyone has the opportunity to take part.

So we launched this year Access for All,

Britain's most generous concessionary scheme.

And I'm delighted to say more than 10 ,000 residents

have signed up to that this year and they're accessing discounts on everything from gym

and swim to weddings to allotments to now, line bikes as well.

And finally people said, you know, give us bread but give us roses too.

So we became London's borough of culture and it has been a blast.

More than 10 ,000 of the borough's children have been involved in cultural celebrations

and I was delighted to see Naina Kahlou who grew up in the borough win the

Turner Prize yesterday because talent is everywhere in Wandsworth and this is

just the beginning there's more to come as we make this a truly listening

council more open and responsive and always on your side.

First supplementary, Councillor Veratharaj. Thank you for explaining all of the

initiatives that this Labour administration is doing that's having a real positive impact on

our residents. How does this administration's record of delivery compare to the state of the

Council when we started in 2022? Thank you for that question. Yeah, chalk and cheese.

It's been a big difference. I guess looking back it's almost like the ghost of Christmas past,

but don't worry I won't do all that. But I mean four years ago, you know, the Homes for

Wandsworth programme only had a minority of council housing.

That wasn't what the scheme was for at all.

It was significant for profit.

No, a minority, a fraction, well under half was council housing.

On his first day he came in, Councillor Deakert then flipped that.

That's now 100 % council housing and there are families this Christmas benefiting from

that decision.

Previous of Tory administration sat in cabinet and they actually did, they decided to charge

children £2 .50 to use a playground. We are refreshing dozens of playgrounds and

Councillor White has unlocked £24 million of capital investment for our

leisure centres. Four years ago Battersea Power Station was at risk of becoming an

exclusive resort on the Thames. We have agreed a groundbreaking deal where more

than 200 council homes will be built on that site for local people.

unimaginable, unimaginable before.

And talking of 9 Elms, the Tories were very happy to leave

£100 million of property developer contributions there.

Councillor Yates has come in and taken that money and is investing it into every neighbourhood in the borough

with a decade of renewal led by a doubling of investment into all our roads and pavements.

And finally our public parks were becoming playgrounds for the highest bidder with the opposition allowing

the

Cars to race all over beautiful Battersea Park

Councillor gasser on the other hand listened to residents and brought parkrun to Battersea Park, which has seen close to

50 ,000 people having that physically and mentally healthy start to their Saturday running the race

So that's it four years. That's the difference four years makes

fairer, more compassionate, more sustainable.

That's the difference the Labour Council makes.

Second supplementary.

Second supplementary, Councillor Brooks.

Sorry, Councillor Govinda has taken it.

I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor.

I didn't realise that all this thing was scripted.

I thought that we were allowed to rise

when we had a proper supplementary to ask.

I saw a hand come up over there,

but you got there first, Councillor Govinda.

Spec savers, spec savers.

Will the leader take time from his mince pie and mulled wine

to speak with his colleagues in Roehampton Ward

about what was said at yesterday's Western area

housing panel, where residents complained

about a mismatch between council's own reported online

and the housing department's own online reporting.

There are residents who don't know

which one they should ring, and when they ring one,

they are left hanging in the air

waiting for something to come back.

So there was real confusion,

and I think it's not,

it is one of those things that

if the administration had paid sufficient attention

to detail, it would have realised

that one number alone should work

across both groups of presidents,

and of course in this situation,

it seems not to, and does confuse people.

Councillor Hogg. I thank Councillor Govindia for the question.

I'm not entirely familiar with that point but I will catch up with colleagues.

We want everyone to be able to get through quickly and efficiently to the council and

we're going to have to try harder next year. But if you'll forgive me, he's just reminded

me of one final thing that's changed over the last four years, which is four years ago

the Alton scheme was a sort of developer -led demolition job with 27 % affordable housing.

This is about Mr. Mayor residents being confused.

I don't want your toleration from the leader

about four years ago and so on.

It's genuinely something about local residents

being confused.

Can you let the leader finish?

Well, if he's only going to be relevant

to the question I've asked.

We're fully 82 % of local people back to our plans

for the future of the Alton Estate.

Thank you.

Mr. Mayor, may I just say to you

that you are in the chair and you do have the right to say

if the leader is straying from answering the question

he was asked.

Thank you, Mr Govindja.

I'll do my best to do that.

We're on question four of Bradstow School.

Councillor Sweet.

Question four is the leader.

I'd like to thank Councillor Sweet

for that question about Bradstow School.

I mean, obviously our ambition is to give children

the best possible care,

and we've committed to supporting children with special educational needs locally,

ensuring that they can be educated and cared for as close to their family and friends and community wherever possible.

The decision to close Bradstow School, which is in Kent, claimed as a last resort

and was taken in line with our ambition to support children locally.

There is currently one student at the school from Wandsworth

and they've since been provided with the same high quality of education closer to home.

The General Overview and Scrutiny Committee had the responsibility to consider the call -in

of this decision.

That fell under the remit of the Cabinet Member for Children.

Councillor Gasser attended and responded to the call -in request and all the questions

that were asked of her.

I think this is a new process and the process is working well.

The headteacher, who hadn't submitted a formal deputation request, was nevertheless, quite rightly, by Councillor Boswell, given the chance to speak.

And the calling committee agreed, with the decision that had been made, that it should stand and that it should be implemented.

Thank you. First supplementary, but we're going slightly over the leader's time, so

I'd like to take two supplementaries, so can you help me please? But Councillor Sweet,

first supplementary. Thank you, Mr Mayor. The leader's written

answer doesn't answer the key important point on this question, which is why did Labour

members vote to remove the head teacher of this school from the committee discussion

on the closure of that school and does he think that's acceptable?

Councillor Hartwoolie. So I don't think that's what happened I think the I mean

Councillor Boswell can speak for herself but I think they agreed to let her speak

with which she did speak this this is a calling committee I mean as I say it's a

new system which we'll get used to but it was used entirely appropriately and I

think the system's beginning to work well.

Second parliamentary, Councillor Belson.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

The subject may have been about that detail,

but the actual proration makes a very serious charge,

which I think we ought to respond to.

So the leader's already reassured us

by saying what's happened to one child.

Can he also reassure us and tell us

just a little bit about how seriously we do take

the needs of special education children

and whether we've had any developments recently

that show that this charge is not fair.

Councillor Hogg.

Thank you, Councillor Belton.

I mean, absolutely.

Helping every child to flourish

is at the centre of what we do,

and I'd like to thank all of the parents and governors,

the staff, council officers who make that possible.

The council has recently invested £41 million

in expanding SEND provision in Wandsworth.

We've created more than 270 new places

in the last three years alone, of which £34 million is the purpose -built extension of

Paddock Secondary School, which the mayor talked about earlier.

I joined the opening in October.

I know others did.

It's just a fantastic facility.

It's absolutely incredible.

Thank you everyone who put together those bright classrooms, the therapy spaces, the

modern outdoor areas.

They had a kitchen where they were cooking away, all designed to make sure that those

children get exactly the right support. This new facility will allow the school

to offer more local placements and therefore reduce the need for families

to travel outside the borough for specialist education and I just finished

by saying we're also building a new specialist state -of -the -art school up in

Nine Elms with a CEN base also. Thank you. The time for leaders questions is now

finished the Wits have agreed that item 17 the motion on the impact of the

budget on Wandsworth residents will be taken next. Can I ask Councillor Hedges

to move and Councillor Humphries to second the motion in their names please.

Moved and seconded. Thank you. So there are no amendments on this motion the

first speaker is Councillor Hedges.

Thank you, Mr Mayor. I'm here tonight to speak about the autumn statement delivered by Rachel

Reeves and the very real detrimental consequences it will have for residents across Wandsworth

and in my own ward of Ballum. For months, Labour promised stability. Instead, we saw

same old Labour habits. Higher taxes, bigger government and an ever -expanding bill handed

straight to hardworking families. Inflation remains stubbornly high, prices have not fallen,

and yet Labour's answer is simply to take more from people at a time when they have

less. This is not the discipline our economy needs. It is not value for money. And it is

certainly not the responsible financial management the previous Conservative administration would

have recognised. First on pensions, Labour's decision to weaken the protections that normally

ensure the state pensions rises fairly each year

means many older residents will effectively

receive less in real terms.

For thousands of pensioners in Wandsworth,

this is a serious blow.

These are people that have worked hard all of their lives,

yet they will now find their weekly income stretched even

further at exactly a moment when energy bills, food prices,

and council tax are still rising and will continue

to rise rapidly once the Labour Government's Fair Funding

review comes in. Conservatives have always protected pension increases

because we believe older residents deserve security and dignity. Labour's

approach makes pensions less reliable and leaves people unsure about their

future income. Secondly, on working households and the cost of living, this

autumn statement cements the highest tax burden in 70 years. Frozen thresholds and

tax rises means that nurses, teachers, small business owners and families

across Wandsworth will pay more next year than they do today.

Households are already grappling with high mortgages and rising rents and will now see

even more of their income absorbed by the state.

Instead of helping people stand on their own two feet, labour is squeezing aspiration out

of the system.

A government committed to value for money would cut waste, reduce bureaucracy and let

people keep more of what they earn.

labour nationally and locally reaches instinctively for residents' wallets.

Third, the impact on local businesses.

A strong economy relies on enterprise,

yet this autumn statement offers nothing for independent traders

who keep our high streets alive.

In Ballum, on Bedford Hill, Ballum High Road and Nightingale Lane,

businesses are facing rising rates and costs needed a bold pro -growth plan.

Instead, they got no business rates reform,

no investment incentives, and no roadmap for recovery.

And here in Wandsworth, labour mirrors that inertia.

No credible high streets regeneration,

no meaningful place making, and no understanding

of what businesses need.

Fourth, the wider financial picture.

The Autumn Statement offers no long -term plan

for adult social care, homelessness,

or inflationary pressures on councils.

It leaves local authorities facing rising demand

without that means to respond.

Yet instead of preparing responsibly,

Labour in Wandsworth continues to overspend

on vanity projects and misjudged priorities.

Which brings me to value for money,

something this Labour administration fails to grasp.

Residents are paying more and receiving less.

Whether it's 100 ,000 pounds on a Ballum fact -finding project

less than six months before an election

that delivers no improvements,

or ballooning grant programmes with little oversight,

or expensive rebranding exercises,

residents know their money is not being used wisely.

A Wandsworth Conservative approach is simple.

Spend responsibly, cut waste, and focus on outcomes.

Treat every pound of taxpayers' money as if it were your own.

Labour nationally and locally fails that basic test of stewardship.

Mr. Mayor, residents deserved an autumn statement

built on discipline, growth, and value for money.

They deserved a government that backs businesses,

protect pensioners and believes in aspiration.

Instead, Labour has chosen higher taxes, more spending

and no credible path to prosperity.

Wandsworth Conservatives stand for financial discipline,

support for enterprise, protection for the vulnerable

and real value for every pound.

