Building Prosperity with Purpose: How the IGP Research Supports Newham’s Growth Plan

Rafael Carrascosa Marzo

Over the past decade, Newham has been a borough that embodies both the challenges and opportunities of London’s changing economy. Now, with the launch of its new Growth Plan, the Council is putting forward a fresh vision: growth with a purpose. What makes this moment particularly exciting is that the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity’s (IGP) long-term research has been built into the heart of the plan, ensuring that prosperity is not just about jobs or investment, but about security, wellbeing, and opportunity for residents.

For years, the IGP has been working in East London, training citizen scientists from the local communities to identify what is their foundation and their obstacles to prosperity. Through a 10-year longitudinal study, residents have been able to define what prosperity means to them, not in abstract policy terms, but in the day-to-day realities of life in Newham and neighbouring boroughs. The findings have been consistent and striking: livelihood security is the most important element for people to feel like they can thrive. That means not just wages, but access to affordable housing, reliable services, fair work, and social inclusion.

This insight has shaped the Newham Growth Plan in a way that is different from many traditional local authority strategies. While the Plan certainly includes the familiar economic levers, attracting investment, supporting growth sectors, creating jobs, it also commits to measuring success in terms of livelihood security. As the Mayor of Newham has set out, growth must ultimately be judged by the tangible improvements it brings to people’s lives. Are residents able to secure well-paying jobs? Do they have the firm foundations they need for a secure future? Are they able to access cultural and social opportunities as well as economic ones? These are the questions that will guide the borough’s development.

The role of the IGP here is both practical and strategic. On the one hand, IGP researchers are directly supporting the Council in setting up a reporting dashboard that can track the impact of growth policies in real time. On the other, the new Data for Policy Fellowship, embedding an IGP Data Analyst within Newham’s Inclusive Economy team, will help scale up the livelihood security measurement pilot across the borough. This isn’t just about adding new metrics to an existing plan; it’s about reshaping how growth itself is understood and delivered.

That shift matters because local authorities everywhere are under pressure. Traditional funding is squeezed, demand for services is rising, and yet councils are being asked to drive growth and regeneration. The risk, too often, is that growth strategies end up focusing narrowly on inward investment or headline job numbers without paying attention to whether local people actually benefit. By grounding its Growth Plan in the evidence gathered with and by residents, Newham is taking a different path. It is saying: the purpose of growth is not growth itself, but prosperity defined in terms that communities recognise and value.

This approach builds on years of relationship between Newham Council, local communities, and the IGP. It reflects the patient, long-term work of citizen scientists who have been documenting life in East London for a decade. And it shows the payoff of investing in collaborative research that crosses the boundaries of academia, local government, and lived experience.

What comes next is about delivery. Newham’s Growth Plan sets ambitious priorities: one of them to establish Newham as a leader in public sector innovation, to develop the Council’s data strategy, and to ensure that growth sectors and new opportunities are inclusive by design. But just as importantly, it sets a new standard for accountability. The dashboard and metrics co-designed with IGP researchers will allow the Council and residents alike to see whether growth is really improving livelihood security, and to adjust course if not.

For the IGP, the integration of the Citizen Prosperity Index into Newham’s Growth Plan is a milestone. It shows how research rooted in communities can move beyond the academic world and directly shape the policies that govern people’s lives. For Newham, it marks a step towards a more purposeful, inclusive model of growth, one where prosperity is measured in secure livelihoods and thriving communities, not just in balance sheets.

Growth plans are often about ambition. This one is about accountability as well. And that makes it not just a growth plan for Newham, but a signal for how local authorities more widely can rethink what it means to deliver prosperity in tough times.

About the Author

Rafael is Project Manager for PROCOL UK.