• Building a Fairer Newham on track to deliver for residents
Introducing the Building a Fairer Newham Performance Report (2022/23) at Cabinet this morning (6 June 2023) Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE said: “This report, firstly highlights our key achievements, but also crucially the areas where further improvements are required so that we deliver the outcomes we want for our residents and communities.
“It also reflects on the significant economic and social challenges we continue to face as we endeavour to deliver our core mission in 2023/24, and the need to recalibrate our actions to meet these challenges.
“The Building a Fairer Newham Corporate Plan represents an ambitious, holistic and transformational vision for the Newham which is set against an increasingly complex, challenging and uncertain future for our residents, communities and businesses.
“This report proves that this administration is dedicated to getting stuff done, and is truly invested in deeds not just words, delivering on the priorities which matter most to our residents.”
The report highlights the progress made in delivering the Corporate Plan during 2022/23.
The Council has made significant progress in pursuing the vision for a Healthy, Happy, and Well Newham through a comprehensive approach to health and wellbeing across the entire organisation. This includes:
- £3.2 million investment in Adult Social Care
- Partnering with East London NHS Foundation Trust to acquire, develop and operate new health care facilities and key worker housing, which will deliver investment of £57.3mn over next 3 years.
- Spending £6 million on the borough’s pioneering ‘Eat for Free’ scheme in Primary Schools, saving families £500 per year per child.
The report also details how Newham has provided financial support to residents suffering the brunt of the cost of living crisis including between September 22 and February 23 helping more than 5,000 with food and heating costs and over the same time period, allocating £1.6million in Hardship Support grants.
The Council remains committed to creating a clean, green, and vibrant borough and has pledged £40 million investment over four years to keep streets and neighbourhoods clean for residents. In addition, the Council has bolstered enforcement to reduce the occurrence of fly-tipping by 50 per cent and six Newham Parks have been awarded prestigious Green Flag awards.
Newham has invested over £1m Community Safety Service, to deliver more officers across the Anti-Social behaviour and Enforcement teams.
The investment will also enhance the capacity to deal with environmental crime, Hate Crime and the Women’s Safety agenda.
In response to the Housing Crisis, which has seen a 26 per cent increase approaches to the Homelessness Prevention Service the Council has:
- Established a cross-council acquisitions working group with 208 affordable properties completed, and a further 387 that have obtained Cabinet approval.
- Accelerated its £2 billion housing investment in Newham, prioritising the delivery of 1,500 additional homes.
- Acquired 181 units for Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rents
- The Custom House regeneration proposals, developed with local people, promises a £300 million investment and an increase in social rent homes.
- The Canning Town Estates Regeneration first phase is underway and will deliver up to 1,750 additional homes as part of a masterplan for a majority Council owned site.
- Phase one of the Carpenters Estate Redevelopment progressed including plans for the refurbishment of James Riley Point
- 96% of emergency housing repairs were fixed within timescale across 2022/23 as part of a determined drive to improve performance – including the creation of a Damp and Mould Task Force
As part of the Council’s commitment to improving the lives of all young people in Newham, the Council last year won an Ofsted Children's Services rating of 'Good' with 'Outstanding Leadership' after turning the whole service around from a rating of inadequate in 2019.
Last month the first Family Hub opened in East Ham Library as a one-stop shop for families, with three more hubs planned by 2025, bolstered by a £3.8 million grant.
The Council has cleared its Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) backlog and set a 75% target for timely completion by September 2023.
New incentives have been introduced to attract more foster carers to provide stable local homes for children in care, these include council tax exemptions for foster families and partners with Now Foster for a pilot program to train caregivers.
The Shipman Youth Zone is undergoing a complete £8 million redevelopment to create more opportunities for young people.
In its drive to increase participatory democracy in the borough Newham Council has given £800,000 in grants via Community Assemblies, supporting 75 resident led projects this year, including repair workshops, barbering masterclasses, and allotment plans. Since 2021, over 16,500 residents have participated in the program, with 89% feeling more connected to their local area after attending a Community Assembly in 2022.
Based on resident feedback, the successful Community Assemblies have been rebranded as People Powered Places for 2023-2025, and the Cabinet has approved an additional £1.6 million for community-led projects, allocating £200,000 to each of the eight community neighbourhoods over two years. The People Powered Newham programme's impact has been recognised by its shortlisting for the Municipal Journal Community Engagement Award.
In its ambition to become an impactful campaigning council Newham:
- Is setting a precedent as a London Living Wage employer, actively campaigning for additional financial support for residents.
- Advocating for improved welfare, renters' rights, and genuinely affordable homes
- Committed to combating violence against women, misogyny, and hate crime.
- Has invested in its Climate Change team to achieve Carbon Net Zero by 2045, to deal effectively with the Climate Emergency and in particular that funding needed to bring all existing Council owned homes up to a high standard of energy efficiency.
- Campaigns on the housing crisis calling for greater recognition of acute challenges in Newham and securing the renewal of our private rented sector licensing scheme by government to improve quality of homes and improve standards within private rental sector.
- Is working with Local London to lobby the government to fully fund the infrastructure costs of the proposed Beckton Riverside station.
- Calls on proper funding from Government for refugees, asylum seekers and those without recourse to public funds and a change in the law so that they can work. Newham is now a Borough of Sanctuary, offering a safe welcome to refugees and asylum seekers.