Labour's Autumn Statement fails Wandsworth.

A Conservative approach is rooted in responsibility

and aspiration offers the way forward.

Thank you.

Councillor Fraser.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Change is hard.

I don't think anyone here would disagree with that.

And it takes time to turn things around when for so long they've been done in a certain

way.

That can be said for both the work that the Labour government is doing and here in Wandsworth

where we're making a difference to the lives of so many residents after 44 years of doing

things in the same old way.

The expectation that rests with members of the public who vote for that change is high,

and rightfully so. Whether that change be more affordable housing in the borough they

call home, or making changes to waste collections to make them more environmentally progressive,

these all take time. And in local government, one thing I've learned since being elected

eight years ago is that everything takes longer than you think. I made Wandsworth my home

over 15 years ago, and like a third of the residents living here, I rent my flat. I want

I wasn't lured to Wandsworth by the promise

of low council tax,

nor that it was Margaret Thatcher's favourite council.

As someone who grew up in a Yorkshire pit town in the 90s,

that would have probably put me off if I'd known.

But I moved here because I had friends here.

I enjoyed the nice green spaces,

and I made Balham my home.

I've lived in damp, mouldy properties,

and in each place I've moved to,

of which I've lost track at this point,

there was always a rent crease that went in with it,

and sometimes year on year in the same property

with no improvements to show for it.

The point in tonight's motion claiming private renters

will pay more isn't substantiated,

but this government through the Renters' Rights Act

is doing something for those people like me

who have entered bidding wars on flats

that they've spent 10 minutes viewing.

I'm especially proud that locally we're taking the step

to change housing policy.

200 council homes secured at Battersea Power Station,

the Home for Wandsworth programme

delivering 1 ,000 new homes for council rent,

and Nadeland Licencing to help those

in the private rented sector

live in better quality accommodation,

and hopefully never have to endure the winters

of black mould on their walls like I did.

Tonight's motion also notes that the public finances

are in a vulnerable position.

The temptation to mention the damaging impact

of Liz Truss's mini -budget is so strong,

but really there is a much bigger picture to paint here.

The Tories had 14 years in government

to make improvement, to improve things,

but they didn't, and that's why people voted for change

at the last general election.

The Labour government has the unenviable task

of cleaning up the mess made by the Tories,

improving productivity, increasing stagnant wages,

and tackling rising child poverty,

to name but a few of the challenges.

I'm gonna end my speech this evening,

not by commenting on what's contained

in the motion any further,

but really what's not been included.

Others have mentioned here this evening

in council questions, but in 2017,

the Conservative government implemented

the two child benefit cap,

which has caused untold damage, levels of damage

to children across the country.

As a result of the chancellor's recent budget,

whether you're a child in poverty in Wandsworth or Warwick,

the ending of this cruel policy will be felt

not just in terms of lifting children out of poverty,

with estimates being that this will impact

between 300 to 450 ,000 children,

but in helping to remove hunger, helping students to learn,

and in helping improve educational outcomes.

The motion tonight notes the need for growth,

but worryingly misses such an important and life -changing item from the Budget.

So with that crucial change in mind, let's start helping shape a society that builds growth,

starting with the youngest members of our country, and give them the best possible start in life.

Councillor Humphries.

Thank you, Mr Mayor.

So, when Rachel Reeves announced her Budget on the 26th of November,

Well, it was secondhand, wasn't it,

because the OBR already got there first.

We heard the details.

And despite the almost universal disappointment

from businesses, homeowners, and anyone

with any savings or a pension, some spotted what on the surface

seemed like some good news items in there for low -wage earners

and lower business rates for pubs, restaurants,

and small shops.

An increase in minimum wage for over -21s, 8 .5 % for 18 -20 -year -olds.

What's not to like?

I might just tell you.

A lower percentage of the rateable value

for businesses for 750 ,000 high street and hospitality businesses?

Wahey!

Sounds great, doesn't it?

The bitter reality, though, the bitter reality and the reality on the ground for young people

and small businesses here in Wandsworth will actually be less jobs available and higher

costs for those already struggling businesses locally.

It's deeply disappointing that there seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding

of how businesses actually work.

From not only the Chancellor, but from all those others making decisions across the country

which are supposed to be producing work opportunities for people up and down the land, a cheap headline

is worth more than trying to understand how these decisions will actually impact on real

people.

What the Chancellor fails to address, and she has made this mistake repeatedly, is who

funds these giveaways in hard times.

It is of course, as always, the businesses and the taxpayers themselves who shoulder

these costs, but those broad shoulders are not without limits.

On the business rate changes, the fact is that despite this slightly lower percentage

rate being offered, the revaluation of business rates, rateable value, mean they're being

increased to record levels, and the 40 % relief discounts brought in by the previous Conservative

administration are being phased out.

So somebody independent, the Society of Independent Brewers, has calculated this means that pubs

will pay 76 % more in rates by 2029, compared with large tech firms, for example, that are

going to be paying 19%. Is that fair or just? They said these changes could be the difference

between closure and survival for businesses that operate as the beating heart of local

communities. These extra costs inevitably will lead to higher prices for consumers,

which in turn will mean less people will choose to go out to local bars and restaurants, which

means less income for those businesses, hence less staff. That cycle just grinds down and

down and down, we face the real jeopardy of losing our much valued and vibrant local hospitality

industry if we're not really careful.

The previous Conservative administration was highly aware of the value to the borough of

its hospitality businesses, hence our innovative Article 4 direction we created way back in

2014 to protect pubs from closure.

It would be somewhat reassuring if the current administration would commit to some similarly

innovative meaningful measures to demonstrate its support and understanding for this vital

sector of our economy.

And all this without even mentioning the changes to employers' NICs brought in by the government,

which have a negative impact on local businesses of all kinds.

This constantly increasing tax burden means in reality that I'm not aware of any local

business currently considering taking on new employees, struggling as they are to keep

their existing staff in work.

We all hope, I understand, that hospitality sector disproportionately employs young people,

so the impact of those changes will actually result in higher rates of unemployment amongst

our young residents, not higher wages. So what value do we put on a sexy headline,

how a higher hourly rate for wages, if there's no packet at all at the end of the month?

As someone who runs a small business in the borough for over 15 years, with the responsibility

that that brings to my employees to be able to pay their wages at the end of every month,

and with ambitions myself to be able to expand and offer more jobs to those talented people

in Wandsworth, I find this spectacular display of ignorance by the Chancellor of the reality

of running a business, truly, truly staggering.

This Council must commit to do all that it can to support our vital small businesses

and I call on colleagues opposite to lobby their Labour friends in government to reverse

these potentially fatal choices being inflicted on one's most businesses.

And I urge those same colleagues, please support this motion.

Thank you.

Councillor Akinola.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Talking of headlines, I was actually disappointed to read so many very cheap headlines in your

motion.

The budget actually sets out a tough national framework, but as a labour -run council, we

can see how this actually creates real benefits for Wandsworth residents, families, businesses

as well. The budget sets out stability alongside fairness. The decision to maintain frozen

income tax and national insurance thresholds keeps headline rates stable while ensuring

that as the economy grows, those with the broadest shoulders do contribute a little

more. And this in turn helps us to protect vital services. It helps us keep funding our

adult social care and children's services so we can continue projects like expanding

youth mental health projects and support to end violence against women and girls, as well

as safeguarding projects such as the winter spaces work which is happening right now delivered

in children's centres and libraries across the borough.

With regards to student finance, this framework creates aspiration and protection for our

young people.

The budget threshold policy retains RPI -linked interest with a cap and sets clearer thresholds

avoiding sudden repayment shocks.

As a council, we'll be building on the work we already do with Work Match and lifelong

learning providers, providing careers advice and local apprenticeship pathways as well

as our own internal graduate scheme so that whether a young person studies, trains or

Before it starts up, they have a route to success

here at home.

We'll also build on our local links

and partners with our partners and apprenticeships

in places like Nine Elms in the regeneration there

and Green Skills Training at South Thames College

across the road.

Third, cleaner transport and fair funding.

The new EV mileage charge is about fairness

but also unlocks investment in roads.

We will lobby in Wandsworth for Wandsworth Share

to fix the potholes across the borough and continue our expansion of neighbourhood charging ports.

This is because we only have one planet and the cleaner and safer streets are part of Wandsworth

Labour's priorities. We're also backing our high streets. Pubs and cafes have been facing closure

and a lot of pressure since Covid so you cannot blame it on the budget to be fair.

We've been working with our bids, our offices here, bids, town centres, our businesses to

improve our high street. I was actually away the past week and last week was small business

Saturday. So whilst you're there complaining about support for businesses, I still see

all the small business Saturday stickers in your pigeon holes. Maybe not you Lindsay,

I'm sure you, sorry Councillor Hedges, I'm sure you did go out and do stuff, but there's

a whole bunch in there so I can invite you all please to go support local, do your Christmas

shopping local. Next year for London Borough of Culture we're supporting our creative

venues at risk of closure in Clapham Junction, Putney, Battersea and Tooting as part of Wonsworth

Live so again I hope I see you all there. The budget also nudges households towards

diversified saving from April 2027, a reduced ISA, a cash ISA limit of £12 ,000 for under -65s

sits alongside the unchanged £20 ,000 limit, yeah, £20 ,000 limit, signalling a shift to

more balanced portfolios and encouraging people to also invest in stocks and shares ISAs.

So the messages to our residents are clear.

Use your ISA allowance each year, diversify and keep as much as you can tax sheltered.

As a council, we've been looking at partnering with credit unions and community banks to

improve financial education and resilience.

And finally, let's talk about jobs and growth.

Capital allowance reforms, including new first year allowances and continued full expensing

will drive business investment and create good jobs locally.

We are going to modernise and create good jobs.

Our task is to match this with town centres and high street regeneration and engagement

with employment, businesses and skills partnerships.

Wandsworth Labour stands for fairness, sustainability and opportunity.

The national budget sets out the framework but we choose whether Wandsworth feels only

the pressure or sees the progress.

So instead of scaremongering, please let's choose progress.

Safer streets, stronger services, greener transport and real opportunity for every resident.

Thank you.

Councillor Hamilton.

Thank you very much, Mr Mayor.

It's always a pleasure to follow Councillor Acanola who is always a very positive tribune

for her party's supposed achievements.

but I would say tonight she is as on message as the most loyal early 2000s Blairite when

it comes to giving her party's message unquestioningly.

Because the reality is, when you look at this motion here this evening, it's an incredible

amount of common sense.

It gives a, I think, affair, a relative dispassionate analysis of what is a budget that isn't good

for working people in this country, isn't good for those who pay tax, doesn't help those

who want to start a business and doesn't help those who want to do the right things in life

by saving more, trying to buy their first home, or also looking to a council like us

to try and keep their council taxes as low as possible.

And I'll mention a few things from this budget that I find particularly concerning.

