Hello Everyone,
What another busy week it’s been, and as we move through March, the sense of momentum across Newham is palpable! This week has ranged from talking about the connection between the global and local, showcasing all the things happening across the borough for our communities, including our housing delivery!
From the Royal Docks to Beckton, Stratford Olympic Park, Plaistow, Green Street, and the heart of Little Ilford – it’s been a fruitful week for me as I’ve been out and about across our neighbourhoods. What the week showed me is how we are delivering on our promise of a fairer Newham for our residents.
First up, some excellent news! I’m thrilled to let you know that today we’ve secured a landmark £20 million investment for the next 10 years for Little Ilford in East Ham. This Pride of Place funding from the government is a watershed moment, moving us from one-off projects to a decade-long model of resident-involving place regeneration.
By 2036, I see a Little Ilford that stands as a national beacon for inclusive growth. This decade-spanning investment ensures that the people of Little Ilford are ‘holding the pen’ on their own future, working with the Council as we continue putting people at the heart of what we do – and at the centre of improvements happening in their neighbourhood.
By building on the work already delivered in Little Ilford ward, I’m thrilled we have secured this funding to sustain lasting improvements that will strengthen community pride and improve local spaces and high streets. This will ensure everyone has access to the services and opportunities they deserve from now until 2036.
Earlier this week, I welcomed our partners to the Stratford Youth Zone so that we could review the impact of Newham’s Youth Safety Strategy, one year on, and strengthen areas that we need to.
As I opened the event, I spoke about the importance of statutory partners getting their heads around the ‘digital frontier’, because the ‘attention economy’ of social media can be predatory for young people. It will be perilous for our young people and our future here in Newham if we choose to ignore it.
I view digital harm as a critical safeguarding issue, as we can’t protect our children in the physical world if we leave them unsupported in the digital one. True safety is grown from the ground up: it lives in our parents, faith leaders, and ‘trusted adults’ who are our first line of care and last line of defence. But it must also happen with young people involved, too.
To our young people: your safety is the most vital part of what we do - and youth safety cannot be designed by adults in isolation; it must be shaped with you.
On the strategic front, there’s been a lot going on this week.
On Wednesday, I welcomed guests to the Local London Investment and Development Forum over at Riverside East, in Queen Elizabeth Park. I was there to support the launch of the sub-regional Investment Prospectus that will help drive growth and create job opportunities for our communities.
As a leading member of the nine Local London authorities, we collectively represent the ‘leading edge of London’. As well as having a population larger than Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool combined, our sub-regional economy contributes over £60 billion annually to the UK economy too.
Later on that day, I spoke at an event with the Mayor of South Yorkshire, where I showcased Newham as an example of how we plan around economic outcomes for people, not projects in isolation, because we want to ensure that growth in Newham doesn’t leave anyone behind.
On Thursday, I opened the Royal Docks Networking Forum at our historic Compressor House (now transformed by our partners at Big Fridge into a vibrant community hub!), where we marked two years of delivery against our 5-year Delivery Plan, proving that our model of ‘growth with a purpose’ is having impact: - Housing Delivery: Residents are moving into nearly 2,000 new homes at Silvertown and Royal Albert Wharf, with 45% being genuinely affordable.
- Infrastructure & Connectivity: Major upgrades like the DLR extension and the Royal Docks Corridor are powering regeneration and unlocking thousands of jobs.
- A Just Transition: We are leading the way with Europe's largest Circular Economy Construction Hub, creating green jobs for the future.
- Digital Powerhouse: With Ada Infrastructure’s Docklands Data Campus, we are cementing our status as a strategic tech hub.
I was also thrilled to have officially broken ground at another one of our ‘Affordable Homes for Newham’ schemes: Ferndale Gardens in Beckton. This isn't just a construction site; it’s a future neighbourhood designed for health, wellbeing, and connection, providing 211 New Homes.
This follows our incredible success at the Greenhill Centre in Manor Park, where I was this morning to see first hand the stunning housing completions – and meet with some of the families already moving in!
With 81 genuinely affordable homes built to Passivhaus standards, we are ensuring our residents are protected from rising energy costs while enjoying award-winning construction and design. With a new state-of-the-art gym and community gardens, we are proving that sustainable and genuinely affordable homes are the future in Newham – and for our people too.
Our commitment to ‘community glue’ continues with the impending opening of the new Plaistow Hub and Green Street Libraries, which I visited this week. These are not just buildings for books; they are sanctuaries for learning, digital inclusion, and local connection. They represent our belief that high-quality civic spaces are a fundamental right for every resident.
Keep an eye out for news about the formal opening of these new libraries happening soon!
It’s why I’m proud that here in Newham, we continue to lead the way in fostering an inclusive environment where every faith and culture is celebrated.
Last night, I headed to the Eid al-Fitr celebrations on Green Street, known as Chaand Raat – and it was hugely vibrant. Seeing thousands of residents come together in peace and joy following the conclusion of Ramadan is a powerful testament to our borough's spirit.
My fondest Eid Mubarak to all in our communities celebrating this auspicious occasion!
As you can see, we are breaking ground on new homes, opening the doors to new ones just built, and world-class libraries! We are also advocating for our people and our borough, because my mission remains the same: putting people at the heart of everything we do.
In Newham, we aren't just building ‘bricks and mortar’; we are building a borough where your potential isn’t limited by your postcode, and where our growth is intentional, inclusive, and green. Together, we are building a fairer Newham that we can all be proud of.
Have a great weekend, and just to give you a heads up, I’ll be sending my final missive to you early next week!
Until then, take care.
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Mayor of Newham Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter/Insta: @rokhsanafiaz | 
