The Crime, Environment and Transport Scrutiny Committee's meeting agenda included discussions on the development of the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2026-28, a review of progress on the Council's food waste collection service, and a review of the committee's work programme for the upcoming municipal year.

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2026-28

The committee was scheduled to consider the development of Newham's Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy for 2026-28. This strategy is intended to address community safety, prevention, partnership working, and the safety and confidence of women and girls across the borough. The report indicated that while Newham does not have a standalone VAWG Strategy, the issue is a key priority within the Newham Safety Partnership Strategic Plan 2025-28. This is further supported by the VAWG Strategic Plan 2026-28, the Domestic Abuse Strategy 2026-31, the Sex Work Strategy 2025-35, and the Women's Safety Action Plan 25-28, which together aim to provide a coordinated framework for prevention, safeguarding, enforcement, and victim support.

The strategy was to be informed by feedback from women and girls in Newham, gathered through surveys and consultations. Key concerns highlighted included personal safety in public spaces, particularly after dark, street harassment, anti-social behaviour, inadequate lighting, and insufficient CCTV coverage. In response, the Council and its partners were to consider investments in CCTV infrastructure, the introduction of a borough-wide Street Harassment Public Spaces Protection Order, increased high-visibility patrols, and Environmental Visual Audits in priority locations.

The report was to detail a partnership approach involving Community Safety, Public Health, the Metropolitan Police, education providers, voluntary organisations, and businesses. Prevention and early intervention efforts were to be discussed, including school-based education programmes on consent and healthy relationships, awareness-raising campaigns, and community engagement initiatives aimed at challenging harmful attitudes. Delivery of the strategy was to be overseen by the Newham Safety Partnership and monitored through the Women's Safety Action Plan, with progress measured by crime data, operational activity, and resident feedback. An intersectional approach was to be applied, recognising that risks and outcomes can vary based on factors such as age, ethnicity, disability, faith, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background.

Food Waste Collection Rollout

The committee was scheduled to review the progress of Newham's phased introduction of food waste collections, which began with Phase One on 24 November 2025. The report was to detail the service's performance, delivery, resident engagement, and environmental outcomes, as well as lessons learned. The introduction of weekly food waste collections is a significant change for residents, requiring new collection arrangements, containers, vehicles, and communication programmes. This initiative is part of the Government's Simpler Recycling reforms, aiming to increase recycling rates and reduce contamination.

Phase One, which covered approximately 12,000 properties, was to demonstrate strong resident uptake and confirm that a significant proportion of food waste was previously disposed of in general waste. The service was to be estimated to have delivered 20.05 tonnes of CO₂e savings. Challenges identified during Phase One were to include delays in procurement and caddy distribution, accessibility issues with communal bins, and higher-than-anticipated demand for liners. The report was to note that while street-level property uptake was significant, flat uptake was lower, and contamination was present in some communal collections.

Phase Two of the rollout, scheduled for October/November 2026, was to extend the service to approximately 76,500 street-level households. This phase was to be supported by a digital communications campaign, Your Food Waste Has a Future, alongside printed materials and community roadshows. Phase Three, planned for February/March 2027, was to cover the remaining 45,000 flatted properties, presenting greater operational complexity. The report was to highlight the importance of early engagement, appropriate bin placement, and clear resident communications for this phase. Performance monitoring was to include food waste tonnages, participation levels, contamination rates, resident feedback, and operational indicators.

Work Programme

The committee was also scheduled to review and confirm its work programme for the municipal year 2026/27. The report was to indicate that the work programme would remain flexible to accommodate emerging issues and evolving priorities. The draft programme was to include planned scrutiny topics such as the Newham Safety Partnership Statutory Review, Neighbourhood/Local Policing, Fly-Tipping, Street Cleanliness & Environmental Crime, Hate Crime Strategy, Wider Waste, Recycling and ELWA updates, Parking and Kerbside Space Review, Road Safety, and Climate Resilience and Adaptation.