This is the second award for Newham’s delivery of environmental improvements. Newham’s Climate Action team won the LGC Net Zero Award for its UK-first Just Transition Plan last month.
Newham Council has been awarded the most improved borough in London under the environmental lobby group CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England) Healthy Streets Scorecard.
Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE said: I’m incredibly proud that Newham has been named the Most Improved London Borough in the 2025 Healthy Streets Scorecard. This is a testament to the success of our Healthy School Streets programme - putting the health and safety of our children and communities first by cutting traffic, reducing pollution, and transforming how we safely move through our neighbourhoods.
“With traffic volumes down by an average of 64%, and up to 80% in some locations, we are seeing the real impact of our commitment to cleaner, greener, safer streets. This progress is at the heart of Opportunity Newham - our mission to build a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable borough for everyone. I want to thank all our schools, families, officers and residents who’ve helped make this happen.”
Newham’s Healthy School Street Programme has seen a striking reduction on pollution on school streets. Harmful NO2 emissions have fallen by 7.5% overall compared to streets by schools that do not yet have a Healthy School Street.
Councillor John Whitworth, Cabinet Member for Air Quality and Climate Emergency, said: ”Healthy School Streets are a win/win for Newham residents, fewer cars means safer streets and less pollution. But we’ve also seen a 22% rise in active travel – walking, cycling and scooting - at the schools monitored. This is a clear demonstration that our Just Transition Plan has improving the quality of life for our residents at its heart.
This is the second award for Newham’s delivery of environmental improvements. Newham’s Climate Action team won the LGC (Local Government Chronicle) Net Zero Award for its UK-first Just Transition Plan last month.
The Just Transition Plan aims to address the climate emergency while ensuring a fairer and more equitable outcome for all residents, considering the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.