Now the first thing that I always think about whenever we cast any votes is the fact that

we are guardians here of those we represent and the money that they put into the budget

that we have here.

But when you look at the amount of tax that people in this country are paying,

it's this year reached 34 .7 % of GDP,

the highest since the war.

By 2030, that would have risen to over 38%.

And what that will mean, if you look at the year in a round,

is that people will essentially be working for the government

until May the 20th each year.

We should be the type of people who are representatives of the general public that are looking to save money,

that are looking to allow people to keep more of their own money to invest and spend as they wish,

rather than passing, as the Labour Party have done, a budget which only increases the financial burden on people's shoulders.

Now, we hear often from the Labour Party about those with the broader shoulders footing the burden,

those who earn the most, paying the most.

And I don't think any of us have a problem here with different rates of taxation,

with those who earn a bit more, paying a bit more.

But the reality when you look at fiscal drag,

which will be significantly detrimental in this borough,

is that by the end of this parliament,

920 ,000 more people will be paying the higher rate of income tax.

And you need to pay the higher rate of income tax in this borough

to buy a house and get on the housing ladder.

It's just the reality of where we are.

But let's look at those who are at the bottom of the earnings threshold.

By the end of this Parliament, this Labour Parliament, 780 ,000 people will be dragged

into the basic rate of income tax.

Now Councillor Fraser referenced the Conservative Party having delivered nothing for people

in government.

The thing that I would point out when it comes to taxation is that tax -free threshold of

12 ,500 pounds that allowed those who earned some of the lowest

salaries in the country, those who were working part time,

those who were going back into the labour market,

to pay no tax whatsoever.

And I believe in low taxation.

That's one of the reasons I'm a Conservative,

because I believe people should have choice.

Let's look at a few of the individual provisions

of this budget that I think are also important.

Councillor Akinola mentions that the 20 ,000 overall ISA limit

will be maintained.

Yep, that's true. But at the same time, dividends be greatly, dividend taxation will also be

greatly enhanced, which will mean those who've started their own business, who've done the

right thing, will be taxed more for their efforts. We also see that taxes on savings

will rise. Again, yet another Labour Party tax on those who are doing the right thing

and saving for their future, for investment, to buy a new home, whatever they might want

do with their own money.

Now I remember very early on in this Labour administration led by Keir Starmer where the

Conservative group here put forward a motion condemning the government for some of the

changes it was putting forward to the winter fuel allowance.

And I remember that dutifully all of these Labour members on these benches voted that

down when our leader, Councillor Richard Jones, was calling for more support for those who

might be just on the cusp of needing some support

under the winter fuel payments.

You all voted that down.

Instead, tonight, we have you celebrating a budget

and have speeches from Councillor Acanola and Councillor

Fraser, which are celebrating huge increases in cash

handouts, huge amounts of extra taxpayers' money

being handed out to people and coming out

of the pockets of those who work the hardest in this country.

So I would like to remind Labour members here

that it's OK to have a debate about the state

the public finances. It's okay to look at sacred cows, for example, should there be

means testing of those who receive the winter fuel payment. But let's actually keep things

in perspective, because rather than parroting the line in support of the Labour government,

you need to be on the side of Wandsworth residents. We are, we believe in low taxes,

you believe in high taxes.

As there are no amendments to this motion, we can move straight to a vote by a show of

hands or a division if necessary.

So all those in favour of the substantive motion, please show.

Thank you.

All those against?

Motion?

Thank you.

Are there any abstentions?

OK, that motion is not carried.

There are 18 votes in favour, 25 votes against,

and two abstentions.

We now move on to questions for cabinet members.

We'll now be taken.

We've got question 12.

Councillor Humphries, are you putting that for Councillor Pridham, who's not here?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr Mayor.

Question 12 for the cabinet member.

Thank you to Councillor Pridham for having found this.

which I think is actually very appropriate in many respects.

I should start by observing that Club Junction is of course

the main transport hub and vibrant by time economy.

So it is quite unique in many respects.

I travel, I train quite a lot.

I've visited a lot of train stations across pretty much the

entire world and there are some frankly you wouldn't want

to be anywhere near in the evening.

That is reality.

But we have nonetheless put a considerable amount of effort

into tackling some of the antisocial behaviour

in the capital junction.

Councillor Priton's question suggests that somehow

it is becoming a magnet for antisocial behaviour.

The statistics state things that opposite.

In Falkenbrooke, we saw a 12 .5 % reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour in the E12

up to November.

Similarly, Bander and Northcote, Warts, and Jason, and Clapton Junction have experienced

low antisocial behaviour in crime.

And this all plays, of course, into the narrative that the Conservatives always try to put in

in relation to community safety, trying to depict that Wandsworth is somewhere

across between Gotham City and downtown Port -au -Prince.

It's complete and utter nonsense.

But one of the reasons why we have had so much effect in that area

is because the Council has coordinated a multi -agency task force in the area

for the past two years involving the Metropolitan Police,

the British Transport Police, outreach services from homelessness, drugs and alcohol services,

and also working with business, bid, business against crime,

and also the laundry and community services sector.

And in doing that we have created a safer space,

which has been incredibly welcomed by anyone using it at night on the Fridays.

The Metropolitan Police have had a particularly targeted approach to shoplifting.

And of course we have enhanced CCTV in the area and particularly use CCTV cars,

which would be a purchase using developers' money quite effectively.

We've also relaunched Neighbourhood Watch, which Frank was on his knees two and a half years ago.

And again, we have used cell money developers' money to employ two new anti -social behaviour

community safety officers in Battersea, which has led to increased engagement not only with

councillors but also with residents.

The training Councillor Pridham is actually here because I was going to ask him a question

as to why, given his evident concerns about what's happening in Clapham Junction,

he didn't attend a meeting held in Ardingham Hobbs in Clapham Junction.

In the middle of October, it was organised by the Metropolitan Police,

New Meffer London too.

It was attended by the Deputy Police Commissioner,

it was attended by the Borough Commander and the Borough Superintendent,

and he did not attend to put those questions.

Now to be fair, to be Councillor Priton,

no conservative Councillor can take that meeting.

Can you draw it to conclusion to allow further questions?

Yeah, I just wanted them to hear that no conservative Councillor,

or indeed any other member of the opposition,

including our recent fragists,

who seem to be very concerned about crime.

I would like someone, in fact, I mean the whip would be a very good person to answer the question as to why

no Conservative councillor attended that meeting organised by the Metropontum Police

at which the Deputy Commissioner for Metropontum Police was present.

But first supplementary, yes, Councillor Humphries.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for that speech, Councillor Henderson.

You actually nicked my favourite line, which is something that the leader had said in response

to a query about this earlier on, about describing residents' concerns about crime.

And let's be frank, it's about perception as much as anything else.

And if somebody's a victim of crime, they're a victim of crime, it doesn't matter if it's

one or a thousand, they're still a victim of crime, and that does happen.

So the leader referred on this matter to residents' concerns portraying, trying to portray that

borough as Gotham City, I think was the phrase he used, somewhat disrespectful and disdainful

of those residents, genuine concerns about crime. I'd like to ask the cabinet member,

does he share that disdain of his leader with that kind of cheap response to a question

from a genuine resident, or is he just a joker?

Councillor Henderson.

Well, I will thank Councillor Humphries for his question. Obviously it's vaguely insulting.

I tell you what I object to. What I object to, Councillor Humphries, is not the leader

trying to describe Wandsworth's Gotham city or dismissing it, no, or dismissing those

concerns. It is the concerns of the Conservative councillors across...

Will you let Councillor Henderson answer, please?

party which is pound painting Wandsworth in such damning terms. That is reality and

Councillor Hogg was simply responding to that question and we have done enormous

amount. I mean if you actually focus on what we were doing in relation to

community safety it is far far more. We've probably achieved more in three

years in community safety than you've ever achieved in 44 years. But let us also reflect

in terms of the overall approach. Thank you, Councillor Henderson.

Thank you. And could I say, if you don't like the answer, don't please shout the person,

that people will draw their own conclusions from the answer.

Councillor Aps.

Mr. Mayor, an honest answer to an honest question.

Second supplementary, Councillor Aps.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.

Firstly, Councillor Henderson, it was

good to join you at that meeting in Arding and Hobbs

and hear from the police and from residents

about their concerns and their engagement in community safety.

And can I thank the police and you and your team

for making sure that we proactively approach Clapham Junction to make sure it's safer.

Can you please summarise though what difference Labour Council has made to community safety since

2022? That would be extremely helpful, thank you.

Councillor Henderson.

Yes, thank you for that question. So on a more positive basis, as I said we have achieved

enormous things over the past three and a half years. My own view as an opposition

Council, the Conservatives tended to treat community safety as something of a backwater.

So the type of things we've actually done is substantially increase resources in community

safety. We all know that Wandsworth is the safest in a London borough. We have maintained

that. It has actually improved. And that is within a city, London, which is also one of

safest not only in the country, but actually

capital city safest in the world.

We've seen knife crime fall and homicides at their lowest

level since records began.

We've just rolled out three CCTV cars

using developers' money, which have been used very effectively

in high demand.

This has considerably increased the impact of the police.

They have been very grateful for the work we have done there.

We've also extended our coverage of CCTV cameras, particularly deployable cameras,

which represent the largest numbers in the borough.

And we have also enhanced the staff of –

Mr Mayor, seriously, is this another speech?

He's answering the question.

Not! He's giving a list of stuff.

I am answering the question.

I am telling you what we have done since –

This is still question number one, Mr Mayor?

Well, the reality is, the reason why they're shutting me down is they don't want to actually

hear the positive things we have done.

Quite a lot, Councillor Henderson, it just doesn't make much sense.

I made a speech about this, I think, two council members, they do not want to hear positive

messages.

Mr Mayor, seriously.

All they're interested in is pure negativity.

And let me finish on this.

Oh, he's going to finish.

Yes, I am going to finish on this, Councillor Humphries.

We could have actually done considerably more.

is rehabbed £11 billion, which the previous government wasted through corruption and fraud

on the COVID -19 procurement plan.

How long is he going to stay?

Thank you, Councillor Henderson. We're on to question 13, please.

Councillor Ayres.

Question 13, Homes for Wanders, please.

This is a question about, alongside the Thousand Homes programme, what we're doing to make housing more affordable,

because obviously we've got our own direct development programme and that is really important

but you know the housing crisis is large and we've got to have a multifaceted approach.

So a number of things planning wise, planning changes the Reg 19, you know we fought for

an ambitious one we're going to bring it back to the transport committee in January, we

might win some things, we might lose some things but the aim is to try and deliver more

affordable housing on private sites through tough negotiation and making sure that we

ask for more.

Batterie Power Station is a bit of a flavour and a taste of what it looks like when you've

robust council fighting for affordable housing on private sites. The other thing is our regens.

