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Hello Everyone,
I wanted to start this week by addressing the situation in the Middle East. The conflict between Iran and Israel over the past weeks has caused distress and concern for many across our borough.
In Newham - where residents trace their roots to over 200 countries - the ripple effects of global crises are always felt deeply and personally. It is important that as a community in Newham, we remain committed to supporting peace, unity and safety at home.
We are actively engaging with community and faith leaders to ensure dialogue, understanding, and wellbeing remains central to our borough’s response. These are challenging times, but Newham’s strength has always been our ability to stand together - across differences, in solidarity, and with compassion.
This week marked London Climate Action Week. Yesterday, I headed over to the London Stadium with Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban MBE, to look at the sustainability plans for the stadium, including looking at the new solar panels that have recently been installed. The London Stadium is now the first stadium in the UK to have yoga-style solar panels across its roof that will generate10% of the power it uses each year!
Continuing on the climate action theme, I popped over this afternoon to the Oasis Academy School in Royal Victoria ward to see first-hand the work we’re doing to deliver healthy streets and tackle the climate crisis locally. Across all our healthy streets, we’ve seen a 64% average reduction in traffic volume! From better air quality and safe cycling routes to green public spaces, our ambitions are rooted in a Just Transition – one that centres equity and community voice. That’s why I’m proud that our Just Transition Plan was nationally recognised earlier this month with a prestigious LGC Award. We are showing that climate leadership can be inclusive, ambitious, and achievable - and we’ll keep pushing forward, together.
Earlier this week, I had the immense pleasure of attending the Our Newham Learning Awards, a truly inspiring morning that celebrated the commitment and perseverance of adult learners across our borough. From people retraining after redundancy, to others overcoming adversity to return to education, it was a powerful reminder of what happens when opportunity is accessible to all. These stories are what Opportunity Newham is all about – a fairer borough where everyone, no matter their starting point, has the chance to grow, learn and thrive.
That theme of inclusive opportunity continued on Thursday when I dropped into the London Festival of Architecture, where I saw how our approach to regeneration is being recognised and celebrated. At the heart of this is our work on the Carpenters Estate, where we’re applying our Meanwhile Strategy to make regeneration a lived, shared and participatory process. It’s about doing regeneration with people, not to them - and this ethos now extends across the borough.
This brings me to some very exciting news. On Tuesday, we welcomed the announcement of a major new development at Limmo Peninsula, which will bring 560 affordable homes to Newham as part of a wider 1,400-home masterplan. This is a landmark project being delivered in partnership with Places for London and developer Ballymore, and includes a new pedestrian bridge, green spaces, and riverfront walkways linking to Canning Town. The Limmo site, once the launchpad for Elizabeth Line tunnelling machines and home to the historic Thames Iron Works, is now set to be a key chapter in our borough’s future. Canning Town is undergoing one of the most ambitious transformations in London - and this development, alongside our own Council-led housing and enterprise projects, will help shape a vibrant, connected, and inclusive neighbourhood for generations to come.
This brings me to the weekend. Tomorrow is set to be a day of joyful celebration and solemn recognition. I will have the privilege of attending Forest Gayte Pride, a vibrant and affirming event that underscores our unwavering commitment to equality. Newham is and always will be, a borough where LGBTQ+ residents are valued, visible and celebrated. Events like these show the power of community pride - and the importance of being a proud and consistent ally.
On Saturday, I will also be marking Armed Forces Day – paying tribute to those who serve and have served in defence of our country. Their dedication and sacrifice deserve our utmost gratitude, and it is always an honour to reflect on that with residents and veterans here in Newham.
This week, I’ve again been reminded of what makes our borough so unique: our belief in each other, our ambition for a better future, and our shared responsibility to build it full of opportunity and together.
Until next week, take care and have a lovely weekend!
