The council’s permanent Citizens Assembly, the first of its kind in the UK, delivered a list of recommendations that will make Newham “a beacon of participatory democracy” said the Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz. The council welcomed a series of proposals to confront the climate emergency, clean up the Borough, inspire more culture and creativity, and make open spaces safer and more comfortable for residents.

The plans chime well with the council’s own policies, said John Whitworth (West Ham) but he warned against raising expectations. “Your proposals require quite a degree of investment,” he told the assembly leaders, “and we do know open and pleasant spaces attract people, but not always people who behave responsibly, which requires more enforcement measures to tackle anti-social behaviour.”

The proposals, which also call for more action to combat fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour, will be considered in detail next month and the Mayor said they vindicated the decision to abandon the “we know best” council attitudes of the past. “If we are serious about these issues we need to adapt,” she said.

Rohit Dasgupta (Canning Town South) asked about actions to involve young people and Susan Masters (East Ham South) was cheered by the positive response from residents to the Citizens Assembly process.

The permanent Citizens Assembly will continue into a second phase next year with a further £800,000 set aside for funding a new round of projects to be prepared by voluntary, community and resident groups and chosen by public vote.

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