Articles:
Burgoyne building, High street south - by Mark Patchett
BecHam, Heritage Project
Local strategic partnership - Community board
Steering group

EAST HAM COMMUNITY FORUM SUMMARY 2001/2 - 2003/4

Below is a list of the crime and disorder issues which are specific to the East Ham Community Forum that have become apparent over the audit period 2001/2 – 2003/4

East Ham has traditionally been a hotshot for street crime due to the fact that a large proportion of pedestrian activity occurs in this area as compared to other more residential settings and also has one of the busiest tube stations in the Newham borough.

YOUTH OFFENDING
- East Ham Community Forum had recorded an 8% reduction in youth crime between 2002 and 2003
- Recorded an 18% increase over the 3 year audit period rising from 282 offences by location in 2000 to 360 in 2003 which is the lowest increase out the borough.
- Hotspots based on CRIS data (police base reporting system) highlighted recurring incidents where the individual arrested was a minor were evident over Stratford and East Ham

VIOLENT CRIMES
- Per 1000 population East Ham has the lowest rate of violent offences in Newham at 21/1000 for the audit period which is well below the Newham rate of 32/1000.

PROPERTY CRIME
- East Ham Community Forum is third highest contributor to the overall total with 13% coming from this forum although this figure has not changed significantly over the 3 year audit period.
- This suggests that the volume is more to do with the inherent geography (i.e. the large number of shopping zones) as this includes such crimes as pickpockets and bag snatches.
- Street crime is on target in the 2004/5 financial year to reduce significantly.
- Auto crime has reduced over the audit period by 17%

DRUGS
- 8% of the Newham drug offences took place in the East Ham area for the audit period.

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
- 3rd lowest in the borough with a rate of 26/1000 which accounts for 5% of the total (based on ES 1, council based reporting system)
- Ticket Touting has also been flagged as an area for concerns around the usual locations such as in and the High St Underground station.

EAST HAM POPULATION

- The population of East Ham is 42,800, accounting for 17.5% of Newham’s population
- 36.6% of people are full-time employed; has the highest % of part-time employees (8.3%) but the lowest % of unemployment (6.1%)
- The majority of people in East Ham are white average (49.8) – followed by Asian/Asian British (26.2%)
- East Ham has the lowest premature death rate (under 75’s) in the whole borough of females from all causes and of male from CHD.
- The lowest rate of mental illness admissions for both male and female and lowest all emergency admissions for females.

COMMUNITY STRATEGY SUMMARY

After consulting local people, Your Newham partners settled on six themes to guide its work:

" a better environment for all building an active and inclusive community investing in young people making Newham safer"

A better environment for all

Our aim is that an 18-year-old in Newham in 2010 will be proud of their local environment. At school they will have been taught the importance of respect for the environment. They will be happy with the state of the streets and feel safe on Newham’s roads. They will be able to use cycle routes across the borough and be confident that other local journeys can be completed easily by public transport. They will live in a decent; warm home recycling their household rubbish will be part of the daily routine.

Building an active and inclusive community

Our aim is that an 18 year old in Newham in 2010 will not have been held back because of their race, gender or disability. If they are not in work or education, they will be in receipt of the benefits to which they are entitled. They will be able to play a full part in community life, perhaps on a community forum or through some kind of voluntary activity. They will know their neighbours and be prepared to help them if necessary.

Investing in young people

The objective is that an 18-year old in Newham in 2010 will have had the opportunity to do well at school and have good choices for further education and training. There will be suitable jobs for them in the borough. They will enjoy Newham’s sporting and leisure facilities, and Newham libraries will offer them a range of things that they want. They will have a good range of things to do in their spare time and have access to good health services and advice on health issues.

Making Newham safer

Our aim is that an 18- year old in Newham in 2010 will feel safe when they are out and about in the borough. They will have respect for the borough and their fellow citizens and will not display anti social behaviour. They may take an active role in discouraging others from crime, or be part of a local neighbourhood watch scheme.

Narrowing the health gap

Our aim is that an 18-year old in Newham in 2010 will expect to live longer than the 1997 18-year old and their overall quality of life will mean they are less at risk of ill health and premature death. They will avoid many of the causes of ill health by eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise and not smoking. They will be less likely to be teenage parents. They will able to see a health professional within 24 hours if they need to.

Business growth and access to jobs

Our aim is that an 18-year old in Newham in 2010 will find it easier to find a job either in the borough or in neighbouring boroughs. There will be training schemes to help them take advantage of employment opportunities. They have support if they want to start their own business and be confident of their prospects for the future in the borough.

POLICE UPDATE
NEWHAM: TICKET TOUTS AT EAST HAM STATION

The situation with ticket touts at East Ham underground station has not been improved. East Ham community forum agreed that higher visibility was required by the police at East Ham. Former Chairman Mark Patchett has spoken to local retailers who is losing business due to customers feeling too intimidated to travel to the area. PC Jonathan Warner stated there have been more arrests of persistent offenders although an arrest cannot be made without evidence. Also, robberies and assaults will take priority over touting. PC Warner also stated that a constant police presence does not work, as touts just stay away until the presence has gone. It is also a question of manpower and budget. There was suggestion of a joint operation between police and the council to swamp the touting venues. This matter will be discussed further in the community forum.

NewHam: Sgt. Hayward informed the meeting that there had been slight reduction in crime in East Ham. Burglaries had seen a reduction from 87-83, motor vehicle crime had dropped from 273-209 and street crime 142-81. Sgt. Attributed the success to more people reporting incidents of crime and the police focusing on areas prone to offences. Councillor Omana Gangadharan explained the increased Police presence and the community working together was also a factor in the reduction of crime.

EAST HAM COMMUNITY FORUM STEERING GROUP

According to Newham Council’s Urban Development Plan 2001, East Ham is the borough’s second most important town centre (after Stratford) providing an important focus for retail, civic, leisure, service and employment activities in the Eastern part of Newham. The success of retail in East Ham is considered essential as it underpins the vitability of the centre as a whole.

East Ham shopping area (mainly focused around High Street North) is described by the council as “traditional East London with outdoor grocers mixed with high street stores”. There are 480 businesses on High Street – the majority of them are retail.

The Sectors that have recently grown in the High Street are fashion and jewellery. The growing ethnic business on High Street – and the 15-20 restaurants – reflect the rise in the diverse BME communities in the area.

Ten Community Forums (including East Ham) have been set up in Newham to ensure local people’s needs are met. Each Community Forum has developed Neighbourhood Actions Plans with key areas priorities that they have set themselves to achieve.

The priorities of East Ham Community Forum are:

Safer Streets
Youth provision
Facilities for older people
Litter and abandoned vehicles
Access to GP and hospital services
By 2010 Newham will be a major business location and a where people will choose to live and work.