Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub Committee - Monday 8 December 2025, 6:30pm - Tower Hamlets Council webcasts

Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub Committee
Monday, 8th December 2025 at 6:30pm 

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Good evening.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Welcome to this Housing and Regeneration subcommittee meetings.
My name is Ahmadur Khan.
I will be chairing this meeting.
This meeting has been held in person with committee members, along with the participants
presenting the meeting room and joining others remotely.
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Jack do we have any apologies?
Yes chair, we have apologies from councillor Amin Rahman we have a council ability covering
Thank You chair
Can members introduce themselves, followed by any declaration of whether you have any
Councillor, introduce yourself please.
Councillor Mohamed Chadri, Myland Ward.
Councillor Ismael Slaam, Weaver's Ward.
Councillor Ahmadil Kabir, Bethnal Gillwood, East Ward.
Good evening everyone, my name is Councillor Mohamed Ballaluddin, that's the Givaton Ward. Thank you.
Good evening, my name is Mahbub and I'm the Tenant Co -opty.
I am Susanna.
I am the leaseholder co -op team.
Thank you everyone.
We got here is the next item is the last meeting.
But we know the meeting 16th of September meeting is still outstanding.
And Jack, you got?
Yes, so those minutes got circulated last week.
I think it was the 3rd of September, something like that.
So if members are happy to approve that as well.
Do members have any comments on September and also the 3rd of November minutes?
Any comments?
Laysla?
Yes, Chair.
So on the 3rd of November it's not minuted, unless I've missed it somewhere.
under the RSL performance, I raised a question about sanctuary housing and the issues that
some residents are having with their lift. It is still unresolved. I further found out
that this block of properties were out of a lift last year for a whole ten months and
I think it will be helpful at this point, if I can just point out, if we can further
ask officers to support us with this and provide us with a briefing note.
I know Councillor Mannen who was here at the last meeting,
he supported what I said because he had similar issues.
This seems to be quite a big issue for quite a few residents.
Can I ask that officers are able to reply back to us
and provide us with, get in touch with Sanchui
and provide us with some details about what the action plan is
and what is the reason that's holding up a resolution here.
and I don't want to give you the addresses, but I can provide that via email.
Councillor, can I just ask, because in the Action Log I did note about lift repairs for
RPs and we did get a reply that was circulated this morning.
Have you had a chance to see whether that covers the issues or whether there was...
This isn't sanctuary though.
This was for all registered providers.
We haven't got one for sanctuary yet.
So can we please, that's why I'm asking for a push for sanctuary.
Okay, yeah we can follow that up then.
Last meeting, yes, I can remember it specifically,
asked Islam to raise that issue, also the concern of the Monan about the sanctuary.
I'll be grateful if we can start with them and get the reply from them please.
Next meeting we'll...
Okay, small.
Thank you.
Under 3 .1, local plan update. Last meeting I asked the new government announcements over planning and regulations.
And we discussed about getting a further update once they assess the government proposals.
So we do have that under 3 .1, that action log that there's going to be a report assessing the impact of government proposals.
And I guess my question would be when would we get that report? Would we be at the next scrutiny meeting?
I can also put that as an action we can we can find out for you
Professor Shelley approved the minutes for
16 September and also third
November
approved
Thank you. Now we move on
Thank you very much.
Our first item for this evening, to review the action logs of
outstanding actions.
Can I now ask, welcome Paul Berger, strategy officer, who
The action log was circulated with the papers last week.
The only things I've got to add is for the first item,
the site visit that we are planning with customer services,

1 DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

2 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING(S)

I have been able to contact customer services today

2 a) Action Log

and it looks like we're going to arrange a site visit in January.
I expect to have the dates available sometime in the next few days.
It might be that we do a couple of site visits, so if members can't do one day,
they might be able to do another in order to be able to see
how housing repairs are handled by the customer services team.
And the other update I have, as I was just saying earlier on, the last item on lift outages
where registered providers were going to provide feedback, I received a response from Karen
Swift on behalf of the RPLs on Friday afternoon and I circulated that this morning.
That's all I have to add on this item.
Thank you, Paul.
When the visit will be announced and colleagues will be able to come and join us,
we will have a visit to that.
Then we will go, if not, there will be a different date and different date you can come and join with us.
Anything else on this? No? Okay.
Okay, our first item in this agenda. Yes.
I do not want to take comments on that.
That's why I ask you.
So can I just quickly ask you Paul, at the last meeting we talked about the affordable
housing changes from City Hall and Government.
We asked to come back here regarding the consultation where we know more.
That doesn't appear to be in the action log.
Is that because it will be part of next year or is there a particular reason for that?
Isn't that item 2, the local plan, reviewing the impact on new policy decisions from the
GLA?
So at the moment it's blank.
I haven't received response, but I will be chasing them up on that, if that's the item
that you referred to.
The paper I'm looking at doesn't have it.
So if I'm looking at, so the action log, let me look at the committee papers themselves.
Okay, I see it's titled part of the local plan. Okay, great.
Okay, so you come back.
Yeah, as soon as I get a response I will send that.
Okay, David. Yes.
Here from David probably to answer your question.
Thank you, I just wanted to clarify for Councillor Islam that the consultation has now officially,
So when we first discussed it we just had an announcement that has since in the last couple of weeks
a national consultation has come out from City Hall and Government and the team are preparing a response
which will be submitted early in the new year. Unfortunately for reasons known to the Government
they decided to run the consultation over Christmas which curtails the period in which local authorities
can prepare the response but what I'll ask is for the teams to share the details of that consultation with this committee.
Thank you David.
Now...
Gasmu.
I want to add something that's happened very recently as a matter of urgency.
I'd like the next, as from this meeting the action log should be the first piece of agenda that we look at in the next meeting is
the EY's Audit Committee's finding about the delays in self -referral to the housing regulators.
And if we can have a little bit of a deep dive at this committee, please.
It's possible.
It's possible.
It's possible.
I take that as a yes.
Thank you.
Now we'll move on to the item, our first item on this event is housing option transformation
programme.
So with the brief introduction, I would like to welcome Councillor Kabirahamad, the Kabirahamad
member for regeneration in exclusive development and house building, and David Joss, corporate
director of housing regeneration.
Councillor Ahmad, you can introduce the item and David, you can come in when you want.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
So I'm going to try to be as brief as possible so we can get more questions in and be held to account by scrutiny.
So I just want to take the opportunity, so David's here, you've already introduced David, we've got Jeff Pierce here as well.
We've got, I think Sri is on her way down, we've got Jennifer here and we've got Alex and Stephen in the back as well who's going to sort of help us out.
So, I think it's really important to set the context of what's happening around housing
options, not only in this council, but nationally.
This is a crisis that's been well documented, and our neighbouring council, Newham, have
gone into Section 114 because of the demand levels that are there.
So councils around the country are at risk of section 114 because of the demand of homelessness and the levels of money that's involved.
I believe recently there was a report that indicated that London is spending around a billion pounds just on housing, homelessness and issues around that.
And that also impacts on the quality of properties that people are able to source.
So here in Tower Hamlets we've got our permanent director, Jennifer Winter, who's come in,
who's doing a fantastic job in galvanising the team, as well as delivering on her 100 -day promise
as interviewed by a cross -party appointments committee.
Now, the most urgent challenges facing Tower Hamlets in rising homelessness demand and
spiralling costs, we currently have over 3 ,200 households in temporary accommodation, with
2 ,000 owed a statutory duty and waiting for move on.
And that's from last year.
Housing options had an overspend of £27 .7 million last year.
And the forecast for this year is £30 .1 million.
Without decisive action, costs could exceed £100 million by 2728.
And that could put the council at risk.
Now that's the risks that operate within the economy that operates now.
So the transformation programme sets out a two -phase approach.
Phase 1 already underway focuses on immediate improvements through the 100 -day action plan that I spoke about earlier.
