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Hello Everyone, 

I hope you are well and had a good day so far! Before I jump onto some key news and developments this past week plus important stuff coming up; I wanted to flag that the Met Office will be issuing an amber wind warning for London as Storm Isha makes its way across the Atlantic; causing winds of up to 80mph across parts of the country from Sunday. So please keep an eye on updates via the news and stay safe. Already we’ve been dealing with almost arctic like weather conditions this past week, which has meant that it has been especially cold. 

That’s why on Friday morning, I was really concerned when I was told about the new-born baby girl found abandoned on Thursday night at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham. Thankfully she was found by a local resident who was out walking their dog on a very cold night; and what an absolute hero that resident is. Simply put, it is a miracle that this precious baby girl was found as soon as she was. Named Elsa by hospital staff, she is doing well and being looked after with lots of love and care. 

Now our worries turn to mum who will also be needing care. So if you are her and reading this, please know that your little baby girl is in safe hands and we want to provide the same for you. We want to support your wellbeing and health and are ready to help you. Please call 999, and if you believe you know her please call 999 too because we need to help mum as soon as we can. 

You’ll have heard about the sudden closure of Market Village in Stratford, which is a thriving market place and home to 60 traders offering an array of products and services that so many people living in Newham depend on. Last Friday, and without warning it was suddenly closed by the directors of Stratford Market Properties Ltd, the company that owes Market Village and issues leases to the local traders. The directors have behaved really dishonourably and in shocking ways that have now put the livelihoods of the traders at risk, along with the jobs of their employees. It's really not right, and that’s why I met with the traders last Monday and gave them my commitment to support all efforts to get the Village market site back open. 

The impact of the closure has been so devastating for the traders. That’s why I sent an urgent letter to the person appointed by the directors of Stratford Market Properties Ltd Market Village Ltd – read the letter here. I have urged them to allow the traders to continue to trade by opening the Market Village site; otherwise it will cause real financial havoc and mayhem. In the meantime, we are supporting all the traders through the Council’s Our Newham Business & Enterprise plus Our Newham Money services. If you are affected by what is happening at the Market Village in Strafford, or need advice about any business or financial support, please get in touch with Our Newham services on 0203 373 7373; or you can email via ournewhambande@newham.gov.uk. 

There’s been two BIG highlights for me this week! The first is the excellent news that Newham has seen a 32% decrease in fly-tipping in 2022-23 according to newly published government statistics. It’s the second-best result in London (Hammersmith and Fulham inched just 1 percentage point ahead of us in the decrease of fly-tipping in their borough). The vast majority of other London boroughs have seen huge increases in fly-tipping by comparison over the same period. It’s great progress as we accelerate our Cleaner Borough plans (read more here too), working with Keep Britain Tidy and local residents who with local ward councillors play their part in making fly-tipping and throwing rubbish on our streets socially unacceptable. While it’s great news to read, I know that we have lots more to do to keep Newham clean by changing people’s behaviour. It is not right that some people still think that throwing rubbish on our streets or dumping a mattress by a wall is ok. It’s not and we shouldn’t have to tolerate such behaviour. All of us have a responsibility to keep Newham clean, and promote the idea that respecting our borough, benefits everyone. 

On Friday, I was handed the keys to our brand new Plashet Road housing development delivered by Newham Council. They are 65 brand new, quality design social rent homes 75% of which are much needed family sized homes) and really stunning! Plus built to Passivhaus standards, which will help with our Climate Action Just Transition plans which we published last December. It literally means that they will be even lower-cost homes for residents, because they are more energy efficient; meaning lower fuel bills. The completed Plashet Road housing scheme is another milestone in our mission to build more and more homes that our residents can afford as we also contend with the raging housing crisis facing Newham and London. 

Looking ahead to next week, on Monday we’ll be publishing our Draft Budget 2024-2025 proposals, against the backdrop of growing financial pressures facing councils up and down the country. From the increasing numbers of people facing homelessness, corresponding costs for more and more temporary accommodation; to increased demand in children and adult services – all councils are feeling the pressure. Even the Local Government Association said this past week that Councils are facing serious challenges, with a funding gap of £4 billion across this year and next. I’ll be providing more details next week about what our proposals set out, alongside plans about engagement with residents. 

Don’t forget that we are going to be marking Holocaust Memorial Day (which is a nationally recognised every year on the 27 January), at our Old Town Hall in Stratford next Friday. It is an important time to remember the millions of people who lost their lives to the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur as well as present-day situations around the world and closer to home. 

So till next week, stay well and have a restful weekend. Remember, the weather is going to be choppy in the next couple of days with Storm Isha, so please be careful. Also, it’s still cold, so if you see someone sleeping rough on our streets, you can helpfully report them to our partners StreetLink, who we work with to combat rough sleeping in Newham. They offer advice with compassion and care to support people off the streets.

Best wishes,

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE 

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

Westfield Avenue improvements

We are excited to announce that Phase 1 of the Westfield Avenue public realm improvement scheme has commenced.

We are collaborating with the London Legacy Development Corporation to enhance the street environment and layout along Westfield Avenue and the southern section of Waterden Road. 

This is a significant avenue that connects Stratford Station and Westfield Stratford City with Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and London Borough of Hackney. 

The Westfield Avenue public realm improvement scheme will create a more pleasant street environment and enable more walking and cycling along the corridor. The project will provide a general uplift by creating a high street environment, improving air quality and encouraging people to be more active and healthy. Construction began on January 15 and will continue throughout the year. For more information, please visit: www.newham.gov.uk/westfieldavenue

For more information, please visit: www.newham.gov.uk/westfieldavenue

Our Newham Support 

We are working hard to support those most in need. Our Newham services have seen significant increases in requests for help, particularly from families requesting help with energy bills and basic

 food.

The rising cost of living is affecting us all, whatever your circumstances, Our Newham Money is here to help and support with your financial wellbeing.

If you need help or advice, it’s available from Our Newham Money (financial wellbeing support and advice), Our Newham Work (finding work, apprenticeships and training) or Employment Rights Hub. You can also find out more about food support from the Newham Food Alliance, including how to refer yourself or someone in need.

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