Southwark Council says it has made “excellent progress” on a number of key objectives, although performance on others remains unclear.
Significant steps towards tackling unemployment, homelessness, poverty and the climate emergency were highlighted in the council’s interim performance report published last week (March 8).
But their progress towards other important objectives, surrounding pollution, diversity and housing, was not clear, with the council recognising “this has not been an easy time for any of Southwark’s residents.”
Other areas the council said it would take action on have become worse, and were not mentioned in the performance report.
The council’s goals were set out in a plan, which outlined what it wanted to do and the work it would do to achieve this between 2018 – 2022.
Some of the council’s key achievements since 2018 it claims are:
- Supporting over 73,000 vulnerable residents during the pandemic
- Developing a new equalities framework
- Helping more than 5,500 locals get jobs
- Halving the council’s carbon emissions and planting 10,000 trees
- Rolling out free school meals to nursery schools and providing free meals over the school holidays
The council also said it had got 300 people off the streets and into long-term accommodation, launched a new young person’s mental health-drop in centre, alongside opening the Walworth Library, which sees 2,000 visitors per week.
Southwark Council announces 10,000 trees will be planted within a year
However, in the performance report, there was no mention of the council’s progress towards a number of other targets it had set for itself, and many of these problems had become worse under their tenure.
In a plan published in 2020, the council had said it would “improve air quality”, especially around schools.
Air quality in Southwark currently breaks World Health Organisation safety levels, The News reported earlier in the month, meaning people in the borough continue to inhale dangerous levels of poisonous fumes.
This commitment was not mentioned in the review.
Every Southwark air quality monitor breaks World Health Organisation safety levels
The council also vowed in 2020 it would “ensure the top of the council’s workforce is proportionately representative of Southwark’s black Asian and ethnic minority population by 2030.”
Eighty-three per cent of the council’s chief executive department remain white, according to a 2018 -19 report.
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Progress towards another council objective is similarly stunted. Only half of the 1,000 green jobs they promised have been delivered so far, although there is still time to reach the goal.
An increase in the number of council homes by 1,000, either built or on-site, was also planned for 2022.
Yet some 225 new council homes have been built, while 1,586 are under construction. The council said this means they are “exceeding our target”.
Southwark Council is ‘half way there’ on 2,500 new homes by 2022 target
The local authority recognised there had been many challenges during this period, which had hampered its ability to reach its objectives.
“COVID-19 has continued to have a severe and wide-ranging impact on the council and its ability to deliver services to residents over the past year,” read the performance review.
“However, despite the enormous financial and organisational pressure placed on us by the pandemic, we have continued to deliver,” it added.
The ‘Council Plan’ was first approved in November 2018. However, following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was redrawn in 2020 into the ‘Borough Plan’.
“I am proud the council has continued delivering for our residents, even during the most difficult years we have faced as a borough,” said Cllr Keiron Williams, leader of Southwark Council.
“Over the last four years, we have taken bold action to make Southwark fairer, greener and safer, to build more homes local people can afford, to create jobs and opportunities for residents, and to give young people in our borough the best start in life.”
He continued: “I’d like to say a huge thanks to all our staff, partners, community groups, volunteers, businesses and residents who have helped us to deliver our ambitious Borough Plan.”
“There is still more to do.”