Hello Everyone,
It’s been another incredibly high-octane week for our borough, one where we continue to place Newham on the global stage, showing the world that we are a place of limitless potential and purpose - and also showcase all of that locally! At the start of the week, I represented Newham as part of the London Council’s and Mayor of London’s Opportunity London delegation at MIPIM, the world’s premier investment conference. My mission was simple: to ensure that global investors understand that Newham is the beating heart of London’s future, and to direct their investment to our borough. As well as introducing the Deputy Mayor for London as we jointly opened the London Pavillion with the leader of the City of London Corporation - who announced in December last year that Newham is their preferred home for the famed Smithfield’s and Billingate’s historic markets - I was immensely proud to showcase Newham, which features prominently in the London Investment Showcase 2026. Our vision for inclusive growth took centre stage as we spoke with global investors looking to partner with London, because Newham is at the very heart of these plans, highlighting our role as a primary driver of London's regeneration and innovation: - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: The park is one of London’s three premier Innovation Districts. A world-class destination where a mix of cultural and academic assets are being delivered at scale to benefit local talent. With a pipeline of 4,500 further homes, including genuinely 2,000 affordable units, and over 300,000 sq ft of flexible employment space, we are ensuring the Olympic legacy continues to benefit our residents.
- The Royal Docks & Royal Albert Dock: The Royal Albert Dock featured as one of London’s largest waterside regeneration opportunities. This 12-hectare site has the potential for 4.3 million sq ft of development, creating a vibrant mixed-use waterfront district for homes and innovation.
- Silvertown: Neighbouring the Albert Dock, the Silvertown project is highlighted for its massive potential to deliver 7,000 new homes and 1.6 million sq. ft of commercial space, reinforcing the long-term demand and momentum across the entire Royal Docks area.
- Infrastructure and Connectivity: The showcase also underlined the vital importance of the DLR extension, which is projected to unlock almost £18 billion in private investment for Newham and east London, ensuring our neighbourhoods are better connected than ever before.
But my message to global developers was firm: Growth in Newham must work for Newham residents. It isn't just about glass and steel; it’s about high-quality jobs, sustainable infrastructure, and truly affordable homes for our people. I also made sure to highlight Newham's leading role in London’s data and digital economy. The London Investment Showcase 2026 explicitly identifies Data Centres as a key infrastructure asset class for the capital – to ensure that it remains globally competitive. That’s why, I reminded global partners that Newham is already a digital powerhouse, hosting one of the most significant clusters of carrier-neutral facilities in the UK. For instance, as I took the stage at the Digital Infrastructure for a Smarter City discussion at the London Stand on Wednesday to give a massive shout-out to Newham’s leading role in the global data and digital economy. I made it clear to international investors that Newham is already a digital powerhouse; we are proud to host one of the most significant clusters of data centres in the UK, which form the backbone of London’s connectivity. Through our Newham Data Economy agenda, we are positioning our borough as the premier destination for data businesses and innovators. But for me, this isn’t just about technology, it’s about social justice in the digital age. We are leveraging our existing infrastructure to create a "Newham-first" approach, ensuring this sector delivers high-value skills, elite training, and sustainable employment pathways for our residents and young people in the new digital and AI economy. We aren't just hosting the digital economy; we are making sure our community owns a piece of its future. Returning to home base, I continued to showcase our delivering for Newham residents, with the official opening of another one of our completed ‘Affordable Homes for Newham’ housing schemes - the New City Road development in Plaistow. This project is a testament to our commitment to social justice, delivering 28 new homes at 100% social rent, and includes three truly wonderful homes for people with disabilities. It was also a privilege to rename this development after our late colleague and dear friend, Cllr Neil Wilson. Neil was a champion for his community, and there is no better way to honour his legacy than by providing high-quality, permanent homes for Newham families. We remain laser-focused on our goal to deliver genuinely affordable homes our people can afford across the borough. Talking about community, on Thursday, we reached a defining moment in our journey of building a fairer Newham, with the publication of