Clearing backlogs, speeding up decision making and training staff in trauma -informed practises.
Phase 2 will deliver large -scale change including new operating model, long -term temporary accommodation supply strategy and systemic improvements across five work streams,
which I'm assuming everybody's read their handouts that were given out.
This is about safeguarding our financial position, improving residents' experiences and creating
a service that is proactive, compassionate and sustainable.
Now the essence of this approach is not one that sits on its hand and expects the problem
to disappear. This is a proactive approach that has to tackle the huge problem of homelessness,
not only in our borough, but around the whole country.
So I'm going to ask Jennifer if you want to say a few words.
You're the architect behind the transformation programme,
and I am happy for you to give us an insight into the vision.
Thank you. Thanks for having me.
I've been here just over four months,
and I must admit I'm really enjoying getting my teeth stuck into this.
Lots of untapped potential here.
So what I'm really pleased is the work we are currently doing as part of the 100 -day
action plan is really starting to show results.
Since 2018, with the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act, we've seen an increase in footfall
of people approaching the council as homeless of 42%.
Despite that, the team are really pulling out all the stops.
we're making sure that they are delivering solutions to people's homelessness as soon
as they walk through the door. We're starting to see more and more residents that become
homeless being provided with a private rented sector tenancy before and avoiding temporary
accommodation, which is ultimately where we want to be.
I think to kind of underline what Councillor Kabir is saying, there are two very real drivers
for this. One is that the cost of temporary accommodation for boroughs, including tower
hamlets, is completely untenable and unsustainable in the long term. And two, we do not want
our households, our homeless households, residing in temporary accommodation for long periods
of time. That's not what temporary accommodation is designed for, and that's not the policy
intent. If we don't take this action as part of the transformation programme, we will start
to see more and more households going into temporary accommodation and rising costs.
And as part of this transformation programme, we're putting it front and centre of council
activities. This needs to be a programme that the whole council buys into because homelessness
is cross -cutting. It cuts across families with Children With Send. It cuts across people
with disability. It cuts across all our residents within the borough, so it needs to be front
and centre. We're developing new governance as part of this to make sure that that ambition
is achieved, and we're being very clear with our guiding principles for this work, and
there's lots more information on that on the slide deck I gave you. We don't have the luxury
of time, most boroughs don't, most boroughs have seen a massive jump in their temporary
accommodation costs within the last year to 18 months.
So unlike a normal transformation programme where you would do your discovery phase up
front and then move to delivery, we're running both of those work streams in parallel.
So we're running the delivery phase for the obvious bits that we can, whilst also employing
an additional four transformation staff highly skilled to work up business cases for us around
a range of opportunities for delivery that will strip out further costs from homelessness
operations and ensure we can give residents a better service.

4 a) Housing Options Transformation Programme

So we need to make immediate improvements for our residents while also delivering longer
term transformation over the next two to three years.
And believe you me, it will take two to three years.
There's an awful lot of improvements we need to make to the customer experience particularly,
and those need to be designed properly and effectively and co -produced with residents.
We don't do this to residents, we do it with them.
So we're developing five work streams, five distinct work streams.
One is a full service review, which is very well established and in progress, and will
lead to, as Councillor Kabir said, a new operating model, as well as a restructure of the service
to ensure that we're delivering the best standard of service we can, making sure that we're
assuring our data and our performance and our customer experience and our customer care,
making sure that our staff are trained in trauma informed practise and that we are compassionate
and are listening to our residents.
We're also working up a long -term temporary accommodation strategy which will come back
Your time is running out so you have to be very quick.
Yep.
And also appraising council buildings to see which ones we could bring into use as temporary
accommodation to try and reduce costs.
We've also done a lot of work around maximising income and reducing our TA costs, and they've
gone live from today, which will deliver a further 2 .5 million cost mitigations in year,
and then a further 7 .4 cost mitigations next year.
I won't go into further detail around each of the five work streams.
As I understand, time is tight.
Suffice to say, what we would like support in from members is patience to allow me to
get this done and the team to deliver this, and also the support to deliver.
We need to make sure that we're managing the expectations of residents around what we can
Provide as a council, but also what we can't provide we need to have honest and realistic and genuine
conversations with our residents about housing solutions
More than happy to provide regular feedback to this scrutiny as the work progresses
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you
I would like to ask the members who want to ask the questions.
I am your question first please.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for your presentation. Really good.
Couple of questions. The first one is, you know, page 7, the size of the challenge.
We're talking about the increasing cost of temporary accommodation and that's just constantly rising.
We have a funding gap of $56 million and if costs increase by 10%, that's $65 million.
So that's like a huge gap for us in terms of the cost wise.
is how do we intend to meet the funding gap in order to be able to deal with it, I think
the first question. The second question I think is a broader question and perhaps David
it's more for yourself which was the, you know we mentioned at the beginning around
the audit report and about EY which came out today as well in the news and I think my question
is around, we've discussed previously about the social regulators, referral to the social
regulators and the audit report saying that there was a delay in reporting.
And my question is how, we are in this constitution now, how previously we was
Timeless Homes, I was a board member of Timeless Homes, we won Landlord of the
Year, now we've self -referred it and our grading is C3. So there's been some form
where it has gone from a higher level to a lower level, how did that happen and
What are we doing to really serve the residents of the borough?
So my concern is the service that we provide to the residents of the borough
and ensuring that we try and provide the best quality service that's possible
rather than to be our standards to be dropping. That's what I would say.
Remind me about, when you speak, speak in my direction please.
Okay, now you can answer your question.
If I come in first and then Jennifer if you can answer the housing.
So I think part of it is actually outside of housing options but it's important you raised it and I'm happy to answer the EY question.
If you read the paper in its entirety it's on the years, the previous tax years, not the current tax year.
And literally the council had about four weeks to respond to the challenges.
So EY gave their feedback essentially in February and we had till March to respond and react
to the concerns that were raised.
That's the first issue.
Second issue is in terms of time frames, the housing regulators actually commended us and
And I, you know, though I have to accept what EY say,
because they're external auditors, I am, you know,
I will argue in favour of the council that we reacted
as quick as possible from insourcing.
Insourcing was in November 2023.
We brought external experts in, HQN and PENNA,
in order to run diagnostics around what was under the hood.
That was in January, within months.
After that report came forward, we started dialogue before submission to the housing
regulators.
And within that dialogue, we put up a very detailed plan in order to identify the actions
we need to take.
We're working off that plan, and the housing regulators, when they came in for that inspection,
were impressed with the plan that was put forward.
And that plan should take us to a C1 rating.
Unfortunately, that wasn't omitted
because you don't just make a referral
to the housing regulator.
You have dialogue with,
and you've worked within housing sector.
So you have dialogue with the housing regulator,
there is communication with the housing regulator,
and there is an expectation that you prepare your submission with an action plan.
It took us about three to four months in order to get that action plan in place
and then we, very importantly, we self -referred because we identified the issues.
The issues we identified were also the issues that were highlighted by the Housing Regulator.
Now this wasn't an overnight thing.
This is years of underinvestment.
But I think the other context that's really important to put forward is this is not a
downgrade.
This is an assessment.
The housing regulators assessment process is a new process.
The majority of local authorities in London are fitting under that with the exception
of one to three local authorities.
Now this doesn't appear just overnight.
It appears with a number of years of underinvestment within the homes that was provided by the
council via the Almo.
Now although customer satisfaction and so on and so forth may be high, there are standards
that are put forward by the housing regulator and some of these standards weren't in place
previously.
So, because those standards changed and a lot of legal standards and accountabilities
changed since Grenfell, it's been a catch -up game for most councils around the country,
to be honest.
At the time of the inspection, I believe there was one local authority which had a C1 rating,
And then Lambeth was the highest rated in London at that time with a C2 rating.
