Leader's update - Friday 23 October 2026
Published: 23 October 2026
Dear Neighbours,
Many households across Redbridge will soon start receiving their food waste caddies as we expand our separate food waste collection service across the borough.
For the past year, we've been trialling the scheme with a number of households and the response has been really encouraging. Residents have embraced the service, helping us divert more food waste away from general rubbish and supporting our efforts to create a cleaner, greener borough.
Introducing separate food waste collections is a legal requirement for councils, but it's something we're genuinely excited about too. Every tonne of food waste recycled separately helps reduce emissions and supports our wider ambitions to tackle climate change. Most importantly, it's been great to see so many residents already getting involved and making the scheme such a success.
If you live in a flat, don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you. Flats are also due to join the service in a phased rollout from next year. We'll be contacting residents closer to when collections are due to start in their area, and each block will be assessed individually. For most flats, food waste will be collected using communal bins. We'll share more information as those plans progress.
On Thursday evening, Cabinet approved our new SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy, an important milestone in our ongoing work to improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
At the heart of the strategy is a simple ambition: that children and young people with SEND should be able to access high-quality education and support as close to home as possible. We know there is still a great deal of work to do, but this strategy provides a clear direction for the years ahead. I'm confident that by the time we reach 2030, we will have strengthened local provision, improved outcomes and created more opportunities for children and families across the borough.
I also wanted to share something from last week that put a smile on my face. We welcomed Year 6 pupils from Uphall Primary School to the Town Hall.
It's always a pleasure to host young people from across the borough and see them engage with local democracy firsthand. The pupils asked thoughtful questions, took a real interest in how decisions are made and showed how much they care about the place they call home.
We often talk about young people as the future of our borough, and of course they are. But they're also very much part of its present. Their experiences, ideas and ambitions matter now, which is why it's so important that we create opportunities to hear from them and involve them in conversations about their communities. I always enjoy meeting young people from across Redbridge and hearing what matters most to them.
If you're involved with a school, youth group or community organisation and would like to arrange a visit to the Town Hall, please do get in touch with me.
Finally, I'd like to send my best wishes to everyone in Redbridge's Hindu community who celebrated Dussehra this week. I hope you had a wonderful time with family, friends and loved ones.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Kam
