Hello Everyone,

 I wanted to start by paying tribute to a courageous and inspirational woman from Newham called Luljeta Nuzi, who back in 2002 founded the Shpresa Programme in support of the Albania diaspora community in our borough and across the UK. Indelibly contagious because of her commitment to social justice, I’ll remember her for her generosity and indefatigable courageousness. 

She passed this week on Tuesday. It has been devastating for so many who deeply loved her. So on this day of love, my deepest condolences to those who were honoured to have known Luljeta and who today will want to feel some gentleness. 

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025, I was pleased to attend our seventh annual Newham Apprenticeship Fair over at the Old Town Hall in Stratford earlier this week. We had over 1,400 young people from Newham attend who explored an array of opportunities from a range of employers including Barclays, IBM, Deloitte, TfL and HMRC. Apprenticeships are such a vital route to skills and jobs for our young people offering a range of pathways to meaningful careers that combines hands-on experience and ongoing learning. Our annual Newham Apprenticeship Fair is part of our plans to widen more and more opportunities for our young people. 

Talking about opportunities, on Monday I headed to the Transport Department to meet Lord Hendy, the Rail Minister, with colleagues from the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), to discuss the urgent need to secure government investment as part of plans to support Stratford Station’s growth, which is one of the UK’s busiest stations. Over 128 million passenger movements are recorded annually! 

Working with our partners LLDC, TfL and Network Rail, we’ve submitted an outline business case to transform the station’s layout. I have been clear all along that we need a modern, thriving transport hub so that Stratford can continue to support East London’s growth. The business case includes plans to create around 2,000 new homes - 50% of which will be genuinely affordable - reducing both the demand for and spending on temporary housing. It also includes additional commercial, retail and community space to support up to 10,000 new jobs. This is all part of our Building a Fairer Newham plans to bring more investment into our borough to drive real and lasting improvements to benefit local residents.

I was talking all things Stratford as well on Thursday, when I took members of the Cabinet to discuss future development plans Stratford Island site, which will be discussed at next week’s Cabinet meeting. These proposals aim to accelerate regeneration and increase employment opportunities in the area. 

Today, I was delighted to view progress at the Custom House development, and I look forward to topping out event at Vincent Street next week. These developments between them will deliver 242 new homes in the borough – 95 this summer, and all of them affordable. This marks another step forward in my commitment to delivering Affordable Homes for Newham - a key part of our corporate plan.

While much of my focus has been on championing improvements that create jobs and housing, I am also pleased that this week saw the completion of the borough-wide rollout of the 20mph speed limit. Make no mistake, this measure will save lives. Between 2017 and 2022, 16 people tragically lost their lives in road accidents in Newham, and there were 598 serious injuries. The evidence is clear: reducing speed limits will decrease both the number and severity of road collisions. 

For those of us who love Newham and have the borough and its residents' needs firmly in our hearts, discussions continue regarding our financial position and how - despite challenges largely outside our control - we can set a balanced budget for the coming year. At next Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, we will discuss whether to propose an 8.99% increase in Council Tax to Full Council. We do not take this decision lightly. We know that the rising cost of living is already placing immense pressure on our residents. However, the reality is that Newham, like many other councils, is grappling with skyrocketing costs from temporary housing. With the proposed increase, Newham’s council tax will be the seventh lowest in London and the lowest of any outer London borough. 

We are committed to ensuring that those most vulnerable received the support they need. That’s why we are also proposing to maintain the council tax reduction scheme at 80%. As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, I held a budget engagement session this week with colleagues from voluntary and faith sector organisations. This session allowed us to discuss the proposals in detail so that I can represent their views and concerns to fellow Members. 

Finally, as temperatures are expected to drop to near freezing this weekend, we are preparing to support the most vulnerable, including rough sleepers. Please keep warm, follow advice on staying healthy, and look out for your friends and neighbours. 

Until next week, look after yourself and your loved ones.

Best wishes,

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE

Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz

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