And then more recently you've had Westminster which has got a C1 rating.
So it's very few and far between who have C1 ratings.
C3 rating I believe is a fair rating which identifies the issues we have.
We don't want to sugar coat the situation people are in.
There is a lot of building safety work that needs to happen. We have some, we have
one of the highest number of high -rise buildings in the country. That needs a
lot of action happening around that. So we have been proactive as a council. I'm
gonna ask David to say a few words around that before Jennifer comes in as
well because it's really important to understand the context and the timeline
involved in that and I just want everybody to also bear in mind that
David hasn't only worked, he currently works in Tower Hamlets Council but he's worked across
multiple councils including self -referring Haringey Council himself as the corporate
director there as well.
David, if you can just comment.
Yeah, thank you, Councillor Ahmed.
I think, if that's alright, Chair, I think I did comment on the Audit Committee last
week as well because actually the timeframes around Tower Hamlets self -referral were very
similar actually to what I went through at Haringey.
We in -sourced the ALMO there, we took a number of months doing diagnostics and self -assessments
and then decided to self -refer in Haringey.
and actually we submitted the self -referral letter in Tower Hamlets on the first day of my first week at the Council
and as I said at Auden Committee that wasn't because I sort of ran at this pace to do it myself when I arrived
it was because I arrived into a team in a Council that had already done a lot of the work around the housing quality network assessment
and Dependence and Choices Assessment to really assess and start the engagement with the regulator.
But having received the comments from the auditor, which obviously we take seriously
and I think we are addressing seriously, I asked the regulator's social housing to provide
some commentary and they wrote to me stating what Councillor Ahmed has said, that actually
the regulator were impressed with the way that the council had engaged constructively with them and in fact in that
Correspondence with me they state the regulatory judgement
Set out that the council had engaged constructively with us by providing a detailed self -referral and throughout the subsequent inspection
Since identifying the failures and outcomes
Tower Hamlets has provided evidence that it has understood the issues it needs to address
and is putting in place appropriate and resourced plans to rectify them and also the regulator
set out in their correspondence with me that they have cited positive evidence of progress
being made and in some areas and said that they had assurance that there is strong corporate
commitment to ensuring improved outcomes for tenants.
That's all in the regulatory judgement.
That isn't my words, those are the words of the regulator.
So I think this doesn't underestimate the fact
that there is lots of work still to do
and we've got a really clear plan in place
and we take that really seriously.
As I think any council does that's in the C3 place
along with the other 13, 14 councils in London,
we're peddling as hard as we can to obviously improve
because that's what obviously tenants, these soldiers deserve.
But I think the words of the regulator provide some reassurance that the council did act appropriately
in making that self -referral.
And I would note that there are some councils in the C3 or C4 space
who didn't actually self -refer, they waited for the regulator to turn up on their doorstep
and that is something that I was really pleased coming into Tarrham
that this council was being open and transparent in making that move.
and it was one of my first actions because of all the work that it had put in.
Jennifer, if you could go back to the housing options question.
Quick 20 seconds.
I ask members please stay in the housing transformation agenda and other, we can look into the January
meetings.
Can I have quick 20 seconds?
Just quick request.
You know the journey from C3 to C1, can we pick this up as a deep dive at the next meeting or something?
We agreed in the first place.
When Asma asked the same questions that can we look into that, deep dive into that, I'm saying in general meeting we look into that.
So I think this is the right time to talk about this one, but we did as much as help us. Thank you.
Now we stay with the agenda.
So, Jennifer.
Thank you.
So, there's a number of ways that we're going to reduce costs.
One is that we avoid the usage of temporary accommodation in the first place.
So, the idea is that when somebody approaches us at risk of homelessness, that we can find
them alternative privately rented accommodation that's affordable to them.
And that is the main aim.
That's the aim of the legislation, the policy intent, and something we are currently starting
to do, but we can push a lot further. We also need to move people out of temporary accommodation
faster than we're currently doing. So at the moment there are a lot of households that
sit in temporary accommodation because they will only consider a social housing placement.
That is not an option anymore and hasn't been an option since 2011 for most residents in
So the Homeless Reduction Act and also the Housing Act from 2011 gave us the ability
to discharge our homeless duty into the private rented sector. So we need to make sure that
we're stepping up that action. With the Renters Reform Act coming in, it also means that tenancies
will no longer, the tenure of private renting will no longer be as unstable. People will
not and tenants will not find that they have to move as often in the PRS so they can stay
a lot longer and that's the very point of this legislation. So we need to make sure
that we take that opportunity. We are also making sure that the amount of housing benefit
that we can claim back from government against our temporary accommodation usage is maximised
and we're doing that from today, that goes live today and that is generating significant
savings for the council. We're also making sure that we develop better and cheaper but
better quality temporary accommodation. Where I was in Hackney we had nearly a thousand
units of our own temporary accommodation that we either owned as a council or we had leased
on a long term lease. We had complete control of that temporary accommodation and the standards
of those temporary accommodation units. Here we are very reliant on nightly paid providers
to give us what is not the best quality accommodation and that's the picture that we need to reverse.
So by looking across our own stock, looking across empty commercial buildings that we
could potentially convert into temporary accommodation units will be really useful. We will always
need temporary accommodation. The way in which our legislation is designed is that you need
to give temporary accommodation the minute somebody meets a legal threshold and that
requirement is immediate in law. So we will always need temporary accommodation but we
need to strive to make that temporary accommodation as cost effective as possible but also of
a really good quality for our households. We also need to reduce the amount of service
that we're seeing at the moment, we're seeing 60 % of all contacts towards the council for
our services are due to service failure and we need to change that very rapidly. We need
to make sure that we are listening to our residents more effectively, that we're acting
on their concerns, that we're advising them correctly and that we're resolving things
at the first point of contact rather than several months after they first contacted
us. We also need to make sure as a borough that we push homelessness prevention upstream.
At the moment 63 % of all households that come to see us are already at the point of eviction.
They've left it too late for us to give any meaningful intervention that could result
in them keeping their home. We need to move to a place where we have reversed that, where
everybody is coming to us as soon as they suspect there might be an inkling of homelessness,
even if that's many, many months away or even years away. We need to be able to help them
earlier because it's cost, it's more cheaper for the council to do that. There's been research
studies that show if you intervene more quickly it's cheaper, but it's also better for the
landlords or to provide alternative accommodation.
So, you know, moving that is a,
it will be a key change for us.
Does that help?
Thank you, Jennifer.
I think we should be more brief,
like response should be more brief,
and also questions should be more brief.
Councillor Varadarajan.
Thank you, Chair, and thank you very much
for your presentation.
And my question is, I would like to ask three questions,
very short and simple.
First question is how many people are our housing waiting list?
How many people of them are the temporary housing?
And how many of whom do you let each year?
Please, could you answer the one please?
So we have just under 30 ,000 households on the housing register.
Of those, the amount of people that are in temporary accommodation is around 3 ,200 and
it's been quite stable for a number of months.
At least 2 ,000 of those are contained within that 30 ,000 on the housing register and they'll
be in the homeless band for the housing register.
I didn't catch the last part of your question.
How many homes do you collect each year?
Last year the council let approximately 1 ,300 units and that's a mixture of those relets
from registered providers but also for council stock.
Thank you.
Asma, your question.
Thank you, Chair.
Firstly, as far as presentations go, this is really good start, it's really good and
it comes across like it wants to be open.
But from a planned strategy, then moving into actions that actually able to deliver those
things, to deliver what you plan to do takes a process.
So I have a few questions about the presentation, just needs additional information.
So when it comes down to, for instance, 2000, so out of 3200, 2000 people were on duty,
a breakdown of that.
I want a follow through of medical priorities, families, I want to know out of that 3200,
when it is down to 2000, how many of them can go into a PRS, how many of them need to
I need that understanding and we never seem to do that.
