Lewisham Council is preparing for the “financial hit” of a no-deal Brexit, including shortages of cash, petrol and food.

This comes amid concerns European workers, particularly care workers, may leave the borough depending on the terms of the Brexit deal after the UK leaves the EU on March 29.

Lewisham Council’s cabinet member for democracy, refugees and accountability, Cllr Kevin Bonavia, said the council was doing what it could to prepare for Brexit, despite frequent changes in government advice.

He said there would a be a “financial hit” locally in the event of a no-deal Brexit, with the impact of leaving the European Union a financial risk for the council.

The council was also reviewing its emergency plan and business continuity arrangements to prepare for reasonable worst-case scenarios, which could include shortages of cash, petrol and food.

“We have not earmarked a Brexit fund but it is a risk in our financial report. If a no-deal happens we expect there to be a financial hit,” he explained.

“If there isn’t a deal we need to make preparations for that. The current data is very unclear. The government provides us with advice almost on a daily basis and we have to take account of that advice with neighbouring boroughs and the health service.”

The impacts of a no-deal Brexit would be felt across the community, he said.

“Colleges, public service partners, the NHS – it is much bigger impact than just public finances.

“The local economy will be affected and if that is affected that skews all our policies, whether it is on housing or support for more vulnerable groups,” he said.

“We also have to think about the impact on a lot of our care workers who come from the EU. How are we going to replace them if they, for whatever reason, decide to move back to their home countries?

“There are a lot of areas of concern but we can’t say we have all the answers now as we don’t know the full extent.”

He said the council had applied for government funding to provide legal advice to the borough’s EU citizens, but was currently directing residents to the local citizen’s advice bureau – which was already feeling the pressure.

“At the moment we have an obligation to do what we can and to support them and it isn’t easy because what is on offer to EU citizens from our government is changing day-by-day,” he said.

“We also get that our advice services are run by volunteers and they are under a massive strain because of austerity, so we are applying for government funding on behalf of the voluntary sector in Lewisham to ease this additional burden.

“For our EU citizens and Lewisham residents as a whole we have set up an advice page on council website and update that regularly,” he said.

Around 8.5 per cent of the borough’s population, or 23,376 residents, are EU citizens, with 70 per cent of voters choosing to stay in the EU.

More than one in 10 doctors, nurses and midwives at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust come from EU countries.

If you’re an EU citizen, you and your family will be able to apply to the EU settlement scheme to continue living in the UK after June 2021.

Visit gov.uk for more information.