Newham Cabinet agrees an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) for 2025-30

Newham Council Cabinet has today (17 March 2026) endorsed a refreshed Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) building on the progress of the last five years and taking the borough into the next decade. 

The Plan – which is a statutory requirement under the Environment Act 1995 - sets out the Council’s strategies to improve air quality and reduce residents’ exposure to air pollution. 

Introducing the Plan, Councillor John Whitworth, Cabinet Member for Air Quality, Climate Emergency & Environment said: “This new Air Quality Action Plan sets out an ambitious next chapter for Newham to address the inequalities and inequities of air quality impacts.  

“It builds on the successes of the previous plan and takes a more holistic approach: strengthening community resilience, widening access to high quality information and monitoring, and embedding educational programmes that help residents and businesses understand how air pollution affects daily life and how they can play their part in improving it.  

“Newham’s air quality has improved significantly over the past five years, with real progress made through measures such as Healthy School Streets, People Friendly Streets, and substantial investments in sustainable travel infrastructure across our borough.  

“These achievements demonstrate what is possible when we take bold, evidence-based action. But despite this progress, we cannot afford to slow down. Too many of our residents, especially children, older people, and those living in our most deprived areas, still breathe air that damages their health and limits their opportunities.” 

The report sets out the achievements of the previous 2019-24 AQAP: 

• Expanded network of Healthy School Streets with 49 Zones wrapped around 67 schools improving air quality, road safety and increasing the number of students walking by 10 percent 

• A 7.4 percent reduction in NO2 pollution in schools within Healthy School Streets compared to those outside 

• Since 2019 a 10 percent increase in the number of local roads within People Friendly Streets schemes in Maryland, Odessa, Mabey, Atherton, Stratford Park and West Ham Park  

• Emissions-based parking charges, introduced in January 2021, led to the biggest drop in registered vehicles in the whole of London – with 2,860 fewer vehicles registered in Newham  

• 238 on-street Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers installed 

• “Greening” the Councils vehicle fleet with 70 electric vehicles, EV charging at Council properties, 137 vehicles replaced with hybrid gas-to-liquid fuel vehicles 

While the current AQAP focusses primarily on transport, the new plan gives renewed attention to local businesses, stakeholders, and resident involvement in addressing the issues of air quality. 

Public consultation* has revealed that Newham residents remain concerned but aware of the issues around air quality: 

• 78 percent express concern about air pollution in Newham 

• 40 percent reported that poor air quality had directly affect their household  

• 46 percent rated local air quality as poor or very poor 

The consultation shows support for measures to reduce car dependency and traffic levels as well as support for “greening” initiatives and a desire for greater community involvement in decision making. 

This report recommends the council adopt the proposed Air Quality Action Plan for the period 2025 -2030. The plan features a high-level action matrix that details the proposed initiatives together with a broad indication of the cost. 

The Council’s budget for 2026/27 is now set. Where actions require additional funding, directorates could redirect budgeted resources up to the limits set by the Council’s constitution.  

Any action that requires resources beyond this, would need to be subject to the normal council financial processes for additional budget growth with supporting business cases, and considered as part of the respective budget setting processes for the years 2027/28 to 2029/30.