Southwark Council has reaffirmed its commitment to being a Borough of Sanctuary, with councillors voting to adopt a motion that strengthens protections for trans, non-binary, and intersex residents.
The Council Assembly meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, saw the adoption of a motion that publicly reaffirms the council's dedication to inclusion and pledges to review policies to ensure protection from discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment.
The motion, which was passed without amendment, also resolves that self-identification should be sufficient for accessing council facilities and services in normal circumstances. However, this principle need not apply when there is a reasonable suspicion of danger to a service user, bystander, or employee, or where there is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Furthermore, it commits to including non-gendered toilet and changing facilities in new and refurbished council-owned buildings. The council will also bring forward a report on the feasibility and phasing of retrofitting existing council buildings.
This decision comes amidst national discussions and revised guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which the motion notes could adversely impact trans individuals. Specifically, the motion refers to the revised Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations, laid before Parliament in May 2026
. The motion highlights that The Government's own Equalities Impact Assessment on recent EHRC Guidance has confirmed that the revised guidance may adversely impact trans people, disabled people and those who are less likely to meet conventional notions of
femaleand
male. These notions of conventional appearance are also shaped by culturally specific and predominantly white, Western norms, meaning this guidance may present a heightened risk of misapplication for ethnic minorities.
The council's stance emphasizes that recent legal judgments do not mandate the exclusion of trans people from services.
The motion also highlighted the compounding barriers faced by trans, non-binary, and intersex residents in accessing services safely, including those who are also women, migrants, asylum seekers, or from marginalised communities. To address this, the council will commission a review of all relevant council policies, service specifications, and procurement conditions to ensure they explicitly affirm protection from discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment, reporting back to the relevant scrutiny committee within six months.
Additionally, trans awareness and inclusion will form part of mandatory equalities training for all staff and elected members. The council's HR policies, including those on name, prefix, and pronoun use, facilities access, and dress codes, will also be updated to reflect best practice.
