Lewisham Council

What Lewisham Council does

Lewisham Council is the local government authority for the London Borough of Lewisham in South London, England, established in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963. The council delivers statutory municipal services to residents and businesses across 19 neighbourhoods, covering council tax administration, housing management of 16,000+ council properties (operated through subsidiaries Lewisham Homes and Regenter B3), housing benefit and council tax reduction, planning and building control, parking enforcement and permits, waste and recycling, adult social care, children's services, education, libraries, and environmental health.

The council operates a multi-platform digital services ecosystem centred on the MyLewisham Account, a single sign-on citizen portal (built on Microsoft Azure AD B2C) that provides access to council tax, housing benefit, parking permits, Blue Badge, and Freedom Pass services. Adjacent platforms include a Microsoft Power Apps-based Housing Portal (launched 2025), an Idox-powered Planning Application Portal, an IEG4 eFormStudio-based Benefit Application System (eClaim), and emissions-based dynamic parking pricing integrated with PayByPhone and PayPoint. The council manages revenue through a mix of statutory levies (council tax bands, business rates), central government grants, transactional fees (planning, building control, licensing, commercial waste, parking permits), and housing rents.

The council's customer base is its resident and business population, segmented into borough residents, local businesses, social housing tenants, private tenants and landlords, and children/young people/families. A network of advice partners (Citizens Advice Lewisham, National Debtline, Lewisham Plus Credit Union, Community Advice Works, Lewisham Disability Coalition, Lewisham Multilingual Advice Service, Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network) extends service reach to vulnerable groups. Major delivery partners include Higgins (affordable housing development), Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (public health), and various housing associations. The council is accountable to elected councillors under the leader and cabinet model and operates with 5,001-10,000 employees.

Name

Lewisham Council

Legal name

London Borough of Lewisham

Website

https://lewisham.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Lewisham Council is the local government authority for the London Borough of Lewisham, delivering statutory municipal services to residents and businesses including council tax, housing management, planning, parking, benefits, waste, and social care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD), City Clerk/Records, Elections & Civic Engagement (BPAIACAB), Elected School Boards & Governance Councils (EDADABAE), Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Council tax administration
• Social housing management
• Municipal parking services
• Waste and recycling services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Levied on all residential properties in the borough based on property valuation bands. Primary local government revenue stream.
2. Business Rates: Levied on commercial properties and businesses operating in the borough.
3. Government Grants: Central government funding and grants supporting council operations and public services.
4. Parking Charges: Emissions-based parking permits and short-stay parking fees across Controlled Parking Zones, including town centre charges.
5. Service Fees: Various service charges including building control, planning fees, licensing, commercial waste collection, and housing benefit administration.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lewisham Council is the local government authority for the London Borough of Lewisham, providing statutory municipal services to residents and businesses. Its core offerings include council tax administration, social housing management for over 16,000 council properties, housing benefit and council tax reduction processing, controlled parking zone enforcement and permits, waste and recycling collection, planning application processing, building control, licensing, and adult/children's social care. The council also operates the MyLewisham digital account platform as a single sign-on gateway to its online services.