We always talk about homelessness on a surface level and I just don't want us to do that
anymore.
That's the first thing.
Was there a paper prepared for us regarding the renters rights impacts that we'll have
on this so then I can match it up with what you're telling me here?
The restructure is great, proactive, I want to know about the staffing.
I need it to go hand in hand.
That's another piece of information that needs to go with it.
The supply page doesn't talk about meanwhile use and conversions, but we spoke about in
this committee and so has the cabinet member, can you add it in if it is a real thing and
how that's going to work?
And I 100 % want to follow that supply, like I hope that's what's going to make the biggest
difference in all of this.
Now you want to talk about member support, are you going to provide us a briefing?
What are we doing now that you want us to do differently?
What do you want us to do more of?
MEs, give us the tracking record here in this committee about what those MEs are, how many
you get, what are they about, let us track the performance of the MEs, are we getting
any results from the MEs, do we need to do something different? In order for us to understand
that, we can then help you and make that change.
I think we've got enough.
Hold on, one more thing.
I think we've got enough to have to…
One last thing please, please, please. Feedback, you need to provide us with that, how is it
all going to tie in, the members' inquiry, there's only four or five of us who are
councillors on this committee, but you want members to provide you with feedback and you
want it through this committee, how is it actually going to work? Can you provide me
with what that looks like?
So, thank you, Councillor Isla. So, the first thing is that as part of the process, all
members will be engaged and will be doing various roadshows and presentations so everybody
is informed of the approach. The detailed questions will also be discussed and notified.
in relation to MEs and so on and so forth.
I suppose as a committee, you know,
we will come and do whatever deep dives you want to do
as a committee and you choose to do as a committee.
And we're happy to do that as a team.
And we will be transparent and open with every area
that you want to quiz.
I suppose it's to do with limitations of your time
in relation to this.
But on a personal level as a committee,
if you want any specifics around what information you want,
We will be happy to provide that and if you want to go back and do further work around that and come back to us
As a department, we're happy to do that in terms of public scrutiny meetings
We're also happy to do that, but I suppose you set your agenda. We can't dictate the agenda to you
I am happy. I mean we've got various briefings around the renters reform
Act now and I think that's due to come in May I believe
enforced, it's got Royal Assent.
So we've got various briefings around that,
we're happy to share that with the committee
as well as yourself.
In terms of MEs, by far the volume of MEs
are around overcrowding and housing options
from all councillors.
And that in itself causes a huge drain on the department,
the MEs themselves, because officers are moving away
from doing their day job in terms of working on these housing applications, working in
terms of how they can deliver for residents in order to answer MEs.
I myself have a volume of MEs.
There is an expected timeframe for them to respond to.
Sorry, apologies for interrupting.
You said we had to be brief, so you cut me off, and you said officers had to be brief.
I didn't ask the Councillor to answer these questions because my ME was in relation to
the presentation of what he was asking us, so I was asking realistically how is that
going to work out. So if I can have Jennifer Winter answer my question. I didn't ask the
Councillor to answer this. That's why I looked specifically at.
Anyone of them can answer this question. You use a lot of time to talk about things
I already know. I'll ask the officer to answer the question.
So with regards to the metrics you've requested, they are detailed and they're exactly this
type of metric I want to see and they are the type of metric that the four additional
staff, transformation staff that start just before Christmas will be delivering for us
as part of this transformation piece between the end of December and the beginning of April.
We don't have that level of detail currently because we don't have the capacity to mine
the data to get the detail. We don't have the capacity or the skills in place to be
able to assure that data. So this is quite a chunky piece of work. But I can reassure
you that what you've asked for is exactly what I'm expecting to see. With regards to
members' inquiries and the way I'd like to help us work together to manage resident expectation
and try and reduce demand is very much through the members' briefings that I've started.
I think you came to the first one.
So my aim is to do one a month on a related topic where we can give you the latest information
around what's happening in the borough, what we're seeing, but also discuss how we deliver
those joint messages together.
and it's something I did quite successfully with all members in Hackney, regardless of
party and also all organisations in Hackney. So we were giving residents one consistent
message. Whether they were talking to somebody in healthcare or they were talking to their
landlord or they were talking to their member or they were talking to somebody in the community
and voluntary sector, they were all getting a consistent message and that's what we're
What we are seeing is that
there are inconsistent messages and a complete
scattergun approach
being deployed by residents
because they are getting mixed messages
from every organisation
and that is the nut
we have a crack there.
JONATHAN
I will go to your question.
Thank you, Jennifer, for your lovely
presentation.
I will go to a question.
You have set out the five workstreams to deliver the transmission.
Have you done the risk assessment on those workstreams?
What happens if they do not make the change you predict in this time allocated?
The second question, it looks like phase one is a key.
and how you actually going to achieve the transformation
and delivery described in this paragraph two
with the same staff and less money.
How can you do that?
And page number eight,
works team one mentioned Campbell Tickle,
not ticket, is a mistake there,
and works team two mentioned the 3110.
Can you correct those things?
Thank you.
So with regards to the phases, yes, phase one is crucial.
Phase one is where we do the detailed business cases to understand the return on investment
that will be required for future transformation.
As I said, this is a large piece of transformation that needs to happen over the next two to
three years.
It can't be done overnight.
It's too large for that.
So the work that's doing in Phase 1 identifies the return on investment.
So what investment will be needed to get the services to where they need to be?
And in my mind, this is very much around how we get Tower Hamlets to be sector leading
in the world of homelessness.
That is the ambition here, is that we're sector leading, we're second to none.
And I know we can achieve that.
We have a lot going for us in this borough, we just need to make sure that we harness
that properly and to make sure that we can draw down on planned investment to give the
best service for residents.
So sorry, could you repeat the bit about Campbell Tickle and 3110?
There's a typo, Jennifer.
Oh, there is, oh okay.
Apologies for the typo.
Apologies, but can I also draw you to page 17 of the report.
There is a Gantt chart there that kind of identifies the timelines we want to operate
by.
I mean, if there is slippage, then that will be taken into consideration and that's why
it's set out in that way.
David, do you want to come in?
I just wanted to comment on a slightly different point because part of the question you asked
was about how can we generate better returns with limited available resources or less money,
especially when the cost of TA is increasing.
And I suppose just to kind of make one point, although we are putting extra investment into
the service and that's going to be reflected in the transformation work and the new structure.
One of the critical parts that Jennifer referred to is the TA strategy, the long term TA strategy
where we change the types of accommodation that we're putting residents into.
So this is about getting away from the expensive nightly paid accommodation, which is probably
amongst the most expensive that we use, getting them into long term PRS properties, private
rent -sensitive properties and our other properties that we procure for the work
streams that Jennifer said are there so I think you know there is an answer here
which is around supporting residents with with more suitable and lower cost
accommodation and we're very very focused on that and which I think partly
addresses that that side of the question.
Okay, Suki, she is waiting patiently online.
Your question, please.
Hi, and firstly congratulations, Jennifer.
I think it's a really thorough piece of work that you've identified.
I mean, it's really holistic in terms of the challenges and the tasks within each of the workstream.
I've seen your slide 17 where you draw the storyboard for half a year.
If I can put this challenge back to you because you've got so much, you know, so much has to be done and such a complicated piece of work.
If you have to kind of say that what are the three priority things that you need to achieve that gives you the most,
that gives everyone the most impact and that you are able to realistically achieve that within that time frame of six to twelve months,
what would that be?
Thank you for that. I think let me just clarify that phase 1 lasts until the end of March,
by which point we will have an understanding of which are the priorities that will give
us the best return on our investment. So by the end of March, we'll be able to answer
that question categorically and be able to identify how much investment it will take
to generate a larger return back in cost mitigations and savings.
I mean, probably if I had to guess now, I would say it's delivering our own temporary accommodation
with regards to long leases and moving away from nightly paid, as David said.
