The Cabinet of Newham Council met on Tuesday 20 October 2026, approving plans to disaggregate legal and elections services from OneSource and to proceed with refurbishment works at Stratford Library. The Cabinet also endorsed a refreshed plan for delivering best value for residents.

Disaggregation of Legal Services and Elections from OneSource

Cabinet approved the disaggregation of Legal and Governance, and Elections services from the OneSource shared service agreement with the London Borough of Havering. This decision will lead to the creation of a sovereign Legal Services department for Newham. The agreement allows Newham to retain existing delegations for Exchequer and Transactional Services, the Corporate Business Systems Team, and Print Services within OneSource. The Chief Executive, in consultation with relevant officers, has been authorised to make all necessary arrangements for this transition, including HR processes, service withdrawal dates, and the potential for transitional collaboration agreements with Havering. Newham will waive any compensatory payments due under the original agreement, and staff will return to their respective employing authorities based on their contracts. A benefits realisation and post-implementation review report will be presented to Cabinet within 12 months. This decision is a key decision and is subject to call-in.

Delivering Best Value for Our Residents – October 2026

Cabinet endorsed the refreshed Delivering Best Value for Our Residents plan, which reflects progress and updated priorities since the last report. The plan acknowledges the extension of the non-statutory Best Value Notice by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government until November 2026, noting that while significant progress has been made in leadership, governance, and financial sustainability, many improvements are still in their early stages. The report also noted progress on improvements since the March Cabinet report, including the updated Chief Executive's Assessment and feedback from the Newham Transformation and Improvement Board and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Stratford Library HVAC Refurbishment Works - Pre-procurement Approval

Approval was granted for a procurement exercise to secure a contractor for the upgrade of mechanical and electrical infrastructure at Stratford Library. The project, estimated at £1.793m, will be part-funded by a £0.531m contribution from the Carbon Offset Fund. The refurbishment aims to improve the library's carbon efficiency through LED lighting and heating and ventilation system upgrades, addressing end-of-life systems and ensuring statutory compliance. The Corporate Director of Inclusive Economy and Housing has been delegated authority to award the contract. This is a key decision and is subject to call-in.

Community Neighbourhood - Executive Response to Call-in

This item was deferred as the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had deferred its consideration of the call-in of the Cabinet decision regarding Community Neighbourhoods. The matter will be considered at a future Cabinet meeting.