Blasts from the past Guest post by Josephine Grahl Local election candidates for the elections to Newham Council on 7 May 2026 have now been announced. It’s heartwarming to see how many former councillors, having had s…

Guest post for @newham65.bsky.social

I spotted some familiar faces on the Newham local elections candidate lists: newham65.wordpress.com/2026/04/14/b...

Blasts from the past Guest post by Josephine Grahl Local election candidates for the elections to Newham Council on 7 May 2026 have now been announced. It’s heartwarming to see how many former councillors, having had s…

Blasts from the past

newham65.wordpress.com/2026/04/14/b...

Phenomenal work being achieved in Newham right now (credit to @sarahj53.bsky.social @plaistovian.bsky.social @jamesasser.bsky.social et al - don't let Forhad or Mehmood blow it).

If I recall correctly, most councils have a policy of not naming things after people until they’ve been dead for at least 10 years…

Onwards to a Fiaz cul-de-sac? The Mayor of Newham has publicised in her weekly email and elsewhere, the opening of “Neil Wilson House, New City Road”, a newly-built block of flats which has been named after her cabinet colleagu…

Onwards to a Fiaz cul-de-sac?

newham65.wordpress.com/2026/03/16/o...

Nice thread here on the situation with the #WestHamParkLTN, which in another survey had satisfied 59% of residents and has had positive outcomes for congestion, safety, and air quality—but is still being sent back for reconsideration.

We naturally hope the decision makers won’t change their mind.

Survey 3 months 6 months 12 months Traffic Volumes (total) ↓19% Feb 2023 Vs Feb 2025 ↓15% May 2023 vs June 2025 ↓19% Nov 2023 vs Nov 2025 Traffic Volumes (Boundary Roads) ↓10% Feb 2023 Vs Feb 2025 ↓3% May 2023 vs June 2025 ↓9% Nov 2023 vs Nov 2025 Traffic Volumes (Internal Roads) ↓42% Feb 2023 Vs Feb 2025 ↓46% May 2023 vs June 2025 ↓46% Nov 2023 vs Nov 2025 Junction Turning Movements - - ↓2% Nov 2022 vs Nov 2025 Junction Queue Lengths - - ↑5% Nov 2022 vs Nov 2025 Walking - ↑12% Summer 2024 vs Summer 2025 ↑36% Autumn 2024 vs Autumn 2025 Bus Speeds - ↓0.4 mph ↓0.4 mph Cycling ↓7% Feb 2023 Vs Feb 2025 ↑6% May 2023 vs Jun 2025 ↑18% Nov 2023 Vs Nov 2025 Sentiment 56% support 57% support 51% Support Air Quality - No Change Recorded NO₂ reduced Origin Destination - - ↓58% through traffic (Nov 2022 vs Nov 2025

According to officers' reports, over a year, traffic volumes went down 46% inside the LTN and down 9% on boundary roads, while cycling was up 18% and walking up 36%, with recorded air quality improvements too.

Paul Mitchell, who lives in Salisbury Road, inside the scheme, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that restrictions had made his journeys longer. He said previously, when he wanted to travel south out of the neighbourhood, he’d been able to take a short route via Ham Park Road onto Upton Lane. But barriers along Ham Park Road mean he now has to take a longer, more circuitous route by first travelling north onto the busy Romford Road.

But Sarah, who lives in York Road, said the scheme had improved the area. She told the LDRS: “The difference is just phenomenal in terms of the number of cars that rat-run through the LTN, the air quality and just the feeling of safety crossing the road. “My daughter went to Park Primary many years ago. It was so dangerous taking her to school in the morning, whereas now it just seems totally transformed, the whole area.”

And this is the whole debate in a nutshell. The idea that one person’s entitlement to the shortest possible car route in every direction is more important than the quality of life of the whole neighbourhood, and even the ability of kids to safely walk to school.

This is ridiculous. They’ve actually managed to get support in one of these self-selecting surveys of disgruntled drivers, & overwhelmingly positive data, & still it isn’t enough. Why do opponents get a veto on other people’s safety?

We’re disappointed by repeated political opportunism around the West Ham Park #LTN, which has made clear improvements for road safety, air quality, and reducing congestion on our streets.

If your car journey is longer, you can leave a few minutes earlier—a small price to pay for everyone’s safety.

There's not an uproar because most people want to drive to just outside the shop they live 1/2 a mile away from and pollution is invisible.

Giving away permits for the first car will cost around £20 million over fours years in lost revenue- a massive tax giveaway to the 50% of households that have a car. While the 50% that don't end up with either poorer services or higher council tax as a result.

