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The first @lambeth_council cabinet meeting for the old new administration, and it was a case of blink and you’ll miss it. Either the business agenda for the borough doesn’t require too much debate, or the all new @LambethLabour cabinet are big football fans and wanted to catch the second half of Spain Vs Honduras.

The Waterloo Public Realm and Jubilee Gardens Progress Report was a reminder that there is life within the borough north of Brixton. It’s a world away from the suburbs of St Leonard’s in the south, but the sexy SE1 postcode of Jubilee Gardens (the green bit by the wheel) gives the borough some commercial clout.

Ah, but how to manage the continued regeneration and upkeep of this prestigious patch, especially so with 2012 approaching and Lambeth’s little patch along the South Bank likely to reap in on all the Olympic commercial activity?

Planning permission for improvements was granted in 2006, but the scheme has hit the proverbial marathon runner’s brick wall. Even in these 2012 corporate friendly of times, the cash flow has ceased, and adjacent landowners have pitched in legal concerns.

A money saving second planning application has now been put forward by cabinet, and £5.5m has been made available, thanks to some corporate friendly cash by both Shell and the London Eye. I only hope it’s not a classic @LambethLabour case of you scratch our back, we’ll scratch yours.

Councillor Prentice, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration stated that:

“Over my dead body will a tower block be built at Jubilee Gardens.”

Which is more than can be said for the current planned high rise expansion of Vauxhall.

@LambethLibDems leader Councillor Lumsden chipped in with a call for a speedy resolution to the Jubilee Gardens project, before congratulating cabinet new boy @cllr_robbins on the sharpness of his suit.

Blimey.

Attention turned towards the Streatham Lodge Conservation Area, and I couldn’t but help think that I had been locked in meeting room 8 at Lambeth Town Hall for the past twelve months. This item has been sitting in the in tray for cabinet longer than Streatham Pool has been shut. And that’s saying something.

Councillor Prentice promised to:

“Bring this item to its absolute conclusion by the September cabinet meeting.”

Sounds about right. But blimey – I wasn’t expecting the sting in the @LambethLabour tail from the former cabinet member, @jkazantzis. Speaking about his own ward constituency, the good Councillor stated:

“This issue could have been resolved tonight. The minutes of the last meeting [of which @jkazantzis sat around the cabinet table] reflected that.”

It seems that the final cabinet meeting of the last administration was blocked up with the other Streatham issue – what the hell do we do with the Hub. It’s a delicate balancing act between pleasing local residents with a conservation area, and letting big business come into the borough to bail you out of a bit of a sticky situation.

The Sexual Entertainment Venue Licensing agenda item was straightforward and made perfect political, and practical sense. In essence it allows @lambeth_council to close a local loophole in the national 2003 Sex Licence Act, meaning that the council is able to issue (or block) a sex entertainment licence to any venue wanting to put on such a seedy act.

This would work well with the council’s current Prostitution Strategy in enabling the local authority to work with the community to help drive the degradation of women out of the borough.

No political arguments to be had – no point. Councillor Lumsden supported the initiative on behalf of @LambethLibDems, remembering how residents in his Streatham Hill ward relied upon council support to stop lap dancing taking place at Caesars.

@cllrstevereed added:

“This is not about morality, but about public protection.”

Heads nods all round, both from the cabinet table and in the public seats.

@cllr_robbins made his cabinet debut, leading on the Governance Arrangements for the Building Schools for the Future Local Education Partnership. I appreciate that these are key local issues, but you would hope that some pen pusher within Lambeth Town Hall could come up with some more appealing agenda titles.

How to Make Sure New Schools Don’t Balls Up would fit the description. @cllr_robbins talked us through the chain of command and accountability [aha!] for the news schools being built in the borough. No mention of the is it or isn’t it an Academy debate – this was all straight forward (and well thought out) administration details.

Cabinet essentially retains overall control (and accountability) of the school build programme. Concern was raised from around the cabinet table of cuts from central government (but not in cheap party political scoring manner. Oh, no, not here…)

With the first half of the Spain match slipping away, @cllrstevereed delayed any time wasting and continued down the agenda with more pace than a tricky North Korean Comrade left winger.

The Safer Lambeth Partnership Plan was introduced by Councillor Heywood. The plan prioritises where funding will spent to help keep the borough safe. No major disagreements, no additional financial implications for council services. Safe as houses. Here’s hoping.

Speaking of which, hidden away towards the foot of the agenda and we came to the Housing Performance Cabinet Advisory Panel: Establishment. The executive summary states:

“To establish a new Cabinet Advisory Panel on Housing Performance, to replace the existing Housing Cabinet Advisory Panel.”

Not so much shifting deckchairs on the Titanic, but more like the justification for cabinet panels (and jobs.) Councillor Peck revealed that:

“Lambeth Living has turned around a £12m deficit from this time last year, to have a current surplus of £200,000.”

Cripes.

Keep out of the black and in the red (or is it the other way round?) Being in profit has to be good for the council coffers, but I hope that tenants in the failed ALMO are also seeing some real value in terms of the upkeep of their homes.

As @shanecarmichael pointed out to me, how was the surplus achieved, and what has been learnt from this? What has been put in place to ensure that this momentum continues?

@cllrstevereed added:

“We have the money, now we need the service. We will give Lambeth Living twelve months to shape up or ship out.”

Blimey.

Councillor Lumsden reminded @cllrstevereed that residents of the ALMO are still waiting for a tenant to be installed as the Chair, as was the promise when Lambeth Living was established.

But by now the half time whistle had been blown in Spain Vs Honduras, and cabinet wasn’t going to extra time. I had a delightful catch up with my favourite cabinet member, who always makes my knees go wobbly.

Oh, and the good @cllrstevereed was decent enough to unblock me, as well as offer me a cheeky grin. So all is well in the world. A decent first cabinet, and optimism for more to come.

No red cards, either.