That is an absolute no -brainer for us and it's something we haven't tackled previously,
So it's something that's new and there's, as I said, there's a lot of untapped potential
there that we can make a change with quite rapidly.
And what we've already done actually that starts from today, which is shifting the amount
of housing benefit subsidy we can claim back for those for temporary accommodation that
we currently use, you know, that's delivering us several million in cost mitigations this
so it's really moved the dial with very little impact on residents, my ad,
but it's been a really strong piece of work and delivered very quickly,
far more quickly than we delivered in Hackney.
The last question of the night is from Councillor Choudry, please, your question.
Thank you, Chair, and welcome, Jennifer, to Tower Hamlets.
So, your report said our target is to have the backlog cleared by January 2026.
However, the pace of new accommodation being built is not proportionate to the rising number
of homeless households in temporary housing.
So that raises a critical question, how exactly are we addressing and clearing the backlog?
Are we sending people away from the place they grew up, their support network and the
area they know?
Thank you.
Thanks for that.
I really understand your concern.
What we're seeing now is we are seeing people who are coming through the doors at risk of
homelessness. Our number one reason for risk of homelessness is eviction from family and
friends. The second reason is the ending of a private rented sector tenancy and the third
reason is domestic abuse. Now the first two of those we can quite clearly tell you that
take interventions that will try and prevent people going into temporary accommodation.
As you know, we already use a number of methods around financial incentives and moving people
into privately rented accommodation. What we're seeing in Tower Hamlets is rents haven't
increased as drastically as they have in other boroughs in the private rented sector. So
in Hackney I can hand on heart tell you that if your household doesn't earn 80k a year
we can't house you in the private rented sector in Hackney, but that is not the case in Tower
Hamlets. So although we've seen increases they haven't been as severe as in other boroughs,
so we can still find privately rented accommodation locally and at least in neighbouring boroughs.
Everybody wants to live within their support network and where they've been brought up
and they've grown up and they know.
We completely understand that.
But if there is no affordable accommodation, we still have a legal duty to find somebody,
find a household with a tendency that they can afford.
We do our very best to try and make that as close as possible to the borough, but it's
not always going to be possible.
What we've got to remember is that the number of social housing units, we are never, ever
going to be able to build enough social housing units to deal with the homelessness crisis
in the borough. There will always need to be the use of privately rented accommodation.
And successive governments have recognised that since 2011 when they changed the legislation
and brought in the Localism Act which changed that legislation.
So there will always be usage of the privately rented sector, but we should welcome that
because with the Renters Reform Act, making sure that standards of accommodation will
improve and making sure that the tenure is more secure than previously, it should become
more of a viable option for residents rather than just relying on social housing.
Because by sitting in temporary accommodation and waiting for more than a decade for social
housing, we're doing our residents a disservice because they're living, by the nature of living
in temporary accommodation, they're overcrowded.
And we all know that overcrowding is not good for children.
It affects their attainment and their outcome and it's not good for parents.
So you know, the PRS is a very viable sector and is something we should utilise as much
as much as we can for our residents.
Jennifer, also the local housing allowance is higher
in Tower Hamblet, so the gap is smaller sometimes
with other local authorities as well.
Okay, thank you for the presentations,
Councillor Kabirahamad, Debbie Jess and Jennifer and others
for the presentations and for answering all these questions.
Our next item is housing delivery update.
Housing delivery update.
Now, again, I'd like to welcome Kabir Ahmed and Debbie Joyce and others.
can any one of you introduce the item, the progress you have made?
You will have five minutes and I will let you know when your time ends.
So you can start introducing your items, please.
So, Chair, again I will be brief so we can take more questions.
I know time is very precious.
Our housing delivery programme is ambitious and essential to meeting local needs.
Since 2022 we've delivered over 300 homes across 21 sites with a further 600 homes ready
to start on site and more than 3 ,000 in the pipeline.
This includes family sized homes and specialist accommodation for residents with complex needs.
Alongside new bills we are also driving our acquisitions programme and we have targeted
237 buyback properties this year plus 37 homes for temporary accommodation and Afghan reset,
five of which is for Afghan resettlement as part of the grant given by MHCLG.
We've secured GLA funding for 200 homes and also an indicative allocation of 26 million
from MHCLG for temporary accommodation purchases.
This dual approach of new builds and acquisition sort of gives us a way to move out of, you
nightly paid accommodation and delivers genuinely affordable homes and strengthens our communities.
Geoff Pearce here, he's actively driving the housing delivery programme and I think it's
really important to understand the mechanics that operate behind this because from conception
to the delivery, so if we think about Robin Hood Gardens which we were at doing the housing
strategy launched last week. The conception came about 20 years ago and even now they're
working on phases of delivering that regeneration programme. And it's a combination of rented
properties, it's a combination of socially affordable homes as well as private homes
as well. So again, these kind of programmes don't happen overnight. These kind of programmes
first need the vision, then need the planning, and then need the build -out of those programmes.
Geoff, if you can just go behind the processes that are involved in order to get it to a stage where it's actually built out,
just the headlines around the REBA processes.
So I'm Geoff Pierce, I'm the interim director of regeneration and development for the council.
I've been with the council since February this year. So I will address your point, Councillor
has been speaking about whilst it can't be the only solution,
not least because of the timescales involved
in new build housing development,
a key component is around maximising the delivery
of affordable housing.
And the need's never been greater.
Again, some of the statistics that Jennifer just
gave us, particularly around having 30 ,000,
over 30 ,000 people on the housing waiting list,
3 ,000 people in temporary accommodation, 3 ,000 plus.
These have never been greater, but the economic, logistical and systemic challenges of building
new homes has never been greater either.
So this is facing all providers, affordable housing providers in the RP sector, registered
provider sector, housing developers.
We've had quite a lot of changes around the Building Safety Act, which has made developing
taller buildings much more expensive, much more tricky.
additional staircases have to be incorporated.
We've also seen exponentially rising bill costs
in recent years and that's led to reduced viability.
And these challenges mean that the market
for housing development, in particular,
affordable housing provision has really declined.
So far fewer registered providers are developing
or they're developing far fewer homes, those that are.
And so in that environment, it's really important
that the council steps up and does all that it can
to deliver on, in particular, on affordable housing.
And Tower Hamlets is responding to that
through a number of different routes.
First of all, through its planning system.
And we've seen the new local plan,
or the draught emerging local plan,
which has really focused on the delivery of density,
maximisation of the capacity of every site
that comes forward in the borough,
but also focuses on affordable housing delivery.
But also it's been, the council's really focused on
releasing its own land, so you'll see from the presentation
that there are more than 50 sites that have been identified
by the council and are coming forward for delivery
at this time.
I won't take you through the whole presentation.
Suffice to say that just the key numbers
I'd like to highlight the three thousand seven hundred homes are currently in the council's
pipeline of delivery across 50 sites
There are nearly 240 former council homes that are in the process of being repurchased as of this morning. It's 90
There are 600 homes with planning consent they're ready to start on site in 2026
which is a big achievement and
And the Mayor's Accelerated Housing Programme, I think,
is a real opportunity to take away some of those delays,
Councillor Armant, that you spoke about.
Just to go quickly to Councillor Armant's question
about the process.
So, and the Mayor's Accelerated Housing Programme
in here kind of indicates that we've ranked various sites
by different, what we call, RIBA stages.
RIBA's the Royal Institute of British Architects,
and it sets out seven key stages in the gestation,
in the lifespan of a development project.
So stage one, the very first one, is feasibility,
which is really all about initial studies,
sketches, understanding what the capacity of the site
might be in terms of how high could you go,
how much of the site could you take up
with housing development, and is it suitable.
Stage two is then slightly more detailed work
where we start to understand heights and massing
and the concept and the basic principles of a development.
Stage three is the more detailed element of the design
and that's planning, typically.
