Newham Council’s Cabinet will be looking at the continuation of People Powered Places, the borough’s flagship participatory budgeting programme.
- Cabinet to decide on approving the continuation of People Powered Places for 2025–2027
- Initiative to empower residents to decide how funds are spent, with £200,000 per neighbourhood
- Building on its six-year success, and resident feedback, programme will introduce improvements like a youth advisory board and alumni network.
At a meeting next week (4 February) Newham Council’s Cabinet will be looking at the continuation of People Powered Places, the borough’s flagship participatory budgeting programme, for another two-years from April 2025 to March 2027. If approved, the decision will reaffirm the Council’s commitment to empowering residents and fostering participatory democracy through one of the largest participatory budgeting initiatives in the UK.
The new cycle will allocate £200,000 per neighbourhood across Newham’s eight community neighbourhoods, funded through the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL), which is from local developers, totalling £1.6 million. 80k has also been shared from the Royal Docks, specifically for two neighbourhoods; Beckton & Royal Docks, Custom House & Canning Town. This funding will support projects chosen directly by residents through the People Powered Places process.
Councillor Charlene McLean, Cabinet Member for Resident Engagement and Resident Experience, said: “A cornerstone of our administration’s manifesto is ‘People Power and Getting Stuff Done,’ and our flagship People Powered Places programme embodies this promise. Through participatory budgeting, we are empowering residents to allocate Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy funds, allowing them to directly influence local priorities and co-produce solutions for their communities.
“Over six years, this programme has supported over 300 groups, showcasing the wealth of knowledge and skills within Newham. With more than 10,000 residents voting in the last cycle, it’s clear our communities are eager to shape their future. This initiative not only builds stronger communities but also strengthens collaboration between residents, civil society, and the Council.
“I want to thank our working groups, councillors, and Community Neighbourhood teams for their dedication. Together, we’re delivering impactful projects and creating a ‘Fairer Newham’, while setting a national and global standard for participatory democracy."
For 2025–2027, People Powered Places will continue to focus on empowering communities and boosting resident participation, with the first year focused and on giving residents a direct say in how funds are shared, and the second year focused on delivering the chosen projects and conducting evaluations to measure their impact.
Cabinet will also look at approving the rollover of any unallocated or unspent funds from the 2023–2025 years into the new cycle, ensuring that every penny is spent on the initiative. Currently, the forecasted underspend stands at £69,646.52, which will be added to the 2025–2027 budget.
Since its launch in 2018, People Powered Places has continued to develop its reach and impact. From its origins as Community Citizens’ Assemblies, with £25,000 per neighbourhood, to the current model providing £200,000 per neighbourhood, the programme has consistently grown in scale and ambition.
Evaluations of previous cycles, including engagement with 1,096 residents and stakeholders during 2023–2025, have highlighted its success in fostering community involvement, while providing valuable recommendations to refine and improve the programme.
The 2023–2025 cycle will conclude in March 2025, with final evaluations of project outcomes to follow. Following feedback, the Cabinet paper also puts forward a series of recommendations to strengthen and evolve the programme, including the setting up of an alumni network, a youth advisory board and the ring fencing of funding.
You can read more about the People Powered Places recommendations in the Cabinet report here.
For more on People Powered Places, visit the Newham Council website.
