Mayor and Cabinet mark first 100 days with action for a fairer, greener Lewisham
Since appointing his Cabinet at the Council’s AGM in May, the Mayor and his team have focused on turning their priorities into action, from tackling fly-tipping to supporting local businesses; reversing cuts to children's services, strengthening support for private renters and announcing the return of the iconic Lewisham People’s Day.
Mayor Shrivastava said: "I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together in our first 100 days. We promised to bring hope back to Lewisham, and that’s what we’re doing: putting hope into action and delivering on the issues residents told us matter most.
“We’re focussing on the everyday things we know make a difference to people’s quality of life, from flytipping and fighting for affordable housing, to standing up for the borough’s values by making it clear we will oppose immigration raids in our communities. We’re also delivering things that make Lewisham a better place to live, like the Sydenham Night Market and the return of People’s Day.
"I’d like to thank everyone who’s taken the time to share their views when we’ve been out and about; to engage with us on social media and to write to us. This is only the beginning. We have big ambitions for Lewisham and residents can expect to see much more from us as we continue delivering on our commitments, working alongside you to build a Lewisham that works for everyone."
Taking action on fly-tipping and creating cleaner neighbourhoods
The Council has launched Love Lewisham, a borough-wide campaign focused on tackling environmental crime and improving neighbourhoods.
The campaign has already delivered local action days, introduced additional crews to speed up the collection of £5 bulky waste bookings, increased the use of CCTV to identify offenders and supported community litter picks across the borough.
Since May the Council has cleared over 11,000 flytips and issued over 65 fines to people caught flytipping.
The Council is also using better data and intelligence to identify fly-tipping hotspots and target resources where they are needed most.
Looking ahead, the Council plans to launch community micro-grants to help residents create community gardens in locations affected by fly-tipping.
Celebrating Lewisham's culture and community spirit
Recognising the importance of bringing people together, the Council welcomed back the Catford Community Festival and announced the return of Lewisham People's Day in summer 2027.
The events form part of a wider commitment to celebrating the borough's creativity, diversity and community pride.
Standing up for affordable housing
Lewisham has joined other local authorities in a legal challenge against proposals that could reduce the amount of affordable housing developers are required to provide – part of a commitment to ensuring that more genuinely affordable homes are delivered for Lewisham residents.
Supporting food justice
Access to food and tackling poverty remain key priorities. Mayor Shrivastava is donating 20% of his mayoral allowance to local food justice organisations, with the first donation supporting the Community Meal at All Saints Community Centre in New Cross.
Backing local businesses
The Council has delivered the new Sydenham Night Market, showcasing local food and drink businesses and creating new opportunities for residents to come together throughout the summer. More than 4,000 people visited during the first five nights alone.
Delivering for renters and tackling the housing crisis
The administration has launched a new Rogue Landlord Taskforce to strengthen enforcement, hold landlords to account and fully enforce the Renters Rights Act.
It has also announced plans to buy back 74 homes previously lost through Right to Buy, increasing the number of homes available to residents on the Council's housing waiting list.
Reinvesting in children and young people
The Council has reversed £200,000 of proposed cuts to children's services, reflecting a commitment to protecting support for children and young people and investing in their futures.
Doing things differently with public finances
Faced with a significant budget challenge, the Cabinet is developing a new approach to financial resilience that focuses on community wealth-building, investing for the long term and keeping more money circulating within the local economy.
The administration has also committed to adopting a cash-first approach to crisis support, helping residents facing hardship with direct financial assistance that offers dignity, flexibility and choice.
Campaigning for stronger local powers
Concerned about the growth of betting shops and gambling premises on high streets, the Council has launched a campaign calling on the Government to give local authorities greater powers to refuse applications where communities believe they are inappropriate.
Supporting migrant communities
In July, the Council passed a motion setting out measures to support migrant communities, review its relationship with immigration enforcement activity and work with neighbouring boroughs on sanctuary initiatives.