But you can submit planning at stage two,
which is what you might have heard of
as an outline of an application.
But typically stage three is a...
You are end of your time, so wrap it up.
Sorry, I was just answering cancer on this question.
Stage four is a detailed design
before you begin construction
and the rest is construction.
Thank you very much for your view.
Once again, Kobi Rahmat and the BJS and others.
Thank you very much for your views.
Now I ask members once again,
your questions also must make your questions brief.
Also I'm requesting the officers please,
your response also, brief please.
Councillor Belalok, then your question please.
Thank you very much for your presentation.
My question to you, if the new home managed by the Tower Hamlet Council, what rent will
be charged?

4 b) Housing Delivery Update

Thank you.
So in relation to the new homes, if it's a direct delivery by ourselves, we'll be charging
normal town hamlets rent that we charge residents.
Depending on funding elements of it,
so if we've got funding from GLA and others,
then there may be various rent caps put on that.
So we will have a varying rent,
but if I understand correctly,
it will be within the lower threshold.
So I would say that on majority of Council owned sites
we charge either a target, what we call target rents.
And target rents are calculated based on a formula
set by government.
And it's a complicated formula based on the 1999 value
of that home, its size, et cetera, and location.
And our average, I guess, if I'm looking at our
and forward projections, about £155 per week,
average rent, which could be from a three -bed home
in terms of what we develop.
Next question. Asma, your question?
Thank you. I'm a little bit surprised
Councillor O 'Din was happy with the answer.
My questions around the presentation is,
Firstly, there's a bit of confusion between all of this matching up together.
Nowhere in the presentation does it talk about tenure.
I know you've just talked about an average rent there and whatever the council rent is,
but the number of homes that is promised to be delivered, how many of that is social rent,
so council rent?
How many of that falls under the town homelet's affordable housing rent or the London rent?
like what's the break up, how many of them, even the total amount of affordable housing,
how much of that is going to be in there, and then how much of that is private rent.
Then it talks about 3 ,000 homes on page 5, but then on the next page it talks about anything,
I think homes to be delivered anything between 1 ,258 to 3 ,334.
Why is that variation there? I couldn't understand.
Compared to conversations before in this committee and in other places in this council,
the word joint venture doesn't appear anywhere in this presentation.
So when it comes to some of these delivery sites that are tabled,
I am pretty sure they were...
this council was working on a direct delivery, 100 % direct delivery for council homes for
this borough, why is it now, it doesn't clarify anything, it's almost open for translation.
Can I have some clarification of how many, like what's the tenure for the 3 ,000 homes,
why does it change from 3 ,000 to maybe 1 ,258 to 3 ,034, and if we can talk about the joint
the privateisation aspect of it, or am I expecting all of this to be 100 % Council -built homes?
Thank you.
Thank you for your question.
So, apologies for not including details on tenure, but to try to explain.
So I think it's correct, perhaps 20 shared ownership and 24, I think, is shared equity
homes on the HAP -Leashy estate.
The rest of the existing council programme are for affordable rent homes, whether it's social
rent or tower homes, living rent, but the rents around the levels we spoke about earlier.
So that's that that's the that's the 300 that have been delivered delivered the 600 starts this year the majority are
Social rented homes in the free thousand free that the mayor's accelerated housing programme
Which I think you pointed out one thousand two hundred homes to three thousand
So I think it's three thousand six hundred homes. The answer to that is
was all in the cabinet report, which you can find online and we can send to you.
But the answer was that, first of all, those initial studies looked at ranges of intensity
on each of the sites that are included from lowest level that might be achieved to the
highest level.
So hence the range in terms of outcomes.
The Council at the time discounted the lower range.
So we're actually looking at somewhere between 2 ,200 and 3 ,600 homes in that mayor's accelerated housing programme in reality
the report talked about the need to fund that make you make their fundable proposition, which means that
There's a commitment in there to maximise the amount of affordable housing that we can possibly make work
financially and a minimum of 51 percent
affordable housing and we'd also be seeking to be compliant, fully compliant, obviously
with our own emerging local plan in terms of proportion of social rented housing and
family housing units.
Large part of this will be dependent upon the bids to the GLA for grant support and
we're also looking at other models because although we've got quite healthy housing revenue
account business plan, there is a lot of homes to deliver.
So we have to make sure we've got the capacity
to deliver that number of homes and pay for them.
So the whole thing's in around the new.
Sorry, finally, you mentioned joint ventures.
Joint ventures may well be a route
that we use to deliver parts of the Mayor's Accelerated Housing
Programme.
But for the rest of the programme, they
are all direct delivery sites.
so they'll be tended in the normal way.
So there's still no clarity on which sites are going to be joint ventures and which ones
not, although the ambition is to have as many of them directly delivered by the council.
I got that.
I still have no clarity about the percentage.
If you want to aim for 50%, why were you not putting that in the presentation?
What's the hesitation?
Roughly, if you're looking for 50 % at the bare minimum and that's what you want to accept in a joint venture,
then put those figures in. So at least we know if this goes according to plan, this is what this council is going to achieve.
And it should also be very, very clear about the private rented aspect of it.
Are we embarrassed in some way or what's going on here?
Because clarity is deliberately missed here, in my opinion, because this is something that we spoke about,
especially opposition councillors have spoken about the joint venture and they worry about it.
Why does this presentation not provide that clarity on the tenure and the delivery?
I actually wouldn't mind if you put all of them as a maybe, but which ones are going to be 100 % council home delivered and which ones aren't?
Because they used to all be under the council's direct delivery.
Some of the new sites that I recognise, fair enough, but all the old ones,
and actually maybe provide me with those details of which ones have turned from 100 % council
delivery to joint ventures.
Do you want to come in?
Would you like me to respond or would you like officers to respond?
I would much rather an officer respond to that, please, because that's an unusual question.
Okay, that's fine.
Thank you.
Viram, you can respond as well, because you are the cabinet member.
I really don't mind.
I'm happy to respond.
The presentation was put together by the officer, so I kind of want the officers to respond
She don't choose who answer the questions.
If you can answer those questions, if really do so,
and if you delegate to the officers, it's your choice.
Yeah, just for terms of reference of scrutiny,
Chair, was to get answers from the cabinet members,
but thank you for clarifying that for us.
Okay, so in relation to the detailed breakdown,
as Jeff pointed out.
These programmes are at different stages.
So within those stages, we want to maximise
on council direct delivery, but we also acknowledge
that there are different vehicles in order to deliver
the maximum capacity of housing.
So there's a number of programmes that we still haven't got
to the stage of funding fully, and therefore,
there may be opportunities to go for joint venture
and other vehicles.
It's also dependent on how we get funding and grant funding and how much government also gives us in order to build more homes
So there are multiple factors involved and at this stage with such a large programme
We can't give you a straight answer in terms of exactly which sites have been identified for JV and so on so forth
But what we can say is the intention is to maximise on what can be delivered directly with the council
with the amount of funds we get. Now I know for a fact Jeff as well as David are working very
proactively in order to release as much funding as possible both from central government as well as
from regional government in order to push our house building programme. That said in terms of the
pivotal times of deciding if we go for a joint venture or not again the intention is to get a
minimum of 51 % out of this. And I say minimum. On certain programmes we will get 100 % out of
it. But again, these are sort of tricky times financially to understand what resources will
be released from central government and regional government to back up that 100 % affordability.
Geoff, do you want to get in the details?
Yeah, I mean, I think, sorry, I would just add, first of all, I don't think there's any
intention to
deliberately not
not set out
How the met particular message in the rated housing programme the assumptions behind that it's a very clear in the cabinet report
I'd refer you to that coming for which was in July. Nothing has really changed since then since since July
We have appointed all of the professional teams. They are it's taken a long time
not a long time in real terms,
but we had to get all of those on board
and they all did get into the detail
of looking at what's possible on each possible,
every individual site.