the final report from the Independent Commission on Inclusion and Belonging in Multi-Ethnic Newham, which I announced we would establish to explore how we could at the Council do better for our people and communities. The report, titled ‘Bringing People Together in a Place of Change’ is the result of a deep-dive into the heart of our communities by the Commission, which was chaired by Sunder Katwala of British Future. They spoke to hundreds of residents to understand what ‘belonging’ really means in a borough as fast-moving and diverse as ours. The findings are a powerful validation of our people: our residents don't see our diversity as a ‘problem to be solved’ - they see it as our greatest source of collective energy and hope. Read the full report here. The Commission’s report arrives at a time when identity and migration are being weaponised to divide us nationally – and locally. But Newham stands as a rebuttal to that division. We are a practical pioneer, showing the rest of the country how a multi-ethnic community can not only live together but thrive together. The Commission confirms what we see in our streets every day: that our diversity isn’t a ‘problem to be solved’: it is our greatest source of collective energy and radical hope. As your Mayor, my commitment is unshakeable: we must use these recommendations to ensure that every resident, whether they have lived here for fifty years or five months, feels they have a powerful stake in Newham’s future. Yesterday, I joined the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, alongside the TfL Commissioner Andy Gold and the head of the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to officially mark the opening of the LAS’s new Resilience Hub in Canning Town, Newham! It was also used to mark the launch of the new London Vision Zero Action Plan 2. Every death on our roads is a tragedy that can be prevented. In Newham, we’ve already led the way with lower speed limits and expanded cycleways, but our work won’t stop until our streets are safe for every child, pedestrian, and cyclist. The highlight of my week was the thrill of joining our inspiring young people yesterday, at the Last Days of Pompeii Exhibition over at Excel’s Immerse LDN to launch something truly ground-breaking: Newham’s Cultural Passport. I believe that the spark of creativity should never be limited by a person's background or their bank balance. Our Newham Cultural Passport, the first of its kind in the capital, is a major milestone in our mission. We are providing free and low-cost access to world-class experiences for 10-18-year-olds (and up to 25 for those with SEND) who are supported by our Children and Young People’s services, including those accessing our Youth Zones and our care-experienced youngsters. Back in 2022, I promised to build a fairer Newham, through working with arts, culture and creative partners to launch a Cultural Passport for all young people between the ages of 10-18 years (and up to 25 years for young people with SEND) to access enrichment and learning opportunities for free. Phase one of the Newham Cultural Passport launched yesterday, providing young people supported by Newham’s Children and Young People’s Services with free and low‑cost access to cultural events, exhibitions and creative opportunities across Newham, London and the UK. You can access the Newham Cultural Passport here. This marks a significant milestone in delivering the ambitions of the Newham Growth Plan and the ‘Building Newham’s Creative Future’ 15‑year Cultural strategy, widening cultural participation and opening pathways into the creative sector, particularly for our children and young people. This isn’t just about a free ticket; it’s about equity, inspiration, and unleashing the boundless potential of our youth so they can see themselves as the future leaders of our creative industries. I finished the week last night with our formal celebration of International Women’s Day 2026 over at East Ham Library with some of the amazing women and girls we have in our borough. The energy was electric and the event perfectly captured this year’s theme: ‘Give to Gain’ and Newham’s spirit. It was also the culmination of our Newham Sheroes’ campaign which celebrates local women, nominated by residents and Council staff, who show courage, compassion, and leadership and make a meaningful difference in our communities. Read more about our nominated super-Sheroes here! Whether it’s mentoring a young girl or supporting a neighbour, when we lift each other up, we all rise. I want every girl and women in Newham to know that this is your borough, and you can achieve anything. As you can see, it’s been an extraordinary week of progress, showcasing delivery and community power, as we build a fairer Newham, brick by brick and heart by heart – and supporting one another. That’s it from me for now, so until next week: please take care of yourselves and each other! With warmest regards and power, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Mayor of Newham Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter/Insta: @rokhsanafiaz | 
