The Council of Newham Council met on Monday 28 April 2025, with the meeting's theme being Our Young People, Our Future. Key discussions included the council's strategies for supporting young people, addressing child poverty, and the adoption of a new local plan. The council approved the Our Young People, Our Future report, a new local plan for Newham, and two motions: Making Newham Safer for our Young People and Invest in Youth. Invest in Our Future.

Our Young People, Our Future Report

The council discussed the Our Young People, Our Future report¹, which outlines the council's comprehensive approach to supporting the borough's young population. Mayor Roxana Fiaz² presented the report, emphasizing the council's commitment to placing young people at the heart of decision-making. The report details initiatives within the Youth Empowerment Service, aiming to support young people in shaping national strategy. It also highlights efforts to ensure young people are healthy, well, and happy, extending beyond statutory safeguarding duties to holding schools and other agencies accountable. Councillor Sarah Ruiz³, Cabinet Lead for Environment, Sustainable Transport, Children's Services and Education, spoke about the Youth Safety Strategy and the improvements made to the care leavers service. The council heard from members of Newham's Youth Participation Group, including Zahra⁴, Kende⁵, Obed⁶, Rashaun⁷, and Rashaun⁸, who shared their experiences and highlighted key areas for improvement such as empowering youth services, lowering the voting age, prioritizing wellbeing and mental health, creating safer communities, and ensuring affordable housing. The report was approved by the council.

New Local Plan for Newham

The council debated and approved the new Local Plan for Newham¹, a document developed over several years and incorporating extensive consultation with residents, stakeholders, and councillors. Mayor Fiaz presented the plan, highlighting its responsiveness to key strategies such as just transition and the commitment to genuinely affordable housing, including family-sized homes. Councillor John Wentworth⁹, Cabinet Member for Air Quality and Climate Emergency, seconded the motion, emphasizing the plan's alignment with the joint waste management plan and its goals for building a fairer Newham. He noted ambitious targets for new homes, a requirement for 50% social rent units in new developments, and a focus on energy efficiency and green spaces. Councillor Nate Higgins¹⁰, leader of the Green Group, expressed support for the plan's commitment to 50% social housing but raised concerns about its deliverability due to potential objections from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan¹¹, and the perceived bias in viability assessments. He also highlighted the lack of community and faith spaces in Stratford Olympic Park. Councillor Terry Paul¹², scrutiny chair, responded by emphasizing the consensual nature of the scrutiny commission's work on the plan. The Local Plan was approved by the council.

Addressing Child Poverty

Councillor Nate Higgins¹⁰ raised a question regarding the council's strategy to reduce child poverty in Newham, referencing a previous Green Group motion that was rejected by the Labour Group. Mayor Fiaz directed Councillor Higgins to the written response, stating that the administration's strategies are outlined in the Council's performance framework and are subject to regular reporting. She highlighted the council's work on inclusive growth and community wealth building, as well as the secured £700,000 for the Our Newham Money Service to assist vulnerable households. Councillor Higgins followed up, asking about specific reduction targets and the council's engagement with national government on policies like the two-child benefit cap. Mayor Fiaz reiterated that outcome targets exist within the performance framework and that the council is committed to addressing structural poverty.

Support for Young Disabled People

Councillor Arik Chaudry¹³ questioned the council's stance on proposed government reforms that would affect young disabled people's access to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). He cited concerns from Disability Rights UK, the Resolution Foundation, and Inclusion London, describing the proposals as brutal and reckless cuts. Mayor Fiaz directed him to the written response, emphasizing the council's commitment to empowering young people to voice their concerns and stating that the administration believes in the entitlement and dignity of all residents. She noted that the council is working through the impact of these reforms on various resident cohorts, including young people, and takes these issues seriously. Councillor Chaudry expressed disappointment that the council would not formally oppose the proposals and questioned the deferral of opposition to the UK Youth Parliament. Mayor Fiaz defended the council's approach to youth participation and highlighted the risks associated with the welfare reforms, particularly concerning safeguarding.

Specialist Colleges for Young People with SEND

Councillor Shantouferdos¹⁴ asked about the council's plans to build specialist colleges and training centres for individuals aged 19 and over with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Mayor Fiaz directed the councillor to the written response, reiterating the council's commitment to improving the experiences of young people with neurodivergent needs and acknowledging that more needs to be done. She mentioned the SEND inclusion strategy and the ongoing journey of improvement.

Motions Passed

The council approved three motions:

• Making Newham Safer for our Young People (Labour Group): This motion, which was amended, was approved by the council.
• Invest in Youth. Invest in Our Future (Newham Independence Group): Proposed by Councillor Sophia Nakfi¹⁵ and seconded by Councillor Mahmoud Mirza¹⁶, this motion called for reversing cuts to youth services, developing a long-term youth investment strategy led by young people, ensuring access to youth provision in every ward, and demanding transparency in youth service funding. The motion was approved.
• Protecting Our Young People Our Future (Green Group): Councillor Nate Higgins¹⁰ initially proposed this motion but requested to defer it to a future meeting to allow for further discussion and to seek unanimous support.

Other Discussions

The meeting also included updates from Cabinet members, an announcement by the Chief Executive, and a report from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee¹⁷. Dr. Khalid Ahmed¹⁸, a consultant psychiatrist, spoke about the mental health challenges facing young people, emphasizing the impact of societal factors and the need for collective action. Councillor Karlyn Lipoki¹⁹ spoke about World Autism Acceptance Month, highlighting the challenges faced by autistic children and their families in Newham and calling for reduced waiting times and increased investment in frontline services.