A flyer on a khaki green background which shows a woman walking & a bicycle. The text asks to “Join us for the launch of Newham Living Streets”.

A Newham @livingstreets.bsky.social group is launching this week in Canning Town. Go along if you can 🚶‍♀️🚲🛴🦽🦯

www.eventbrite.com/e/launch-of-...

Great to be working with @plaistovian.bsky.social & colleagues from Newham Council.

This new crossing on Water Lane will make it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle in the area.

Compare Labour's communications in Camden, compared with Newham's new mayoral candidate.

‘Free parking’ is *never* free! It is paid for in 2 ways:

1) Direct financial subsidy from the taxes of everyone who doesn’t use it (eg bus passengers)

2) External costs paid by society at large - the extra pollution/casualties/spatial implications & other harms induced by the ‘incentive to drive’

Good to see work underway on Cycle Future Route 7 - between Leyton, Stratford, West Ham & Plaistow in Newham.

Phase 1A will run along Liberty Bridge Rd, and the A112 from Leyton Rd at Chobham Rd to Angel Lane at Great Eastern Rd.

newhamco-create.co.uk/en/projects/...

And the signs are in along Cycleway 54 from Canning Town to City Airport 💚

Forhad Hussain’s early pledges are in tatters A few days of January have now passed since Forhad Hussain’s promises were printed to leaflets and started to be delivered. But the pledges of the Labour candidate for Newham Mayor have now been th…

Pledges of the Labour candidate for Newham Mayor have now been thrown into disarray by a mildly comical combination.

newham65.wordpress.com/2026/01/22/f...

More people within the LTNs wanted them kept, than wanted it scrapped [in a consultation Rahman oversaw; see para 3.34 of the September 2023 report]. It also reported most of the boundary roads had not endured increases in traffic volumes. But that wasn't what the court of appeal case was about.

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save low-traffic schemes London-wide implications for LTNs as Court of Appeal rules that Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman acted unlawfully in trying to ignore Sadiq Khan’s transport masterplan

The Court of Appeal's judgement stopping Tower Hamlets from ripping out safety infrastructure is good news for Londoners.

It's good for road safety & reducing danger. It's good for air quality, good for health, and good for communities across the capital.

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save low-traffic schemes London-wide implications for LTNs as Court of Appeal rules that Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman acted unlawfully in trying to ignore Sadiq Khan’s transport masterplan

This is significant news for schemes delivered across London in the last nine years. It means politicians can't simply 'rip out' LTNs and bike lanes they don't like. Some of those running in May's elections are going to have to rethink their pledges
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

This is what real leadership looks like! Making tough choices that's right for Londoners.

Sadiq, please tell Forhad Hussain and Mehmood Mirza in Newham! @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social @metecoban92.bsky.social @sebdance.bsky.social @ellybakeram.bsky.social

newham65.wordpress.com/2026/01/22/f...

Forhad Hussain’s early pledges are in tatters A few days of January have now passed since Forhad Hussain’s promises were printed to leaflets and started to be delivered. But the pledges of the Labour candidate for Newham Mayor have now been th…

;-) newham65.wordpress.com/2026/01/22/f...

Forhad Hussain’s early pledges are in tatters A few days of January have now passed since Forhad Hussain’s promises were printed to leaflets and started to be delivered. But the pledges of the Labour candidate for Newham Mayor have now been th…

it also has ramifications next door: newham65.wordpress.com/2026/01/22/f...

Forhad Hussain’s early pledges are in tatters A few days of January have now passed since Forhad Hussain’s promises were printed to leaflets and started to be delivered. But the pledges of the Labour candidate for Newham Mayor have now been th…

Forhad Hussain’s early pledges are in tatters

newham65.wordpress.com/2026/01/22/f...

Candidates assemble! The three biggest parties in Newham politics have announced their candidates to replace Rokhsana Fiaz as mayor in May’s local elections. Labour’s candidate will be Forhad Hussain. He, like all of t…

New blogpost: #Newham council's three big parties have announced their candidates for Mayor. forestgate.net/2026/01/07/c...

James Asser did a great job on Newham Council. But his legacy is under threat from the policies of an imposed Labour candidate for Mayor of Newham. And his neighbour @umakumaran.bsky.social is opposing even a 'school street'!!

newham65.wordpress.com/2026/01/02/l...

Cllr Areeq Chowdhury will be the Green Party candidate for Mayor The Green Party has announced its candidate for Newham Mayor in the election to take place this May. The victor of the 2026 Newham Mayoral Election will be the 3rd directly elected Mayor of Newham,…

Cllr Areeq Chowdhury will be the Green Party candidate for Mayor

newham65.wordpress.com/2026/01/07/c...