Lewisham Council is set to debate a motion calling for Thames Water to be brought back into public ownership at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 24 September 2025.
The motion, proposed by Councillor Liam Shrivastava, Leader of the Lewisham Green Group, and seconded by Councillor Hau-Yu Tam, Deputy Leader of the Lewisham Green Group, highlights the water company's precarious financial situation. It notes that Thames Water is saddled with billions in debt, facing unprecedented public outcry over pollution and chronic underinvestment.
The motion argues that the government should place Thames Water into special administration, ending privatisation and bringing the company back into permanent public ownership. It also calls for a change to the company's governance model to include representation from local councils, workers, and households on the board.
The proposed governance model aims to ensure that local councils, workers and households are all represented on the Board,
according to the motion.
The council will vote on whether to urge the government to take these actions and for the Mayor of Lewisham, Mayor Brenda Dacres, to communicate the motion to local MPs, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the CEO of Thames Water.
It's worth noting that the motion references a report from The Guardian indicating that Labour used water industry analysis to argue against nationalisation
.
The meeting, scheduled to take place at the Civic Suite on Catford Road, will cover a number of items, including the debate on Thames Water. The Agenda Frontsheet provides a full list of items to be discussed.
The Public Reports Pack contains detailed information on all agenda items, including the full text of the motions and reports.
