Tag: Elections

Election ’26: Community Hustings

Poster with the words "Newham Council Elections Community Hustings", providing details of the event that are also available in the post below. Poster design is a brown newsprint-effect hand holding a microphone in front of a crowd. The slogan is "We ask, they answer."

We are pleased to be joining this community hustings on Saturday 2nd May in conjunction with a number of other charities and campaign groups. We hope there will be representatives from the Labour Party, Green Party, and Newham Independents.

If you would like to join the hustings with our group, please email newham@lcc.org.uk.

REGISTER TO ATTEND →

Location: The Tate Institute 1 Wythes Rd, London E16 2DN
When: Saturday 2nd of May
🕰️ Stalls and activities from 2pm
💬Hustings start 4pm
⌛ Finish 6:30pm
🥘Food and kids activities provided

In less than a week, Newham will vote for a new mayor and council.

✊On the 2nd May groups from across Newham are coming together. We will be holding a community hustings with candidates from Labour, Green Party and Newham Independents to put questions to those who want to run our borough .

Come to the hustings to learn more about the future of Newham, and to show your future mayor that they need to deliver on the issues that matter to us!

🤝Groups involved: London Renters Union, The Magpie Project, Respace, PEACH, The Women in Newham Network, Newham Muslim Forum, Newham Trades Council, Newham Votes Palestine, Focus E15, Clapton Community Football Club, Newham Stand up to Racism, Newham Cyclists, Friends of Queen’s Road Market, Newham Poetry Group, Save Newham Libraries and more tba

Streets for Cycling campaign launches!

With elections less than six weeks away on 7 May, we’ve launched our Streets for Cycling campaign, asking the next Mayor of Newham—whoever they may be—to build a safe, connected cycle network in Newham.

Streets for Cycling

Newham needs a
safe, connected cycle network!

TfL has already identified four future routes in Newham that have the highest unrealised demand for cycling. Building these routes would allow thousands of local people to switch their journeys to cycling—and TfL will also provide the funding to build these routes to a very high standard.

A tube-style network map of Newham. Four major new routes are shown: Bow Roundabout, Mill Meads, Stratford Town Centre/School 21, UEL Stratford, Forest Gate, Woodgrange, Manor Park, Little Ilford, to Ilford. Leyton, Maryland, Stratford Town Centre/School 21, West Ham, Plaistow, Greengage, Newham Hospital / NewVIC / Brampton Manor, Canning Town Rec, Prince Regent / Cundy Park, Silvertown. Canning Town, Rokeby School, Greengage, Green Street, East Ham, Barking Road Rec/Langdon Academy, to Barking. Wanstead Flats, Manor Park, High Street North, East Ham, Beckton Alp, Beckton, Gallions Reach / UEL Docklands, Woolwich Ferry. Two smaller routes are shown as complete: Canning Town, Royal Victoria/City Hall, Pontoon Dock, Silvertown, City Airport. East Village/Chobham Academy, Westfield, London Stadium / UCL East / UAL. Some legacy routes are shown, not always up to modern standards: Hackney Wick, East Village, West Ham Cemetery, Wanstead Flats. London Stadium, Mill Meads, (section closed by Thames Water), Memorial Rec, Newham Hospital, Beckton Alp. Prince Regent, Beckton Park, Beckton. Canning Town, Freemasons Road, Canning Town Rec, Beckton Alp, Beckton Roundabout, Jenkins Lane. Short link between Maryland and UEL Stratford.

The four key cycle routes would criss-cross Newham, connecting Stratford to Ilford; Leyton to Silvertown; Canning Town to Barking Road Rec; and Manor Park to Gallions Reach. This would connect Green Street and East Ham High Street to London’s cycle network for the first time; it would also give NHS staff at Newham Hospital back their safe route to work, after Thames Water closed an important part of the Greenway. A combination of protected cycleways on main roads, and low-traffic streets upgraded for cycling, would make cycling a viable transport option across Newham that’s safe everywhere, and fun for everyone!

Canning Town South Conservative candidate’s cycling views

We received the following email from Gareth Knight, Conservative party candidate for Canning Town South, which was originally sent direct to LCC.

Hi, I am a candidate in Canning Town South in Newham and I’ve just seen your website.

Firstly, my twitter handle is @GarethKnight and I’m more than happy for your members to contact me.

Secondly, I support your calls for dedicated cycle lanes on the Lower Lea Crossing and Silvertown Viaduct. 

Finally, I would go far further than this and support a wholesale strategy to encourage residents in my ward to commute to Canary Wharf by bike, relieving pressure on the DLR and Jubilee Lines, including:
-secure cycle parking serving the developments on Western Gateway and Seagull Lane and the new developments off Hallsville Road;
-secure cycle parking for all new developments in the Canning Town area to be built as they are constructed;
-bike racks and cycle lanes on Western Gateway serving local shops, restaurants, the Emirates Air Line and the ExCel centre;
-the introduction of “Boris Bikes” to the Royal Docks area (they currently stop before they reach Newham);
-a cyclist hotline where reports of potholes, dangerous roads and dangerous drivers can be made so action can be taken quickly;
-mandatory cycle proficiency training for all local primary school children;
-an offer for adults to receive cycle proficiency training to increase confidence in cycling on London roads and reminders of the highway code as far as it affects cyclists.

I would actively encourage any of my colleagues on the council to identify similar opportunities to promote cycling in their wards, most notably around the Royal Docks and Olympic Park.

Newham has one of the worst reputations of any borough in London when it comes to being cycle-unfriendly and if elected, I would want to substantially shift that reputation as far as my ward is concerned.

I hope that explains my position!

Kind regards
Gareth Knight