The annual council meeting for the London Borough of Newham convened on 22 May 2025, featuring the election of Councillor Dr Rohit Kumar Dasgupta as the new Chair of Council and Councillor Imam Haque as the Vice-Chair. Councillors also discussed the calendar of meetings for the upcoming municipal year, political proportionality, and several annual reports from council committees.

Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

Councillor Dr Rohit Kumar Dasgupta was elected as the Chair of Council, succeeding Councillor Rohima Rahman. Councillor Charlene McLean nominated Councillor Dr Rohit Kumar Dasgupta, and Councillor Sabia Kamali seconded the nomination. Councillor Dr Rohit Kumar Dasgupta acknowledged the responsibilities of the role and spoke of his pride in being an immigrant and a queer person of colour.

Councillor Lakmini Shah nominated Councillor Imam Haque for the position of Vice-Chair of Council, which was seconded by Councillor Sarah Ruiz. Councillor Imam Haque was re-elected as Vice-Chair and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community.

Calendar of Meetings 2025/2026

The council approved the calendar of meetings for the 2025/2026 municipal year, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the Public reports pack. Councillor Danny Keeling raised concerns about the reduction in the number of meetings, arguing that it limits opportunities to address important issues. Councillor Sabia Kamali responded that additional meetings would incur significant costs to taxpayers, and that the administration is focused on action rather than just headlines.

Political Proportionality and Allocation of Seats on Committees

The council approved the allocation of seats on committees based on political proportionality. Councillor Nate Higgins expressed disappointment that the Green Group did not receive a seat on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, despite being the joint-largest opposition group. Councillor Stephen Brayshaw responded that opposition councillors need to win more votes to take over committees.

Annual Scrutiny Report 2024/2025

Councillor Anthony McAlmont, the outgoing chair of overview and scrutiny, presented the Annual Scrutiny Report 2024/2025, highlighting the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its scrutiny commissions. The report covered a range of issues, including housing, homelessness, antisocial behaviour, air quality, education, and community mental health services.

Annual Report of the Standards Advisory Committee 2024/25

Councillor Ann Easter presented the Annual Report of the Standards Advisory Committee 2024/25, providing an overview of the committee's work in maintaining high standards of conduct for members. The report addressed the committee's role, membership, meetings, and future work.

Annual Report of the Audit Committee 2024/25

Councillor Terence Paul presented the Annual report on the work of the Audit Committee 2024/25, summarising the committee's work in reviewing the council's arrangements for internal control, financial management, risk management, and corporate governance. Councillor Terence Paul noted that the committee's name would be changing to the Audit and Governance Committee to fully reflect its work.

Appointments by the Mayor to Outside Bodies

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE presented the appointments to outside bodies, as outlined in Appendix A of the supplementary agenda. The council noted the report.

Constitution Review - Amendments to Council's Constitution

The council approved amendments to the council's constitution, as outlined in the Constitution Review Council Report. The changes included renaming the Standards Advisory Committee, updating the Code of Conduct Complaints Procedure, and introducing a petition scheme. Councillor Nate Higgins highlighted that the changes would give members of the public more of a voice in the council.

Appointment of Standard Committee's Independent Members

The council approved the appointment of Ashuk Hussain as a co-opted member of the Standards Advisory Committee for a period of four years.

End of Year Summary Reports

The council noted the end-of-year summary reports, which provided updates on actions taken in response to deputations, petitions, and motions.

Deputations

The report noted that two deputations were received at the Council Meeting held 16 December 2024:

• Applecart Arts: Seeking funding from the council for their venue. The council was unable to provide further financial assistance.
• The Flourishing Community: E20 Residents: Seeking support for their mental health and wellbeing. The council appreciated the work of the Flourishing Community in promoting good mental health.

Petitions

The report summarised the petitions received at council meetings and the actions taken in response. Some key petitions included:

• Aviary Close parking regulations: Residents requested changes to parking regulations and the installation of CCTV cameras. The council logged the requests for investigation.
• My Safer Newham: Residents requested a visible police presence in East Ham town centre. The council raised the concerns with the police leadership team and highlighted the Safer East Ham Partnership .
• Tennyson Avenue and Woodhouse Grove charging points: Residents objected to the installation of electric vehicle charging points. The council conducted a parking stress survey and emphasized the long-term benefits of EVCPs.
• Save Debden Campsite: Residents opposed the sale of Debden Campsite. The council noted that less than 18% of users were Newham residents.
• Say No to LTN – West Ham Park: Residents opposed the implementation of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood. The council stated that every property remained accessible by motor vehicle and that the statutory consultation was open.
• Overuse of the Brooking Road/ Moore Walk estate car park: Residents requested the reinstatement of residence-only parking. The council stated that it was unable to designate the area exclusively for residents, but that it would include the request in its list of sites for future investigation and review.
• Healthy Street Proposal: Residents of Stratford Road and Bristol Road strongly opposed the Healthy Street proposal. Details of the outcome are awaited.

Motions

The report provided updates on actions taken in response to motions passed by the council. Some key motions included:

• Celebrating the contribution of Newham’s Bangladeshi community: The council affirmed its celebration of the British Bangladeshi community and requested that the Mayor write to the Prime Minister inviting them to meet with the borough’s Bangladeshi diaspora communities.
• Newham Dental Crisis: The council agreed to use its presence within the local North East London Integrated Care System to force an increase in the number of units of dental activity available to the borough.
• Temporary Accommodation Crisis: The council agreed to call on central government to meet with Newham Council urgently and work with them on the planned new Homelessness Strategy.
• Increasing the quantity and quality of public toilets in Newham: The council agreed to review the council’s current Community Public Toilets Scheme and develop an annual work plan to encourage the introduction of more community toilets.
• London City Airport planning appeal and safeguarding the curfew and the quality of life of Newham residents: The council agreed to write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Transport to urge them to resist any attempts by London City Airport to remove the 24-hour weekend airflight curfew in place.
• Cracking down on Knife Crime: The council agreed to request that the Mayor of Newham write to the Home Secretary on behalf of the council to welcome the measures the Home Secretary is introducing to crackdown on knife crime including the ban on Zombie Knifes and Machetes.
• In Support of House Building and Endorsement of the Labour Government’s approach: The council agreed to support the Labour Government’s housing plan and advocate for its implementation within the borough.
• Recruitment Balance on Each Ethnicity and Each Protected Characteristic in the Workplace: The council agreed to ensure and endorse recruitment policies, processes and procedures that positively encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds and protected characteristics.
• Reform the Olympic Park Fixed Estate Charge: The council agreed to contact Residents and their associations, GLA representatives, local Councillors and MPs to campaign to reform the Fixed Estate Charge.
• Making Newham Safe for our Young People: The council agreed to ensure the expertise and experience of young people are at the heart of the implementation of the Young Futures Hubs Programme locally.

Other Business

The council also discussed and noted the following items:

• Announcements by the Chair and the Mayor
• Apologies for absence
• Declarations of interest
• Minutes of the last meeting
• Announcements by the Chief Executive
• Appointment of standard committee independent members

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