Newham Council’s Cabinet has agreed to make bids to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund (Round 1).
Newham is one of only two London Authorities awarded tier 1 status in this bidding process, meaning the borough has been identified as in most need of support.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic which has disproportionately impacted the borough, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz made clear her determination to secure much needed capital funding to support growth ambitions in Newham and rebuild the boroughs economic prospects.
Newham has considered a range of different regeneration projects across the borough and set out two exciting visions.
Vision 1 - aims to deliver local improvements supporting the advancement of our 15 minute neighbourhoods. It will enhance co-design work with our communities to create accessible community living, enhanced local environments, community and green space and improvements to air quality. It will also create new uses in council owned assets like the Alice Billings Centre, ensuring legacy projects developed for our local communities and their future sustainability.
Vision 2 - “New Connections”, will ensure Newham is at the centre of both data and digital innovation which connects to a wider regional relationship. It builds on AI enabled technology and the growth of the data and digital sector in this area. We want to make sure we are at the forefront of shaping the 4th industrial revolution. Linking and celebrating our Royal Docks innovation hubs and enterprise zone status, we can deliver both data and creative industry growth across a wider region. This will link Canary Wharf in the west to the wider Thames Gateway and Cambridge Arc in the East of the region. The potential is both exciting and ground breaking for Newham. It is an opportunity to secure our position in this growth economy and develop an industry to support local residents, businesses, and the wider community including our young people.
If these bids are successful, they will be unique opportunities to accelerate inclusive regeneration in the borough. These bids aim to secure up to £40m funding for pipeline projects which we have pledged to deliver in partnership with our communities across the borough. These projects include initiatives to unlock our green economy, enhance our cultural heritage, develop the digital economy, and enhance the liveability of our neighbourhoods.
Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham said:
“The pledge I made to Newham residents and businesses was to ensure the growth potential within the borough better protected and supported our local communities, our youth and Newham’s heritage and diverse culture within the area. The recent pandemic has disproportionately impacted our residents whilst exposed the deep existing inequalities facing Newham. However it has redoubled our determination to build an economy where people are at the heart of developments.
“A successful bid with Government will bring up to £40m of grant funding into the borough and accelerate our ambitious community wealth building agenda. This will enable us to provide the support our local recovery needs whilst building stronger foundations for our future. Importantly these are growth plans that put our residents at the heart of our decisions.”