Lewisham’s new mayor has announced he will no longer be the “sole decision maker” in the borough.

Damien Egan announced on Twitter he would share decision making with his cabinet, once the council’s constitution has changed.

“It’s been our first day in the office today. We wanted to get to work straight away delivering for Lewisham on the promises we made in the election,” his tweet read.

“I will be asking the council to change its constitution so that all cabinet decisions will be made collectively and put to a vote, rather than the mayor being the sole decision maker.”

In the current system, the elected mayor has ultimate responsibility for all major policy decisions.

Mr Egan’s tweet included the announcement that he was cancelling proposals to sell the Saville Community Centre in Catford to a property developer.

“Instead, we will use the site to build new council homes and hope that his can also include a new community centre,” he said.

Lewisham Pensioners Forum chair Bridgit Sam-Bailey said the interest group used the Saville Centre extensively before the council formally closed the building in 2016.

She said they have been campaigning to get back in the centre ever since, and hoped the new administration would think of them when developing the site.

“It suits our purposes. It is central so has got the buses. it’s right next to the hospital. Members were able to pop in at any time for a cup of tea,” she said.

Their new office in the Old Lewisham Town Hall was not as easy for members to access as they had to go through security, which was a deterrent, she said.

The former mayor decided that the Saville Centre was “surplus to the council’s requirements” at a mayor and cabinet meeting in 2016, with plans to use the site for housing.