More homes for local people - Tower Hamlets housing plans move forward

Tower Hamlets Council is making further progress through its Mayor’s Accelerated Housing Programme (MAHP), with planning applications for three housing schemes submitted in October and more planned for November.

Proposals for 20 Three Colt Street, Frimley Way and Lark Row were submitted in October, following Pigott Street in August. Vallance Road is due to be submitted this week, with Bromley Street also scheduled for submission in November. These milestones demonstrate the scale and pace of the Mayor’s Accelerated Housing Programme as it progresses towards delivering much-needed affordable homes for local people. 

Together, the schemes show how smaller council-owned sites can help meet the borough’s housing needs, including providing affordable, family-sized, and accessible homes.

• 20 Three Colt Street: Five three- and four-bedroom family homes, each with its own front door, private garden and roof terrace.

• Frimley Way: Fifteen homes for social rent, including 11 with three or more bedrooms and two ground-floor wheelchair-accessible homes. A landscaped courtyard would provide planting, seating and play space.

• Pigott Street: Two four-bedroom houses for social rent, each accommodating up to six people. Designed using Universal Design principles to support a wide range of needs, the homes would include private outdoor space, room for children to play and cycle storage.

• Lark Row: Three homes in a building of up to three storeys alongside Regent’s Canal, making the most of canal views and natural light, with a more welcoming street frontage and opportunities to improve adjoining public spaces.

• Vallance Road: New homes and ground-floor commercial space, bringing derelict buildings back into use while protecting the historic character of this part of Whitechapel.

• Bromley Street: Thirteen homes, including ten with three or more bedrooms, providing more space for families.

The proposals have been developed through community engagement, with residents invited to view emerging plans, meet the project teams and share their views. Comments received at community conversations, in writing and online have been considered as the designs have progressed.

MAHP coordinates design, planning and delivery across a portfolio of council-owned sites. This approach aims to make better use of the Council’s land and resources, bringing forward new homes while responding to the character and needs of individual neighbourhoods.

Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said:

“Every step towards delivering new homes matters to the families living in overcrowded conditions and the people waiting for a secure, affordable place to call home.

“These latest submissions demonstrate the progress we are making through the Mayor’s Accelerated Housing Programme, with more schemes moving towards planning in November. By bringing forward council-owned sites across Tower Hamlets, we are creating opportunities to provide much-needed homes, including homes for social rent, larger families and residents with accessibility needs.

“I would like to thank residents who have shared their views and helped inform these proposals. We will continue to listen as the applications move through the planning process.”

All schemes remain subject to planning approval. Each application will be assessed through the statutory planning process, including formal consultation and further opportunities for residents to comment.

Application documents and details of how to comment will be available through the Council’s planning portal once each application has been validated.