Our regens are, you know, they sit outside the Thousand Homes Programme in the instances

of being able to deliver more housing overall and that net additional social housing alongside

demolition. That's a really crucial new pipeline for affordable homes. There's the Renter's

Rights Bill which is going to come in and we're going to use the power of our new licencing

schemes which protect the quality of tenants' accommodation. We're going to use some of

fees to help also fight for residents when they face unfair rent increases because the

new rules in the Renters' Rights Bill will mean that we'll be able to go to tribunal

more easily and we'll be able to use our officers' power to help with that.

I know you guys will get mad about this but I continue to campaign for rent control.

I think it's an important thing.

I think it's something that will make life more affordable for the third of our borough

that privately rents.

And then there's also wider community, basically using the community and the state to step

in on schemes which we know will come forward at some point but getting in the door early

and that's what the Clapham Junction master plan is about, that's what getting community

engagement early doors is about, so that might be things to do with public realm but thinking

through we know at some point these private land holdings are going to come through, how

do we shape the conversation earlier? So we use a whole host of other things, I haven't

even mentioned our own buyback scheme where we buy back housing so that we can use it

for affordable housing as well. So there's a range of things we use alongside our own

very ambitious in -house development team.

First supplementary, Councillor Ayers.

Thank you.

I'm concerned that all these wonderful flats that we're producing for public use from public

money should be protected forever for that, so that the horrible right to buy could be

suspended all the time for public housing.

Yeah, so when we first began with 1000 Homes programme, the concern about the reality that

we would spend quite a lot of money on building these homes and then they could be sold was

something that we were worried about. We had an inbuilt safety mechanism around that in

that the value of these homes because of how high quality is and because of what they would

sell on the market value meant, even with the discount, it would be quite hard for someone

who was placing those homes to then be able to buy it immediately just because these are

incredible, beautiful new builds. Thankfully we don't have to test that system because

it hasn't been talked about enough but the Labour government has brought in protections

on new build council housing, taking it out of Right to Buy. It's a really progressive

move. It protects our in -house development team. It protects the value that we get out

of the borrowing we're doing to build these programmes and it's something I really wish

the Labour government spoke about more because in many instances we have basically scrapped

right to buy on these new builds that public money is going into. So it means that they'll

be protected for 100 years to come and will provide that really important affordable housing

for 100 years to come.

Second supplementary, Councillor Corner.

Thank you Mr Mayor. There are some significant issues actually with the Council's attempts

to make housing more affordable in the borough. Let's just take two of their flagship initiatives,

firstly on old and renewal, of the additional homes over 50 % of those are actually only

one bedroom units and that's not providing the borough with that the housing mix that

we need to solve to make housing more affordable for our diverse communities.

And secondly, SIL receives which the administration say they want to use to

invest in community assets and help deliver better communities with more affordable housing.

they're through the floor. They've been cut by over 50 % under this administration.

So does the cabinet member think that this is acceptable? And if he doesn't,

which he shouldn't, what's he doing about it?

So on your first point, planning application hasn't been submitted yet.

So the constant raising of the number of homes that are being submitted

and in the net additional on the Alton. Look, I think I'm quite honest with you

when I think your argument is a genuine serious argument,

but I think arguing about the net additional social homes

on the Alton regeneration that we have brought forward

is a bad faith argument,

because your scheme saw a net loss of social housing.

So I think there are times where I'll be like,

look, you've got a legitimate ideological difference

with the position that we're taking.

But to argue about the amount of bedrooms

in the new affordable homes

that we have brought into the scheme that you were against

is for me not a genuine criticism of this administration.

It is a bad faith argument because those were homes

that you did not want to build.

So you cannot argue against us

for not having enough larger new council homes

when you didn't want those council homes in the first place.

So that's my first point.

On the Sill receipts, there is a, you know,

we've talked about it before, but there is a, you know,

a slowdown in the market at the moment.

And we can have a genuine ideological discussion about that.

Some people are saying it's because we're asking too much affordable housing.

I would actually say it's probably got much more to do with the interest rates, much more

to do with the rising cost production, much more to do with new regulations which make

building on sites harder.

So those are conversations we can definitely have.

I'm fully aware that we have to get a fine balance as a kind of Goldilocks moment.

You know my politics on this.

I think that we shouldn't let affordable housing be the thing that goes first.

We should try other things.

And also, it's a bit of a strange one to raise on a question about how we improve affordability

is to argue that we are not asking for enough affordable housing.

So those are my answers to your two attacks on that.

And I'll leave it there so there are more questions.

Question number 14.

Councillor Graham.

Question number 14 to the cabinet member.

Thank you for your question.

The full set of future year indicators will be included in the February Treasury Policy

Paper and now this is in line with the legal requirement for us to publish prudential indicators twice a year

figures on the planned levels of boring to continue our investment

in the council's infrastructure assets and homes have been outlined in previous papers and will be reassessed and and

confirmed in that February update

The I think the minority party are kept up to date with the council's delivery on sound financial management

and we had a lengthy discussion about this at last week's finance overview and scrutiny committee.

First supplementary, Councillor Peegram.

Thank you, Mr Mayor. This was a two -part question, and the first part has been sort of answered as February.

The second part has not been addressed at all.

And we see this time and time again, asking simple, factual questions to which we know the data is there and getting no answer.

and I think it is verging on contempt for that not to be there.

We've not even got a figure for this financial year.

So can I ask a very simple question?

Because this has not appeared in any report and has not been answered.

The council's total internal borrowing on the 31st of March was £129 million.

What is it today?

Councillor Ireland.

It's £160 million to my knowledge,

but I can cheque that figure for you.

Is there a second supplementary?

Yes, Councillor Fritchard.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

I think I'll try and avoid making a speech

like my colleague does opposite.

One of the things I probably would like to say though

is to remember that this is a borough

with about a billion pound turnover

and assets of 345 billion pounds

just to get some of our borrowing context.

My question for the cabinet member is as follows.

Can the cabinet member tell us more about the MUFG report on treasury investments and

what this means for the council's sound financial management?

Thank you.

Councillor Ireland.

Question.

We've reaffirmed our position as a council delivering value for money for residents with

an investment strategy that outperforms other councils

nationwide.

The approach has generated higher income returns,

safeguarded services, and insured residents

continue to benefit from the lowest council

tax in the country.

Now, this independent report concluded

that for investments, this council's more active approach

has seen it outperform both other London authorities

as well as the wider population of over 200 local authorities

through the last financial year.

The review also confirmed that Wandsworth has some

of the highest financial reserves

and lowest levels of debt in London,

underlying the council's commitment

to long -term financial stability.

By making every pound work harder,

we're able to keep delivering the lowest council tax

in the country and invest in what matters most

to our residents, cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods,

and stronger communities.

and

Thanks to the funds the council collects from property developers Wandsworth continues to invest in schools transport networks

sporting facilities leisure centres and community spaces

These improvements are driving growth and renewal across the borough and at no extra cost to local taxpayers. Thank you

Thank you.

Question 15, Councillor Colle.

Thank you Mr Mayor.

Question 15 to the cabinet member for the Environment, Cleaner Borough.

Councillor White.

Thank you Councillor Colle.

When we took over this borough in 2022 we had a clear mandate to introduce food waste

collection.

We now convert our food waste and anaerobic digestion plant transported by trucks running

on hydrotreated vegetable oil.

With all of that food waste being converted into biogas to be used in trucks or going

straight into the grid.

So our residents know that every week they are helping to decarbonise our nation's energy.

We have increased food waste by 240 tonnes in 16 months, 170 % increased.

In doing this, we couldn't have just relied on one ancient and one step from the Nacos

Yard truck on each round, which is what we were handed by the previous regime.

To transport our waste, we took the decision to have three new trucks on each round, segregating

general waste, recyclables and food waste, thus ensuring that the trucks could remain

out collecting our waste and recycling not have to unload its smugglers way too often

and also be that making it much more efficient. With this it is less likely now that the waste

would be mixed up and residents now have a lot more confidence that their recycling bags would

be recycled. We also encourage recycling more by leafleting and hopefully those leaflets were

recycled and comms messages, including increasing monitoring officers, door knocking, increasing

recycling capacity where needed, enclosures on council estates, electrical equipment banks,

increasing recycling bag delivery, extra collections where necessary, taking beside bin recycle

bags.

And we have taken this message to the doorstep in 2022, reminding residents that this council

under the Tories had one of the worst recycling rates in the country.

And if we were elected, we would make it a priority to improve this situation.

And we have.

We've worked closely with all of our facilitators in this area,

and we have increased our recycling by roughly 28 % in a year,

one of the largest increases in the country.

Thank you.

Now we've gone over our 45 minutes,

but I'm going to allow the first and second supplementary,

but if you could help me with the time.

Councillor Colkley, first supplementary.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

The increase in our recycling rate

is a massive achievement of this administration.

Is there anything else coming in the pipeline

in the next year or right now

that's gonna help increase this

and improve our waste services for residents even more.

Councillor Wyatt.

Yes indeed.

Same day sweep, which will mean residents

not having to wait 24 hours to see their streets cleaned

after waste collection.

And the contractor has included another round

when we have received calls

where there has been missed collections.

Our flats above shops now get two clearances a week

to ensure waste is not left on the streets,

as these flats generally have less places

to store their waste. We have also introduced jet washing, a new service to get those sticky

oily stains off of our high streets and we are focusing on fly -tipping hot spots to remove

the blight from resident streets where our last two quarters have seen a 20 % increase

in tonnage removal leading to almost 20 % reduction in fly -tipping reports. Our monitoring officers

have proved a great success and having five instead of three means they can concentrate

in a much smaller area and have been great at working with our contractors to remove

problems.

We have expanded our mega skips to be available roughly twice a month, especially concentrating

on estates and also taking up private land rubbish, even though that's not our responsibility

where it's become an eyesore and a blight on a particular area.

Each resident gets two free bulky waste removals each year with over 20 ,000 root removals to

We also believe that it is important that we move to a circular economy and look to reuse rather than dump.

So we are pleased to have brought in further segregation of waste at Megascips to remove items that can be restored and reused.

Our estates will receive more focus as often, outsiders see this as a perfect opportunity to dump their rubbish.

We have a thousand more bins and 300 enclosures

will be coming on, will be delivered

to ensure the rubbish sites do not become an eyesore

and where we can and where it does not encroach

in our estate's green space or green ambiance,

we will provide a space where residents

can put their bulky waste rather than have to place it

in front of their blocks.

We know that there are problems, we know that we must be constantly vigilant,

but we have taken our duties around waste seriously,

and we will continue to look at innovation and improvements to our service,

because our residents deserve our focus on continuing improvement.

Thank you.

Is there a second supplementary? Yes, Councillor Brooks.

Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. Thank you for all that, Councillor White.