And we're also doing the business planning
cost appraisals for each site.
Now, when you build a,
the cost of building a council house
is probably somewhere in the region
of about 600 ,000 pounds now to build a council house.
We might get 270 ,000 pounds in grant from the GLA
To build that council house, which leaves a balance of three hundred and thirty thousand
Our rental income is about 150 pounds a week
If you take off the cost of managing the property that leaves about a hundred pounds a week
Now if you think about that in terms of what that can pay for in a mortgage, it's not very much or alone
So we have to find other ways of bringing subsidy in to fund it
Which is why some of the housing will be built for sale which will help to pay for that that affordable housing
But the intention is to maximise the amount of affordable,
genuinely affordable rented homes that we can build
through this programme.
Because the council isn't a private house building developer
it's not part of it, it's not core purpose for the council.
The council's here to build affordable housing
and to serve its residents.
So we're very clear about that.
I can't tell you which sites yet until we've gone through.
Some of these sites may not support very much
the delivery at all when we've gone through
planning process. Others will significantly exceed the number of homes that we expect
them to. So it will change. And by March we will have a much clearer picture on this.
So it's possible to come back and to give more detail then.
So it's the last question from the Suki because we have talked enough in this agenda to go.
And as you say, we have to wait until the March to give all the clearities. Suki, your
question, please.
Yes, I think if I could also echo Asma Iselan's point, I think maybe the action, if I can request for the next meeting, at least for the
the ones that are in green,
which are in a very final stage of RIB stage three,
can the team come back,
the officer come back with more details.
It's nice to see the architects and all,
but I think it's quite important to know like
which are 100 % council housing and which are not.
So if I can illustrate point,
line number three, Tomlinson Close,
which is in the area that I live in, in Weber's Ward.
60, target 60 homes.
Currently this block is all fully council homes.
So hopefully these 60 homes,
it's gonna be a hundred percent council homes
because this building belongs to the council.
So I think it's quite important to have a column
to let us know like what's the percentage
of council homes and social, you know,
like socially council rentable homes
versus homes that are private.
So, especially as I say for the green ones,
because they are in the final stage of, you know,
the planning.
So can it be an action for the next meeting?
Can I just clarify something about the table
that's on page 29.
The green section are the sites that will be taken to detail design and planning applications
made before March. They're not sites that are already at that stage. That's where they
will be by March. So there isn't that full detail yet, but there will be by March on
those. The red section will be the sites that will be outlined in the planning applications,
and the blue sections are where we will just have had
pre -application discussions with their planning authority
and resident consultation by March.
So just for clarity.
Right, but I guess the action point,
if you wouldn't mind is that the next meeting,
you would have more detail,
especially for this late stage,
where the planning is gonna be submitted in March,
which is a few months time.
Yes, sorry, but as I said, it's an accelerated housing programme architects have just been appointed at break -neck pace
And they are working really hard really really fast to get those things done Tomlinson close has had more
Resident involvement has been taken a little bit further. You'll notice it's a different architect to the others
So that might be slightly ahead of that
But the other sites are in there quite early stages of design but working really fast
to develop those applications.
So you would already know, is it going to be council or is it going to be a joint venture then?
Well it's still at the design stage, Susanna.
So we haven't, so the costings and everything has to be tallied up before we can look at, in terms of decision making,
in terms of do we go for the maximum, if we go for the maximum we may need further funding.
if and where that funding comes from if it comes from a MHC LG if it comes from GLA or
If it has to be a JV that hasn't been calculated yet
Or if we go for a lower threshold that can be that the council could just directly pay for it
So we're still at that stage of configuring the different areas together and where that funding is going to be triangulated from
So that this is what Jeff's trying to explain. It's not this isn't a
the mapping or the table on page 29 isn't a rag model per se.
It's about what we're expecting to go to planning by March 26.
Even within that process, that doesn't mean the funding streams will all be agreed
and calculated by that time.
So we will have a sort of planning application and then we'll look
at what vehicles we need to use depending on what funds the council has available as
we go run through those processes. And that's with every single site we're talking about.
So specifically Tomlinson Close, it's not at the stage where all the funding has been
agreed and also in relation to the size of the development and the density and how many
units there are. So that will be calculated sort of in a twin way with getting the planning
and the designing done. And then once the designing is completed with the architects,
a cost will be earmarked for that and we will also be sort of concurrently working in order
to release funds from the GLA, central government as well as our own resources and seeing where
it's best allocated to. And if those programmes don't see, if we see that we could maximise
through going through JV, that's a vehicle, a option, then that may have private units
in there. But that hasn't been articulated yet. So certain programmes are cheaper, other
programmes are more costly, and so once those designs, the detailed designs are done, a
cost could be allocated and then we can look at where money is coming from in order to
fund that programme per se.
Yeah?
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We have to finish.
We have to finish.
If you have any questions, you can email to Paul and Paul will look after you.
Send them to the officers for answer.
So now we'll move on to our next.
Thank you very much.

4 c) Regeneration and Infrastructure Priorities to Support Delivery

You guys are busy tonight as well.
What about actions for this committee?
I would like this on the action log though.
I've got a few things that we've discussed in the committee.
Number one, more clarity on how mature some of these sites are and where they are.
It says on the delivery rag, but just been told it's not a rag, so what is it?
It's kind of misleading because we thought the greens are very mature, ready -to -go kind
of sites.
If that's not the case, can you readjust this table to be more realistic?
And also the other action, Chair, is I want this committee to ask the Chief Exec, because
this is where it would fall with, is why is this Council promoting 3 ,000 homes if we've
just had lots of clarity of how much work is still left to do and it's dependent on
lots of different things.
So that's two actions for me for the action log.
Is that okay, Paul?
Once again, just to clarify, that planning and funding are two separate issues.
What this table represents is the route to get to planning.
And what Geoff has confirmed, again, I just want clarity here, that we have appointed
architects, they're working at an accelerated pace in order to get it to that detailed stage
by March 2026.
Fair enough. Can we have that in that detail?
Sorry, if I can answer, Chair, without cross -talking, I would appreciate that. Thank you.
So the first thing is that this is about getting a design through planning.
That will also concurrently run with costings and what that detailed design will cost.
Planning may come back and say there are restrictions around this area, that area, that may impact on the costings.
We as an administration with our senior officers will then have to decide on what route to take in terms of how many units to provide in its entirety.
Okay, because there might be knock backs from the local planning authority, although it's within the council, they also wear a separate hat that they will be just as objective as they would be with a private application from a developer.
With that, we will have to calculate what the costings will be, and therefore if it's
within our purse, in order to deliver that directly, we will deliver that directly.
If it's not within our purse, we will look at GLA funding, we will look at government
funding.
If that's not available, then we may have to pursue the JV route.
But again, it's dependent on what comes back from planning in relation to the specifics
of each of these developments.
I hope that is clarified for the committee.
Thank you.
As Geoff has mentioned, there will be more clarity in March, so we have to wait until
next March.
I have requested for this to be on the Action Log.
I'm not sure you can refuse that.
Exactly what he said is exactly what I'm saying.
It doesn't provide that clarity on the table.
So all you're doing is asking the corporate director who himself said he's happy to provide this information to be part of Action Logs
so we can have a briefing before the next meeting.
Are you now saying to me that you can't do that, Chair?
Because I'd like you to say that to the mic that you don't want to do that.
So is it possible to provide more clarity on these issues, as you have mentioned that
you will be able to?
I'm sorry to appear reduced.
I'm not really sure what clarity I'm asked for, because this table sets the, sorry, slide
So slide 28 sets out that this is about planning categories.
It says there are 23 sites in category 1 which are RIBA stage 3.
It talks about the fact that it shows where those sites are.
The next slide talks about what sites are in what category and when they're expected
to be submitted for planning application.
That's all it does.
So I don't know what more clarity I can provide around that table.