Product overview

Lewisham Council operates a multi-platform digital services ecosystem consisting of citizen-facing online portals for parking, housing, planning, benefits, and council tax management. The core infrastructure centers on the MyLewisham unified account platform providing single sign-on access to multiple services. Key product modules include an emissions-based parking permit system, a housing tenant portal, a planning application search system, and a benefits application platform. These products are built on third-party platforms including Idox for planning, IEG4 for benefits forms, and Microsoft Power Apps for the housing portal, with payment processing handled through PayByPhone and PayPoint integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MyLewisham Account Unified citizen account platform providing single sign-on access to multiple council services including council tax, housing benefit, parking permits, Blue Badge, and Freedom Pass accounts. Uses Microsoft Azure AD B2C authentication.
• Council Tax Services Online services for council tax management including billing, payments, reductions, exemptions, disputes, and refunds. Integrated with MyLewisham account for online access. Available to all residential property owners and tenants in the borough.
• Benefit Application System (eClaim) Online portal for housing benefit and council tax reduction applications. Built on IEG4 eFormStudio platform. Enables new claims, changes in circumstances, and document uploads for benefit processing. For residents on low income or receiving benefits.
• Housing Portal Resident-facing portal for council tenants and leaseholders to access housing services. Powered by Microsoft Power Apps. Enables reporting repairs, tenancy changes, anti-social behaviour cases, welfare concerns, and garage applications.
• Emissions-Based Parking Charges System Dynamic parking permit and short-stay pricing system calculated based on vehicle CO2 emissions. More polluting vehicles are charged higher rates to incentivize air quality improvements. Operates across Controlled Parking Zones with town centre-specific pricing.
• Parking Permit System Online system for managing parking permits including resident permits, visitor permits, and specialty permits (e.g., Catford Broadway Exemption). Handles protected vehicle management for residents with multiple vehicles.
• Planning Application Portal Online system for searching and tracking planning applications, appeals, and property-related planning cases. Built on Idox platform. Provides simple search, advanced search, property search, and A-Z street search functionality.
• Waste and Recycling Services Online bin collection scheduling, bulky item collection booking, garden waste subscriptions, and missed collection reporting. Includes business rubbish and recycling services for commercial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9.64 days average processing time for new benefit claims (2019/20 target: 7 days)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• HigginsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed as preferred contractor for 102-home housing scheme at Ladywell Park Gardens. Project involves conversion of ex-leisure centre into affordable homes with social rent and shared ownership options.
• Lewisham and Greenwich NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership supporting public health initiatives including the borough-wide 'We Welcome Breastfeeding' scheme launched to support breastfeeding parents.
• Housing AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with housing associations to increase supply of new homes each year. Partners in managing council stock of over 16,000 properties alongside Lewisham Homes and Regenter B3.
• Citizens Advice LewishamcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReferral partnership for residents needing debt advice, cost reduction guidance, and support with fines and arrears. Recommended by housing benefit overpayment recovery pages.
• National DebtlineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecommended free debt advice service for residents facing financial difficulties, particularly those with housing benefit overpayments.
• Lewisham Plus Credit UnionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecommended financial cooperative for residents needing help with credit union accounts, savings, personal budgeting, and loans.
• South East London Community Energy (SELCE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for fuel poverty and domestic energy team, connecting residents with community energy schemes and energy improvement support.
• Community Advice WorksminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvice partner providing support on benefits, debt, and employment for Lewisham residents.
• Lewisham Disability CoalitionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvice partner for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, providing housing and benefits advice.
• Lewisham Multilingual Advice ServiceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvice partner providing welfare and debt advice to residents with English as a second language.
• Lewisham Refugee and Migrant NetworkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupport partner helping refugees, asylum seekers, and migrant communities with homelessness and debt issues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• London Borough of Southwark: Neighbouring South London borough with similar demographics, scale, and service portfolio (housing, council tax, planning, social care). Directly comparable as a London municipal authority operating under the same statutory framework.
• London Borough of Lambeth: Adjacent South London borough offering the same statutory services to a comparable resident population. Closely matched on housing stock size, digital service maturity, and council tax structure.
• Royal Borough of Greenwich: East-South London neighbour operating the same statutory functions with similar scale and citizen profile. Directly comparable on housing management, parking, and benefits administration.
• London Borough of Bromley: South London borough bordering Lewisham, providing the same range of local authority services under the same legislative framework. Comparable in service breadth though with different demographic mix.
• London Borough of Tower Hamlets: Large London borough with extensive social housing stock and similarly broad service mandate. Comparable as a peer on housing management scale, benefits processing volumes, and digital service transformation programmes.
• London Borough of Hackney: Inner London borough with comparable housing portfolio, benefits caseload, and citizen service demands. Directly comparable on council tax administration and online service portal maturity.
• London Borough of Camden: Central London borough operating the same statutory services with mature digital channels. Comparable as a peer on planning service design, housing allocation, and citizen account unification.
• London Borough of Croydon: Large outer London borough delivering the full suite of council services. Comparable in scale, service breadth, and reliance on council tax and central government grants as primary revenue.
• Birmingham City Council: Largest English local authority outside London, delivering an equivalent statutory service portfolio at greater scale. Comparable as a UK-wide reference point for council digital transformation and housing management.
• Manchester City Council: Major English metropolitan local authority with comparable housing stock, digital services, and citizen engagement programmes. Directly comparable on scale and on the breadth of council service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LewishamCouncil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LewishamCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/lewishamcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lewisham-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lewisham Council