Right, the issue we have with the vehicles isn't the fact they're new, it's the fact

that now the borough has taken on that liability onto itself and owns them at a cost of £9

million. The borough's now stuck with those vehicles long after the length of this contract

and it's also my opinion that they're the wrong type of vehicle so we're stuck with

them too. The reason we're seeing an increase in missed collections and the problems we're

seeing on streets with the piling up of rubbish during the collections.

It's because of these new twin back vehicles.

So why have you stuck them with us for long after the length of this contract and put

the liability on us?

Councillor White.

Well, there's no increase in the collections.

In fact, we've reduced it below target.

So that's not actually correct.

And the thing is that the trucks that we inherited from you were not fit for a Victorian age,

never mind today's running, so they had to be replaced and we had to make that decision.

It was an investment in our waste services to ensure that our residents received the

service that they deserved and they would get the food waste collection which they had

asked us to do and we would improve the recycling rate again which is something

that you can provide but we have. Thank you. Thank you council. The time for

cabinet questions is now over. We're on to item 8 is the report for decision. I

move reception of that report and after we have heard from speakers I will ask

the council whether they approve the recommendations in report number one

Treasury Management update, paper 25419.

Councillor Peter Graham first.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

And it's nice to be able to speak on these items

for decision.

For many years we were under the impression that

that was not permitted under the standing orders,

but under the various changes,

I suppose if I was being polite or nice,

liberalisation, we are now allowed to do so.

And I felt it was worth speaking on this item to

to note some things that are not within the Treasury Management

Update, and that the last sentence of the Executive

Summary, the Council has no external debt,

as all housing revenue account external debt was fully repaid

as at the 31st of March, 2025, and that the general fund

continues to have no external borrowing,

is far from the full picture.

And in fact, there is a statement at paragraph 17,

the Council currently has no borrowing.

Well, we've just heard from the Cabinet Member for Finance

that the Council has an internal borrowing of £160 million,

if she is able to confirm it.

And in fact, that paragraph does,

so I think that that may be missed the word external,

that paragraph does go on to talk about internal borrowing,

noting, and this is crucial, that this

is delaying the need for external borrowing,

not removing it.

And when you actually look at the total amount of borrowing

incurred and planned, which is not in the report,

it does become significant.

So there is, over the next 10 years,

planned borrowing on the General Fund of 134 million pounds.

And then within the HRA, 200 million

of borrowing for capital repairs and improvements,

and a further £670 million of new borrowing on new social housing and improving supply.

Add that to what was £129 million of existing debt back in March, and has actually gone up,

and you reach total borrowing of over £1 .1 billion.

And as we have previously discussed, it is the Council's intention, should this go out

to become external borrowing, to borrow that on 50 -year terms, which means the cost of

that debt in terms of the repayments that will have to be made by this borough exceeds

two billion pounds and will be closer to two and a half billion pounds.

Now, we've heard, indeed we heard from Councillor Critchard this evening, that that's all right

because it's backed by assets.

The reality is this council has already borrowed to patch roads.

You can't sell the road.

The road has an asset value, but it is totally unrealizable if you get into any kind of financial

trouble.

The same is true for the social rent units that Councillor Dickardem wants to build.

Yes, they are assets. They have a book value.

But in a financial crisis, you're not about to sell the council houses

out from under the tenants that are placed in them, are you?

So you do get rental income, that's quite right.

But what you can't do is use that asset value for anything meaningful in a crisis,

which is why those councils that have got into significant financial problems

have had very large balance sheets, huge amounts of assets,

and they've been totally unable to use those to sort out their problems

and have had to declare the section 114 notices.

It doesn't help to have assets. I'll take a question.

The councils that have got into trouble have normally done so because they've taken

speculative gambles on assets that are going to generate income,

whereas this is borrowing for the business of what councils should be doing,

which is public housing, maintenance of its infrastructure.

So there's a slight separation between, say, an investment in lots of wind farms as one,

I think solar panels as one did, to try and generate income.

But this is the business of what a council should be doing.

So there's a distinction there and a difference.

So I will give Councillor Dickard M one aspect of his point.

He is right that the schemes that this is being borrowed for are not speculative in

the same way as some of those councils.

That is true.

However, we also know that this is your plan to borrow going into what by any means, regardless

of 95 % funding flaws and the rest of it, will be a financial crisis for the Council because

of the cuts from your government.

Your government is going to drastically reduce our funding on any interpretation of what

is about to happen in a couple of weeks' time, the next two weeks in that settlement.

To borrow £1 .1 billion at a cost of nearly £2 .5 billion

going into a financial crisis with no idea how you're going to get out of it

is not sensible, it is not wise, and more importantly,

it is something you have never put to residents.

You have never asked residents, you are not interested in residents' views,

and we can tell you that residents do not support that level of debt.

You told them you'd be financially responsible.

Unfortunately, this is the opposite.

Thank you.

Councillor Ireland. Thank you. Thank you. Now, I'll repeat

it. I've said this several times. We're borrowing to finance considerable

investment in estate regeneration, delivering new social homes

and improving existing stock. We're a landlord to over

33 ,000 homes and we have a duty to invest in this stock.

And financing estate regeneration and new housing delivery in this way creates a lifelong asset for the council.

It will also generate rental income which will help us repay the initial borrowing.

And we spend, I think it's well over £60 million a year on temporary accommodation.

Now that does come out of council tax. That is money down the drain.

We get these new social homes, that will reduce the temporary accommodation cost.

It's just a sensible thing to do. Now the Treasury report, it also outlines

how our successful performance securing value for money for residents, it's

been independently verified as one of the best performing councils in the

country. We've achieved some of the highest returns, you've heard me say

before. Our cash balances are high. We forecast a surplus of 1 .3 million pounds in the treasury

management budget this year, and that's down to our prudent planning and proactive investment.

So when we talk to people in communities, they don't ask us about return on investments.

We're asked about safer, cleaner streets, more community facilities, and how they can

keep more money in their pocket.

They also want decent homes to live in and more of them.

And that's what we're delivering.

Thank you.

Thank you, members.

Is the recommendation approved?

It's agreed?

Yeah, thank you very much.

We're now on to item nine.

is matters of local and topical interest.

We've received notice of two valid matters to consider this evening,

and a third matter that I did not consider valid.

I know Councillor Grimston wants to raise the issue as a point of order at this stage.

I therefore invite him to do so.

Councillor Grimston.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

And it was nice to see you setting aside standing orders to take the questions earlier,

as you of course have the powers to do.

Mr. Mayor, in my 30 -odd years in this council,

like every other member in that period,

I've had a right to raise issues

through what was the adjournment debate process.

During the recent views of the constitution,

a view was taken which I entirely understand,

that there was something very strange

about us being able to pop up

in the middle of somebody else's debate

and raise a completely irrelevant issue.

And so we put together,

the working group under Councillor Osbourne,

put together an alternative proposal

which we now have a project.

Nonetheless, going through everything that I have

through those things, and I've talked to the leader,

I've talked to both WIPs, I've talked to Councillor Osbourne,

I've talked to yourself, Mr. Mayor,

who were actually on that committee.

At no point was it ever suggested by any member

that the outcome of this should be to exclude members

who are not part of a group from taking part

in this procedure from time to time.

And as a result, a power that members have enjoyed

for all of my 30 years in the council,

I'm not a Covindia or a Belton,

they've enjoyed it much longer than I have,

but has now been stripped from those of us

who are not part of, who don't take a whip.

I believe -

Councillor Grimson, can you stick to the point of order?

Yes, so the point of order is about a misinterpretation

of the new standing order 39A.

It is patently the case that those discussions

were not intended to exclude members such as myself

from the possibility of making these contributions.

I don't know why, and I don't know where,

whoever drafted Standing Order 39A got the idea

that that was what the committee wanted,

but there's absolutely no justification for that

in what was said by any member.

And I would therefore suggest to you

that as you have done with the questions this evening,

if you feel that it is entirely wrong

that the wishes of all members of this chamber

should be ignored in this way,

in the way a new standing order is being interpreted,

then I would have asked you to override

these standing orders for the second time this evening,

and to allow the putting of the issue.

Having said that, I've put a note round members

of the substance of it, and therefore I'm quite happy

to withdraw the wish to speak,

but I would strongly ask you, Mr. Mayor,

to give me the permission to speak,

which I will then withdraw,

because this is entirely wrong,

that something should go forth.

It was a two -hour meeting.

We didn't pick up every nuance in that meeting.

This was almost, a cynic would say,

this was slipped past the members.

I'm sure that wasn't the intention.

But it's entirely wrong that a member should lose powers

that have been important in this chamber

as a result of a process that was being followed

for an entirely different reason.

Thank you, Councillor Grinstone.

You raised it, I want to respond.

You raised this issue with me outside the meeting,

and I have given you my determination on the issue.

I will repeat it here.

I've read Standing Order 39A and 39B very carefully.

These matters deal with local and topical issues

and were agreed by this, the council that we're in.

I understand and have been advised

that the matters of local and topical interest

can only be raised by councillors

who are part of a group on the council.

So my ruling therefore remains.

Doesn't stop it being looked at again in the future.

Councillor Tiller, you've got the first topical motion.

I think we did it, 200 new council homes

in Battersea Power Station.

Councillor Tiller, you've got three minutes

to speak on the matter.

Thank you Mr. Mayor. The redevelopment of Battersea Power Station is a remarkable achievement.

It has restored a landmark, created jobs, opened new public spaces and delivered two

new tube stations. We can all welcome that. But for the thousands of once worth residents

on our housing waiting list, the 2022 opening was bittersweet. Under the original master

plan, the development was supposed to include 636 affordable homes. In 2017, the previous

Conservative administration approved a deed of variation that reduced this to 386. Those

homes delivered with Peabody are mainly discounted market sale, shared ownership and affordable

rent. They are not council homes and they do not meet the needs of families waiting

for secure social housing. There was talk that the developer might then voluntarily

deliver more affordable homes, but by the time the power station opened, no additional

homes had appeared. Not a single council home was secured on site. That is why Wandsworth

Labour chose not to attend the opening, not out of hostility to investment, but out of

with the residents repeatedly overlooked in large regeneration projects.

And that decision has paid off. Through persistent engagement and a far better working relationship,

the council has now secured a commitment for around 200 new council homes as part of the next phase at Battersea.

This will make a real difference and goes a good way to restoring the level of social

and affordable housing originally expected.

This speech is not an attack on the developer for protecting commercial interests.

Any developer would do that.

This is about the choices made by the previous administration who had the opportunity to

stand up for the most vulnerable but instead accepted a massive reduction in affordable

housing without a fight. We say the same pattern elsewhere. When Labour flipped the thousand

homes scheme to be entirely council homes, the Conservatives opposed it. When we greatly

increased the level of affordable and council homes in the autumn renewal, they resisted

again. So the choice in May is clear. Do we want to continue building secure, genuinely

affordable homes for local people or do we return to an approach that treats them as

an afterthought in major regeneration schemes? Battersea Power Station shows what can be

achieved when the council stands firm, works constructively and puts residents first. This

is the approach that this Labour administration will continue to take. Thank you.