Best wishes, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz |
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Attend an ‘Our Ideas’ event
Join us at a local Our Ideas event to help turn your neighbourhood’s priorities into real projects that could be funded through People Powered Places, Newham Council’s participatory budgeting programme. This is your opportunity to: 🗳️ Choose local priorities
✅ Share your ideas for your neighbourhood
🤝 Work with residents, experts and local groups
💡 Help shape proposals that could be brought to life later this year You don’t need to have an idea to join – just bring your local knowledge and a willingness to get involved. Find a hybrid 'Our Ideas' event near you > |
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| Meet the community safety teams for ASB Awareness Week To mark Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week (June 30 – July 6) our teams will be out in the community speaking to the public.
They will be explaining what ASB is and encouraging residents and businesses to report incidents.
Newham Council have arranged three locations for residents to meet with council officers from the ASB Team, Community Safety Enforcement Team, Housing Neighbourhood Response Team, and officers from the local Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team.
We will be hosting sessions between 11am – 2pm at three locations: June 30: Canning Town Library, 18 Rathbone Market, Barking Road July 3: Stratford Library, 3 The Grove July 3: Forest Gate Library, 6-8 Woodgrange Road Find out more about ASB and how to report it > |
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We are keeping Newham moving
A major milestone has been reached with 75 miles of the borough’s road network being resurfaced in the past decade.
The work has also seen the council filling in more than 6,000 potholes since 2021, with nearly 1,600 being repaired in the last financial year alone.
The Local Highways Maintenance Transparency report sets out a further £8.9 million will be invested in 2025-26 under the Keeping Newham Moving programme.
It includes £3.6 million towards resurfacing 21 roads, including Katherine Road and Upton Lane, and 14 footpath and footway schemes, such as Jake Russell Walk and Mitchel Walk.
Learn more about what’s being done to improve Newham’s roads > |
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| Help make our Adults and Health services better for all From Autism Action Plans, dementia best practice and working together with people with learning disabilities and much else besides, help create and shape some of the Adults and Health services that matter most to the residents of Newham. Co-Production Week brings together people from all walks of life – community groups, officers, councillors, and carers and most importantly those with lived experience – to see how we can improve lives and make services better. Expect inspiring talks, a lively panel discussion, and opportunities to connect with others who care about making services better through collaboration. Join us on Wednesday 2 July, from 11am to 2pm at Highway Vineyard Church, 88A Romford Road, Stratford, E15 4EH Sign up to take part in this year’s Co-Production Week event > |
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How to stay cool during hot weather We are set to experience a second heatwave with temperatures forecast to top 30 degrees over the coming days. Heat can pose serious health risks, particularly for the vulnerable including older people, children, and those with certain medical conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, obesity and some mental health conditions. We’ve put together some tips on how to stay safe in the hot weather. They are easy to read and share, so please take care of yourselves, your loved ones and neighbours – enjoy the summer but don’t become a victim to it. Learn how to keep cool during the hot weather > |
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| Have your say on the proposed Beckton DLR extension
Transport for London (TfL) have opened their consultation on the proposed of the Beckton Riverside to Thamesmead extension.
They are looking for feedback on new stations and the suggested route for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
Consultation ends Sunday, 17 August 2025.
You can share your views by calling 020 3054 6037 (call back service) or writing to: Freepost TfL Have Your Say (DLR).
Find out more about the proposed Beckton DLR extension > |
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Our Newham: Empowering residents and businesses with confidential advice and support
Our Newham is the council’s service exclusively for Newham residents supporting you across five programmes: Money, Work, Business & Enterprise, Learning & Skills and Youth.
From helping residents maximise their income and kickstarting career journeys to supporting local businesses and start-ups, find out how Our Newham can help give you the boost you need at: www.newham.gov.uk/ournewham or come and visit us at 112-118 The Grove, E15 1NS
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Copyright © 2025 London Borough of Newham, All rights reserved. |
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Our mailing address is: London Borough of Newham, Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, London, E16 2QU. |
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