Newham Council will invest £1.5m into high streets across the borough with the Urban Newham Project, after the contract was approved by the council’s Cabinet this week (Thursday, 15 November).
The project will see seven imaginative murals and four underpass enhancements created across key town centres within the borough, alongside improvements to 40 shopfronts. These improvements will help to create more attractive areas for residents and encourage businesses to invest within Newham.
Community members will help to design and deliver the project, which will cover areas such as Beckton, Plaistow, Green Street, Forest Gate, Manor Park, Little Ilford, Maryland and East Ham. Although these wards have been short-listed for investment, the exact locations will be decided by the community, as will the designs.
As a part of the project, the council will draw on the creative expertise of Newham’s young people to involve them further in shaping their communities. There will be a number of opportunities for the youth to engage with the project, alongside five individual two-week work placements created specifically for young people.
The Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz, said: “The Urban Newham Project will ensure that residents are at the heart of everything that we do, and it is crucial that happens in the context of regeneration.
“This is very much a demonstration of our administration’s commitment to involving all of our residents in improving Newham.
“Newham is a great place to live and we want to make it better.”
AOC Architecture have been appointed by Newham Council to manage the project.. They will work closely with the community, engaging with both residents and business owners to put them at the heart of the project, giving them a voice in the design and delivery process.
The artists for the project have yet to be chosen but they too will work closely with AOC Architecture, as well as Newham’s residents and business owners to create designs appreciated by all the community.
Funding for the project will come from a combination of capital funds and historic unallocated S106 developer contributions.