Councillor Dickard, you have up to three minutes if you want to respond.

Great, yeah.

This is why I got involved in politics in the first place, right?

We did it. We did it. We stuck to our guns.

We were called unrealistic. We were called extreme.

We were described as anti -growth.

But we held at the very core a principle of fairness,

which is that when a developer comes to our neighbourhood and says it's going to do something,

they need to follow through with that.

They need to keep their promises and they need to deliver for the local people who have

called this area their home.

And that principle of fairness is really important because when an area is run down, like the

patch of North Battersea that I now represent, when that area is run down and people live

and make community and home during the hard times, it is absolutely crucial that they

get to benefit during the good times and that they aren't priced out of the neighbourhoods

that they have grown up in.

We took some hard decisions that we were criticised for.

On hospitality, we made it very clear when we first came in in 2022

that Labour councillors would not take any hospitality from property developers.

We didn't go to the opening because we saw our role when there were live planning applications

as being that of a trade unionist, of fighting for the best deal for the people of Wandsworth.

We wanted to set an example that we weren't for sale, that we took seriously our obligation to fight

fight to the very end to try and make sure that we got those affordable homes back.

Now this isn't just a deal to get back the previous affordable housing or run by a housing

association. This is our development team, you know, flexing the municipal power of the

local state, our in -house development team, building council housing on this land that

we will run and that we will own. And I think that is a testament to the kind of politics

and the culture that we have built in Wandsworth. I want to say thank you to Councillor Simon

Hogg who has had my back during this battle and landed this deal and has protected us

during the hard times when people were saying that, you know what, it's unrealistic, you

won't be able to do it. Councillor Simon Hogg has created a culture in Wandsworth where

we fight and stand up for our residents and he also protects us to do our job and to do

it, to do it not just on the back foot but with pride, to be proud of our politics, to

be proud of our ambitions. So I want to say a massive thank you to the local labour group,

to our leader Simon Hogg, and a thank you to every resident that stood beside us during

this fight to get a fairer deal. And now we can celebrate Batsy Pal station, we can see

it as a development that is meeting its obligations, that cares about making sure that those who

lived in this community for many years also get to benefit from the growth and the regeneration

taking place. And that is precisely what we set out to do when we took over this council.

So it's a huge win and a massive win for the people of Wandsworth and the people of Battersea.

For the second matter of local and topical interest, could I ask Councillor Owens to speak on the issue being raised by the Conservative group, which is serious congestion and lack of a plan.

Councillor Owens.

Thank you, Mr Mayor.

First, I do want to start with something positive.

On Monday, the leader, the cabinet member for transport and officers, came out on a

long soggy walkabout with the Putney Action Group and Councillors Brooks and Councillor

Austin. That was the right thing to do and I want to thank everyone who gave up their

time in the rain. But it has taken far too long to get to this point. The queues on the

appeared overnight. Conservative councillors, parents, carers, tradespeople

and businesses have been telling us how horribly this has been grinding them

down for over a year. I say this not just as a councillor but as a parent, a regular

user of Wandsworth's fantastic Barnum sports grounds and as a business person.

I am one of those parents stuck in those queues trying to get my sons to

sports fixtures and appointments.

I know the frustration when a 10 -minute journey

takes an hour and the frustration of having to

bacon these unpredictable delays into your daily life.

This isn't an abstract policy debate.

It is lost time with our children.

It is missed appointments.

It is small businesses losing trade,

mothers turning down work in central London

and families looking to leave Wandsworth.

So yes, I welcome to the engagement on Monday, but if that engagement is to mean anything,

it has to go beyond one junction, one set of traffic lights or side street turns.

It needs you to openly challenge Sadiq Khan and Hammersmith and Fulham's traffic management,

and it should make you need to look honestly at the wider mindset that has driven transport

policy in London in recent years.

The mindset that genuinely believes you can simply keep turning the screws on drivers

to reach a car -free nirvana, and that the pain you cause

is at best worthwhile or at worst somewhat deserved.

To be clear, this vision is a myth,

and you'll keep hurting people as long as you cling

to what is an unserious and disqualifying

ideological fantasy.

It's not a serious way to run a city, and frankly, cruel.

We need a change of attitude, a recognition

that some people have no realistic alternative to driving,

that congestion makes life worse for everyone,

including bus users and cyclists, and that listening to residents has to be the starting point,

not the last resort after campaigns you can no longer dismiss after a year of hoping my

colleagues and I will give up. Please let this be a turning point for how we treat people in the borough.

Thank you.

Councillor Yeates, you've got up three minutes to respond.

Thank you Mr Mayor. In recent years in Wandsworth the population has increased but car ownership

has fallen and the data shows that the total annual motor vehicle mileage on our roads

has also fallen and it is still below pre -Covid levels. But yes, we do get congestion at times

in our busy areas and no one wants that. In November last year I went down Wandsworth

High Street and it was gridlocked. This morning I went through there and the

traffic was flowing freely. So what was going on last November? Emergency works

by Thames Water. Time and again across our borough emergency works by Thames

Water are causing congestion. It was a Tory government, the Thatcher government,

that privatised it and from then on Thames Water consistently failed over

many years to invest enough in its ageing infrastructure, instead prioritising big payouts to shareholders.

So we now face frequent emergency works across London that cause congestion on our streets.

In response, this Labour Council is carefully coordinating with all the utility companies

to get them to schedule their planned works for holiday periods and to coordinate with

each other to minimise disruption. And we're fining them as much as we can when their work

overrun. Yes, we do have some congestion hotspots. Putney High Street has been

congested for many many years, Councillor Owens. The scheme your party initiated to

improve the junction by the bridge has improved pedestrian safety with fewer

pedestrians crossing on the red and many more cyclists using that route. It did

cause unexpected congestion on Lower Richmond Road and Putney Bridge Road.

Working carefully with Transport for London, we've taken measures to fix this

and we're taking more.

We'll go on listening to residents

and doing all we can to improve the situation there.

It's your party, Councillor Owens,

that has consistently opposed measures

to reduce congestion in London,

to reduce pollution on our streets,

and to make them safer.

The London Congestion Charge,

a policy that cut traffic dramatically in central London,

opposed by the Tories.

The EULES and the EULES expansion

that have greatly reduced pollution

across the entire capital, opposed by the Tories.

safer cycling routes, bus priority schemes,

opposed by the Tories.

Here in Zwonsworth, we're focusing on making our streets

safer and better for everyone.

We have the biggest road and pavement renewal programme

in London, reversing years of decline

when our road network got worse on the earth every year.

We put in record numbers of level crossings

and we're implementing more school streets.

These measures are important to help our residents

feel able to choose to walk and cycle

And we'll go on working hard to make our streets safer and better for all our residents

The whips have agreed that item 18 will be taken next item 18 is the motion on value for money

for valuable support for Wandsworth residents

Can I ask councillor Ireland to move and councillor Boswell to second the motion?

I second.

An amendment to the motion has been circulated. May I ask Councillor Peter Graham and Councillor Humphreys to move and second the amendment.

Formally moved.

Seconded.

The first speaker is Councillor Ireland.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

there. Poverty is defined by the Joseph Rountree Foundation as when a person's resources

are insufficient to meet minimum needs, including social participation. It is 20 years and counting

since we last saw a prolonged period of falling poverty in the UK, and now around 2 out of

every 10 adults live in poverty. Poverty significantly impacts people's ability to live healthy

and fulfilling lives by limiting their access to the key elements of health,

such as decent housing and nutritious food. Living in poverty is linked to

lower life expectancy and fewer years lived in good health. Being poor means

higher rates of infant and child mortality, malnutrition, developmental

delays and greater exposure to unsafe and and substandard housing as tragically

illustrated in the death of Awab Ishak. Today, four and a half million children,

that's around 31%, are living in relative poverty after housing costs and that's

up by more than 900 ,000 since 2010 -11. Three -quarters of children living in

poverty now come from working families. They are growing up in households

without enough food and other essentials such as soap and toothpaste and last

year over a million of them relied on food banks and unbelievably nearly 1

million children do not even have their own bed. Growing up poor damages children

it is humiliating. Children suffer when they go without. Many of them are

ostracised and shunned for being poor. Their poverty is not their fault but

they feel the shame. But it costs more not to invest in children than to invest

in them. The Sure Start programme, abolished by the Conservatives after 2010, showed that

the costs of intervening are covered more than twice over by the savings in healthcare,

special needs education and juvenile delinquency. And for every 1 ,000 children forced into residential

care because of their families' poverty, we pay out up to £300 million a year. Now,

Now nationally the Government is developing a new child poverty strategy and while the

Government controls the main drivers for change, we believe that local authorities and their

partners have a significant role to play in helping disadvantaged and underserved residents

to manage financial shocks.

We are proud to have the largest cost of living fund in London of £15 million which has provided

crisis support to residents and has helped to reinvigorate the voluntary community sector

in Wandsworth. This fund has supported many successful initiatives across the borough,

including the low -income family tracker.

Using data from the tracker, we have run several successful campaigns to increase take -up of

benefits for residents, enabling them to make savings to household costs and strengthen

their financial resilience. Highlights include lifetime savings of £21 million for residents

receiving pension credit and attendance allowance. Auto enrolment of free school meals has generated

an additional £1 million a year in pupil premium funding for schools. And working with

Thames Water and Policy and Practise to be the first council in the UK to auto enrol

over 1 ,000 eligible households to social water tariffs.

Thanks to the success of this pilot,

this is now being rolled out to other boroughs across London.

I would like to say a particular thanks to Lisa Paul.

This was her initiative.

And together with Thames Water and Policy Practise,

they won the collaboration award in recognition

of their excellent work using data from the tracker

to support households who are missing out simply

because they did not know they were qualified.

The work you do transforms residents' lives.

We believe we can do more.

We are embedding financial resilience

in all council services and are reviewing our anti -poverty

approach to prevent, reduce, and mitigate poverty

by addressing its root causes and impacts,

building on existing council initiatives and partnerships,

including recommendations from the Cost of Living Commission,

and learning from the best practises of local authorities

to align with wider anti -poverty commitments.

Reducing, I'm nearly finished,

reducing poverty is one of the most significant ways

we can improve public health and wellbeing.

Our vision is for a Wandsworth that is fair

and compassionate, where residents are free from poverty

and have access to resources, opportunities,

and support that enable them to thrive.

Thank you.

Councillor Corner. Thank you Mr. Mayor. Councillor Ireland just gave a

comprehensive summary of the initiatives that this administration are taking in

order to deliver for vulnerable residents but the actual crux of this

motion is about how value for money as an enabler for that support can be

sustained over the long term.

And that's what I want to focus on today,

because this administration is failing

to deliver on value for money.

I think it's worth just reflecting

on what value for money actually means,

because I think a lot of people,

certainly on the other side of the chamber,

would struggle to define it.

But for me, at its heart,

it means extracting the maximum value possible

for every pound of residents' money that we spend.

And I think everyone in this council should be agreeing with that principle.

And this isn't just an academic debate either.

I think during the debate earlier on the Treasury management paper, I think Councillor Ireland

said that when she talks to residents, they don't talk about the internal finances of

the council.

And of course, what people really care about is those frontline services that they see

delivered and the support they're getting in the community from this council.

But the whole thing, the whole point of what makes those services and those outcomes possible

is about the council's finances and how it deploys its resources.

So I think it's very concerning that the cabinet member for finance simply dismissed concerns

about the council's management of public money earlier tonight.

It just simply isn't true to say that the council's finances are not relevant.

It's the whole enabler, the only enabler of the things that she spoke about, many of which

are perfectly positive.

So I want to just highlight a few areas which I think this council is failing on value for

money.

The first is on debt.

Now remember, value for money is about extracting the maximum value for every pound we spend.

Under this council, they are expanding the amount of debt that this council is taking on

by over a billion pounds and that will cost an additional two billion pounds to pay back.

That two billion pound is money that the residents will have to pay in council taps,

That's public money that will have to be given to the council in order to pay off that debt

over many, many years.

And that's money that can't be put into the types of initiatives that Councillor Ireland

spoke about.

And we also have, as was mentioned earlier as well, but has been dismissed as simply

not relevant or important enough to talk about, an imminent financial crisis coming to this

council to this town hall caused by the government, their own government.

You know there's talk of a 5 % funding cut floor but that must be funded according to

the government's own announcements on this by maximum possible increases in council tax.

So again residents are going to be paying more and more money into this town hall and

getting less back.

That is the very definition of value for money, reducing.

And even that money that does come to the town hall and is available to spend,

often it's going to be spent on debt interest.

There's a real failure with this administration as well on being able to balance the books.

And that means that every single year this council is spending more than it can afford.

Now it's been able to achieve this through a sleight of hand by spending reserves so far,

but they have spoken about locking in the same low council tax for the long term.

The numbers just don't add up.

Once they've spent the reserves, they will then have to go cap in hand to residents for more money,

again, just to pay off their largess in public spending and their wasteful spending over many years.

If the cabinet member for finance really cared about value for money in this town hall,

she wouldn't be giving speeches here dismissing the importance of council finances.

What she would be doing is lobbying her government to make sure that we get an actual fair funding settlement

rather than just a fair funding settlement that claims to be fair,

but actually visits a financial crisis on this town hall

and results in substantially less value for money for residents.

Remember, because of 44 years of Conservative administration in this town hall,

residents became used to having the lowest council tax in the country funded sustainably.

But it's under this administration and their government that will visit a financial crisis

on this town hall and massively reduce value for money so that this council can't afford

the things that the cabinet members spoke about and she should be honest about that.

Thank you.

Councillor Belson.

Thank you Mr Mayor.

I had thought originally that Councillor Ireland was having a joke really on us.

I looked at this motion and thought this is ridiculous.

Who could possibly disagree with this?

I mean, are we disagreeing with the objectives?

Are we disagreeing with the intention to,

or not intention, the actuality of taking 16 ,000 families

out of paying council taxes,

16 ,000 of the poorest families?

Are we objecting to building council homes?

I mean, there can't be any opposition to this.

Why is she wasting my time?

But actually, she's got a shrewd knowledge

of this shambles opposing us than I have

because they actually managed to find some opposition.

But look at the opposition.

I've only just picked up this amendment, by the way.

I don't know when it arrived, but it's a bold attempt.

It's interesting things here like great stuff on the CCTR.

We just wish we couldn't afford it

or who objects to having more housing?

But the trouble is how they're funding it.

So they're actually agreeing with all the good things in it, all the let's have and

this and let's have that, and then saying, but you can't spend it.

And of course, Councillor Kooler put his finger right on it, because he said we had 44 years

of a council reducing the debt and building up nearly a billion, I think, of reserves,

800 ,000 or 800 million in total of reserves.

Now for some reason or other the council taking 800 million of my money and keeping it a bank,

well our money is somehow better than actually using it to build assets which keep people

out of being homeless on the street.

And personally, I'd rather have less money in the bank,

collectively for all of us,

and fewer people sleeping on the streets

at Clapham Junction.

I mean, I think I'm fairly clear about that.

And I rather suspect most of the folk here

are clear about that.

On the other hand, I actually lived through this 44 years,

just to remind people occasionally.

Occasionally.

Anyway, what was achieved here, talking about value for money, roughly 20 ,000 of the council

properties, and that's largely what we're talking about, isn't it?

With respect, Councillor Yates, we are talking about council houses, we're not talking about

potholes, however important they are, we're talking about the big money.

That's what we're really talking about.

And this council sold, this council's the definition

of selling off the family silver.

I mean that was its fame.

And so it sold off 20 ,000 to achieve a conservative

political objective and I live politics.

I have done for a long time.

I do not object to the conservatives achieving

conservative policies.

I mean that's what they're meant to do.

It makes it easier for me to oppose them

apart from anything else.

but it's what they're meant to do.

But for the hypocrisy of pretending they're good with money,

they gave about half a billion in right to buy subsidies to achieve this.

So they actually gave the money from the public purse

to get us all selling off our silver

so that now we have to do extraordinary things

and work hard to find the houses for those people on the streets

in Clapham Junction. It's not just Clapham Junction, it's the same for the people on

the streets in Tooting or Putney. That's kind of interesting hypocrisy. But there is a fundamental

choice. Do you prefer to have the family silver, in this case property, or do you prefer to

have the bank balance.

Now funnily enough, if I was living in my beloved North,

my born in Liverpool, do you know that?

If I was living there, I think I'd rather have the money.

But actually down here, what would any financial advisor

advise you to do?

Have the property and not the money,

because the property will go up in value

and the money will go down.

And the obvious, the only reason, the only reason why it's not realisable in the Councillor

Graham's sense of the word is he doesn't believe this council will ever go Tory again,

will ever be able to sell them.

It's because they can't sell the properties, but if they could there'd be plenty of money,

we'd be back in, with tonnes of reserves in no time at all.

Thank you.

Next speaker is Councillor Peter Graham.

Thank you.

I'm not sure if Councillor Belton realises I was about to get a right to reply to that.

So, well, he asked what could we possibly objective in this motion and apart from all

the things that were just pointed out, it's factually wrong.

I mean, that's one starting point.

It talks about the independent assessment

as having found that the council is providing

value for money in its support for residents.

It does no such thing.

It finds value for money in treasury management policy,

a policy that you inherited from us,

a policy indeed which former Councillor Carpenter

spent all of his time when he was your opposition speaker

telling us to junk in favour of high risk investments

which clearly wouldn't have led to that independent

assessment finding the same thing.

Now, furthermore, it is the fact that if the council continues to get such a good return,

that by itself could flush internal borrowing out into external borrowing.

Is it right on the cusp now as between what you pay for the internal borrowing based on

the MRP versus going out?

So the more successful they are and the more they want to blow their own trumpet on Treasury

management, the more likely it is that the internal borrowing becomes external borrowing,

fixed in, and then a liability.

And let's look at reserves, given that this mentions reserves, and the financial position.

So I'm not sure how many of them have read the MTFS, which was produced in the autumn,

but the budget gap, before we even get on to fair funding, rises to £39 .7 million in

2028 -29.

you can then add another 39 million pounds

from the current estimate of fair funding.

And on top of that, we may have to add issues

to do with business rate retention.

That's more than 80 million going into this,

and you think that this is the right time to borrow.

And as Councillor Caddy and Councillor Corner

have pointed out, your government is currently saying,

in that statement that if you wish to benefit

from the funding floor, you will have to increase

council tax by the maximum possible amount.

But let's say in a week or two when we get the settlement,

they don't come to that conclusion.

And they allow you potentially to increase it by less.

On your numbers and with your policy,

that just means that you will burn reserves

rather than increasing that tax

because you have no other plan to close it.

And if you keep going in this way,

there will be no reserves left at all.

Now, we can also look at borrowing,

and the argument was made, well, you know,

I mean, what else would you do?

How could you, how could you otherwise

you get the same benefits?

But there is possible to have a different approach

to capital receipts.

We know that.

You are not trying to maximise capital receipts.

Indeed, in terms of temporary accommodation,

when you talk about value for money,

you're not actually trying to pursue value for money.

Councillor Dickard M. wants,

and we've talked about ideological differences this evening,

he wants, for ideological reasons, to build social rent units.

That is not the best way to get the temporary accommodation bill down,

certainly not quickly.

So that is an ideological objection.

It is borrowing to pursue an ideological end,

not for the value for money that you trumpet in this motion.

And I have to say, although I'm very fond of Councillor Belton,

it was entirely disingenuous of him to confuse and muddle up

the rough sleeping issues that we see,

and temporary accommodation and statutory homelessness.

And we all know that during COVID, for example,

every single person sleeping rough on the streets

was offered hotel rooms.

There were still people sleeping rough on the streets.

The fact is that those are issues to do with

alcohol and drug addiction,

mental health issues and other things.

The support is there for them.

It's got nothing to do with building social rent units

or the borrowing that this council is trying to pursue.

And then we look, I've only got a minute left,

so I will rattle through.

Look, the other things that are mentioned here,

I mean, how this council has the cheek

to raise Springfield Park,

a park they could have bought for a pound,

which is a good investment if ever I heard one,

and they've refused, leaving it in the hands

of a development consortium,

and still on the Brownfield register,

I have no idea.

But perhaps, perhaps, aside from the hypocrisy,

given the hypocrisy as mentioned,

aside from the hypocrisy of having opposed increases to this council's funding from

the last government because they said it wasn't enough, to now fail to oppose actual real

cuts from a Labour government. Aside from that hypocrisy, the idea that this council

is going to launch a debt fairness charter for residents, while at the same time and

without telling them, increase the council's potential external debt from zero to 1 .1 billion,

is absolutely absurd.

They need to come clean with the public.

They need to come clean, I think, with themselves

on the position they find themselves in.

They're not entirely responsible for the government.

Crap up, please, Councillor Graham.

Yes.

And it is about time,

given their motion and its factual mistake,

that they started pursuing value for money

beyond Treasury management.

Councillor Boswell.

Thank you very much, Mr Mayor.

Oh dear, oh dear, you understand the cost of everything

and the value of nothing.

And I thank Councillor Belton for his speech

because that is what came through so clearly.

And in the four years I did between 2010 and 2014

as an opposition Councillor, I often used to think

that they understand the cost of everything

and the value of nothing and now we're dealing

with the consequences.

So, to my speech, when I spotted an article titled

Wandsworth Council's investment strategy

has outperformed all other councils nationwide,

I felt an enormous sense of pride.

Of course, when I spot something about a new programme

the council has launched, like new play equipment

in dilapidated playgrounds,

residential roads and pavements, seeing an upgrade,

I feel a huge sense of pride of what's being achieved there

and the difference it's making in the daily lives of our residents.

But this, an investment strategy that, according to MUFG's corporate markets treasury,

has done better than all other London authorities,

and over 200 authorities nationwide,

it makes me equally, if not more proud.

because of course, as you have been lecturing us

from the other side tonight,

you cannot have one without the other.

But this Labour administration has demonstrated

that it has the ability to take care of business,

because that's what it is,

I come from a business background, a business family,

we're taking care of business, but at the same time,

making this wealthy borough at long last begin to work for everyone.

The administration's more active approach, whether it's in these global investments or local investments,

is in our investment in families and children and young people, and it's paying dividends.

We have been praised by the MUFG for this more active approach within our investment

portfolio.

But we also have this more active, proactive approach, for example, in children's services.

We've used the lift tracker that Councillor Ireland has mentioned to auto -enrol 700 more

children onto free school meals who were from families that were not claiming for whatever

reason.

And this proactive go find them way of doing things means that actually it's really cost

effective because we're reaching vulnerable families much earlier, putting in the support

early and not meeting them in crisis.

Families in crisis are so expensive and it pays dividends for the children and families

themselves, giving them the chance to build resilience,

to build resilience and to thrive.

And an imaginative programme of services is being delivered

alongside our corporate partners at no extra cost

to the residents.

Dolly Parton Foundation Library, Imagination Library,

which delivers free books every month to all our under fives

in the borough, was secured by officers putting forward a great winning pitch, really proactive

winning pitch, being fleet of foot and setting a winning the pitch and setting it up so fast

that apparently we had 5 ,000 signups within the first few weeks.

We also have our expanding partnership with Apple, building on the Everyone Can Code programme

and free class sets of iPads are being deployed

in Wandsworth's, six more Wandsworth schools.

Wherever I speak at schools and at apprenticeship schemes,

I always say to the young people,

not only do you live in the best city on earth,

you live in the best borough on earth

because it is full of opportunities,

because we have companies like Apple based here

and go out and grab those opportunities with both hands

and this council is backing you all the way.

I commend this motion.

No food waste segregation, leaving foxes and rats to the mixed waste bags on our streets.

Very Dickensian.

The new administration was faced with making sure our officers had enough resources,

no longer burning the candle at both ends like some latter -day Bob Cratchit.

With residents seeing resources more evenly spread,

while council tax did not double to other councils' levels,

as our residents were led to believe by mischievous Victorian doorstep peddlers of fabrication and fear.

The lost years of planned demographic change in this borough, where low means and ill health was something other councils could look after,

while a population that needed no resources were encouraged to replace them, hoping they would vote for a Tory,

or maybe even a Tory Whig coalition until that little game came unstuck

as house prices left even more residents closer to the Cratchits

rather than Jacob and Ebenezer.

We saw the first London Park since 2012, co -managed by the NHS,

giving North Tooting somewhere to breathe.

Our very own social subscribing gift to our residents,

with no charge now or in the future,

which I think is what you were arguing for,

for a charge, a yearly charge earlier on.

We are, to our taxpayers,

we are also transforming our playgrounds,

responding to our residents' desire

to have a modern space for their children,

inspiring new playgrounds at Wandsworth Park,

Garrett Park and Harroway Gardens,

with many more to come.

Children with special needs catered for at Garrett Green

after lobbying from a local resident,

and a new pocket park during Swarthfield Road,

and so many more to follow.

We are planting 1 ,200 trees

and bringing investment in trees cared for by the community.

We are insisting on biodiversity net gain in every development,

and our new biodiversity and tree strategies bring us bang up to date.

Plus, we now have 12 new green flag parks

improving by 140 % on the previous administration.

We also see sensory play in our new soft play area

at Putney Leisure Centre,

maybe encouraging a future Turner Prize winner.

Part of £24 million investment

in all of our leisure and sports centres and Lido,

with Putney seeing £4 .1 million

government -funded decarbonisation money.

We've beefed up our social value toolkit

so more of our environmental improvements are provided by contractors

who also contributed to our leisure centre investment.

We're cleaning the air.

Charles Dickens would hardly recognise us.

Reducing areas from above national standards

from five to one from three years ago.

And we have engaged with indoor markets to invest in cleaning their air

and on construction sites we've forced higher standards.

We're skilling a new workforce, working with local universities and colleges,

alerting residents to retrofit grants, using grants to retrofit our council homes,

and saved homes from demolition on the Alton renewal for retrofitting,

where GLA grant, overlooked by the previous administration,

now sees a £50 million investment in the state -of -the -art,

low -carbon, healthy, cheap -to -run council homes,

many reaching passive house standards.

Saving temporary accommodation spend

and combined with rent over a 50 -year investment

will pay for themselves.

Another doorstep fabrication debunked.

We've also secured £4 million offset money from developers

and used £1 million of that to retrofit our own buildings.

Our action sees us jump to third in London

in the Climate Action Scorecard,

up 18 places and given an A rating by the carbon disclosure project.

Access for All makes sure all can partake with 8 ,000 people

whose families might well have been excluded under the previous administration

now looking at discounts of up to 50 % on council facilities, events and participation,

making us a much more inclusive borough.

Much is paid for by CIL, contractors, carbon offset money, government grant and good long -term stable council investment.

Charles Dickens needed imagination and compassion to write his novels.

He didn't want Christmases of low expectations. You always do that on my punchline.

You've got five minutes, Councillor White.

I've got 30 seconds, you'll like this bit.

Finish it up.

We concur and Tiny Tim doesn't need Scrooge's charity in Wandsworth.

He'll enjoy more shared resources because the ghost of Victorian neoliberalism was swept away three years ago.

Thank you very much.

I'm going to put the amendment to the vote.

The matter now before the council is the amendment moved by Councillor P Graham and seconded by Councillor Humphreys.

All those in favour of the amendment.

We do have speeches Mr. Mayor. We've not yet got to the guillotine point have we?

I think we've taken the speeches I got. All those in favour of the amendment. Time's rushing on.

All those against the amendment.

Any abstentions?

The amendment is lost.

For the amendment is 15.

Against the amendment is 26.

and no abstentions.

So we come back to the substantive motion.

We're going to vote on now.

All those in favour of the substantive motion?

Thank you.

All those against the substantive motion?

OK.

Any abstentions?

So the substantive motion is passed 26 votes against zero and abstentions 15.

We now return to report for information from the cabinet.

Councillor Apps.

Thank you Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, the council now having sat for more than two and a half hours,

I move that the remaining business of the council agenda is disposed of under the procedure in

standing order 32 and Merry Christmas. Seconded.

Seconder. Councillor Apps.

Seconded Mr. Mayor. Okay.

As the council has sat for more than two and a half hours, it's been moved and seconded,

that the remaining items of business on the tonight's agenda be disposed of

in accordance with the provision of standing order 32,

which means that the necessary motions to deal with reports for decision

shall be formally moved and seconded and immediately voted on without debate.

Is this motion to deal with the remaining business in this way agreed?

All that?

Yes, all agreed?

Okay, thank you. Sorry.

Sorry Mr Mayor, I wish to vote against it. If nobody else will.

Sorry, anyone against? Yes, yep.

One against?

We'll take the vote again, sorry, because we've got no mother.

All those for the motion?

The guillotine, yes.

All those against the guillotine motion.

Any abstentions?

OK. Is it one?

So the guillotine motion is passed 25 -4, 15 against and one abstention.

So we now turn to report for information from the cabinet.

I ask Councillor Hogg to move reception of the report and of the supplementary report.

Councillor Hogg.

Good.

Is that agreed?

We now turn to the report for information from the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

I ask Councillor Fraser to move reception of the report.

Move Item 12 from the Health OSC.

Is that agreed? Thank you.

Item 13 is the report for information from the Planning Applications Committee.

I ask Councillor Belton to move reception of the report.

Move for the reception of the report, Mr Mayor.

Is that agreed? Councillors, thank you.

Item 14 is from the General Purposes Committee. I ask Councillor Osborne to move reception

of the report. Yes, move Item 14, general purposes, please,

Mr. Mayor

Is that agreed counsel? Yeah

Item 15 is the health and well -being board. I ask councillor Henderson to move reception of the report

Is that agreed counsel yes

Yeah

Item 16 is a revision of committee's membership and outside bodies paper number

25, 436 and paper number 25 ,436A. Are there recommendations in the report and the addendum

approved? Thank you, Council. Item 19 is the conservative motion on the Council tax surcharge.

Can I ask Councillor P. Graham to move and Councillor Corner to second the motion in

their names.

Formerly moved.

Seconded.

Thank you.

There's no amendment to this motion, so we'll vote on the motion.

All those for?

Division please.

So we need the bell to be rung and you've got two minutes to get in and out of the chamber

if you want to go either way.

Thank you.

Good. Now the two minutes are up and I'll ask the Chief Executive now to conduct the division. Mr. Travers.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'm going to read out the names of all Councillors in alphabetical order.

If you could indicate whether you are for or against the motion or whether you wish to abstain.

Councillor Aquinoa.

Against. And Merry Christmas.

Councillor Anand.

Against.

Councillor Aps.

Against.

Councillor Austin.

Councillor Ayres. Against.

Councillor Belton. Councillor Burchill.

For. Councillor Boswell.

Against. Councillor Brooks.

Councillor Caddy. Councillor Colleclay.

Against. Councillor Cook.

For. Councillor Cooper.

against

Councillor Corner

Councillor Critchard

against

Councillor Crivelli

Councillor de la Sejour

Councillor Dickardam

against

Councillor French

Councillor Fraser

against

Councillor Gasser

against councillor Hussain councillor Govindia councillor mrs. Graham

councillor Graham for councillor Grimston against councillor Hamilton

Councillor Hedges.

For.

Councillor Henderson.

Councillor Hogg.

Against.

Councillor Humphreys.

For.

Councillor Ireland.

For.

Councillor Jefferies.

For.

Councillor Justin.

For.

Councillor Lee against Councillor Locker

Councillor McLeod against Councillor Osborne against

Councillor Owens

Councillor Richards Jones for Councillor stock against

Councillor Sweet, Councillor Tiller, against.

Councillor Varatharaj, Councillor White, against.

Councillor Worrall, against.

And Councillor Yates, against.

Thank you.

The motion on Council tax surcharge was lost for the motion 16 against motion 27 and abstentions 0.

Thank you councillors, officers and members of the public.

That concludes the business of the meeting for this evening.

I hope you are able to join me in the Marble Hall for some festive drinks and mince pies.

Good night.

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Council - Wednesday 10 December 2025, 7:30pm - Wandsworth Council Webcasting

CouncilWednesday, 10th December 2025 at 7:30pm

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Wednesday, 10th December 2025 at 7:30pm