I can provide clarity as in by providing the cabinet report.
And in March I can give clarity around,
or we can give clarity around the programme and the tenures.
But at the moment it's not possible to do that
as we've explained because there's a lot more work to do
until we have that into a position where we can be sure,
or in any way sure, even indicative.
Just to clarify again, from both a political perspective in terms of the administration
as well as officer perspective, we want to try to deliver as many direct delivery as
possible, and I go back to that again and again, but until we get the costings and where
we can have funding and how much funding we can have, I know for a fact David is working
tirelessly with the GLA and the
What's a deputy mayor for housing which I can openly say in order for town Hamlet's to get as much funding as possible for housebuilding
And and that is public and on record
We're also actively
Trying to get as much money as possible for MH CLG as well in order to put into our programme
So the more advanced we are with that, I suppose that will support our business case in order
to release that money in order to build those.
So if we can get, and again a clarify, if we can get all of that money together for
each of these programmes, then that will be 100 % direct delivery.
So the clarification I've asked for is this council promotes the Mayor's Accelerated Housing
Programme as 3 ,000 homes in a certain way.
It's done that, it's been doing that.
This table says these are the sites, it then rags it green, amber and red.
It then goes into planning category, it says target submission, March 26th.
You've provided me with the context, you've said to me it's in design process,
it is dependent on lots of different things including for I got all of that,
where is the clarity for the residents?
I want this on paper is what I'm saying and I know I've been referred back
to the cabinet paper and everything else.
Because if this table can be readjusted with the information you've given me,
it's just putting all of that together.
It's what you've said, this table and the cabinet paper is in one place
and that's what I'm going to work off.
Because this table is just not working for me.
Maybe it's how I learn, maybe it's a problem about how I read.
So it's about my disability, I'm now asking you if you can put all of that information
for me in that table or maybe it's a written brief.
I want all of that information in a written form so that I'm able to inform residents
this is the clarity I was provided in housing subcommittee meeting.
Is that clear enough?
How often would you like this to come?
Because we're saying we'll need until March in order to deliver that information.
We wait until the March for the full clarity.
So okay.
Now we move on to the next agenda item.
Thank you very much for your presentation and answering all these questions.
Now we move on to our next item.
It is an update on regeneration infrastructure, infrastructure structure and priorities to support delivery.
Thank you.
So I would like to provide the response.
Once again, I'd like to provide the response.
Thank you, Chair.
So regeneration and infrastructure are the foundations of our growth strategy.
The Future Places Plan developed with Arup will showcase Tower Hamlet's vision for inclusive development and attract investment, launching at MIPIM 2026.
We are progressing major projects such as the Mary Pier Bridge in the Lower Lee Valley, Whitechapel Road Public Realm improvements and Middlesex Street regeneration.
Our infrastructure delivery plan sets out social and physical infrastructure needs to
2038, including schools, health facilities and transport links.
While we face a £130 million funding gap over 15 years, we have clear strategies to
close it through cost efficiencies, maximising grant and forging partnerships.
This is about ensuring growth benefits all over, sorry, all our residents and that infrastructure
keeps pace with housing delivery.
I've got Alex, Matthew and Sri as our lead planner and director of planning and building
control.
David's here as well who you're all familiar with.
Sri, would you like to add anything?
application does not include the
Page 41 IDP. You know the table it says cost to the council.
Unless I'm reading it wrong, to me the math ain't math -ing.
Like the figures are meant to add up to say something or...
because it's not adding up. So I was just trying to understand
the total cost to the council and external cost and it doesn't seem to add up to me.
unless I've misunderstood you or something that would be useful to
clarity. The second question was around the funding gap of 130 million how do we
try and close that gap are we applying for things like HIF and so on and then
then the last point was around around in the west side of the borough we have the
lack of green space how can we try and you know improve green space you know we
We had, probably about ten years ago, we had a proposed green spine on the back of this building going all the way down
as part of the white television and so on. Is there anything we can do to kind of increase the green space within the west side of the borough?
Sorry, so if I could just come in. So there are a number of projects that are running and the Living Wall,
So if you guys want to speak about the living wall kind of thing
Projects around hoardings and things like that is something that we've been promoting
And I'll leave the details for offices to respond to
Thanks Alex and
So the table you refer to is that on page 41 of the pack? Yeah
Let me just cheque that I am on the right table the table that I was looking at about ten minutes ago
which is misleading.
Yeah, essentially the cost of the council
is the top row, the two billion and 18 million,
sorry I need to make that a bit bigger so I can read it,
minus the external cost, which is one billion, 213 million.
I appreciate that that would leave the total cost to the Council as being 805 million.
There's clearly some rounding that's happened in there that hasn't been picked up in these
totals but I agree it would be neater if we make sure that that rounding is clear.
The 185 million of the ceiling kind delivery is a subset of the external costs.
But I appreciate it's not very clear in that table.
Your second question was around closing the gap.
Absolutely.
There's a range of ways that the Council could look to close that funding gap.
I think the first thing I would say is that that funding gap over 15 years is relatively
modest compared to what a lot of councils see. We see some people's local plans go
forward with funding gaps heading towards the billion pound mark or more where there's
major infrastructure projects needed. We are reasonably lucky in that we've got high sales
values in this part of London and that enables to bring in a healthy amount of CIL and Section
106 to try and tackle the infrastructure needs we have. So that gap is certainly not an insurmountable
gap over a 15 -year period.
I would suggest there's two different ways
that we could look to close that gap.
One way is by reducing costs, and we can do that
by maximising cost -efficient delivery
by developers on site, co -locating infrastructure,
making sure our asset strategy
and our infrastructure strategies are well aligned
so that we can use existing assets where possible,
and good old -fashioned project cost engineering as well.
You mentioned about income as well from something like HIF, the old Housing Infrastructure Fund.
They periodically come up from government and the GLA and it's about the council making sure we're fit and ready to bid for those funds as and when they become available.
We've got a record of securing funds from the GLA and government in recent years.
And there's also opportunities to explore quite creative options as well around investment and sponsorship.
We've heard about potential for joint ventures and partnership opportunities, so they always exist as well.
And your third point was there was green space in the east of the borough.
And the green spine that was...
Yes, we try as best as possible to try and secure green space on the large development
sites that are due to come forwards through the local plan.
Those are known as site allocations.
They're the major big sites that are to come forwards.
There are at least 500 homes and quite often pieces of infrastructure as well.
So we secure a range of infrastructure on those, including green spaces where possible.
In the east of the boroughs certainly the Marion Place gasworks has a considerable green space in the middle of that
London dock is obviously almost nearly finished and there's some green space within there the other one as you note
Is the green spine going down through the hospital building?
So
Clearly as you mentioned we have limited space in the borough and we try to maximise all the opportunities we get
and also build on every opportunity that we have.
So for example, just in and around this area,
as you go out, you'll see in the Silk District,
there is a kind of a linear green space
which is not far from here.
But then we have the Cavell Street application
that came recently, which was also trying to link in
and open that green space out to Cavell Street itself,
even though it's a life sciences development.
We have obviously the Green Spine,
which is part of the Whitechapeles
life sciences application itself which generates quite a lot of public open space and public
realm.
Further beyond, we also have the Whitechapel estate that builds this further and opens
out more public realm.
So one thing is using policy and creatively how we build and create more green space and
how we then connect and maximise that as more schemes come forward.
So that is the same approach we would also be taking in the east of the borough knowing
that we have these big schemes coming forward.
But how do we strengthen and maximise what we get by adding and layering more of that?
These spaces have to work much harder because they not only will be public ground but play
areas, greenery, biodiversity.
So all these levels is what takes the pre -application and the application to creatively think about
maximising those spaces.
And we'll continue to do that also in the new local plan.
Thank you.
now online.
Suki patiently waiting, your question to the presenter please.
Yes, I think I would like to ask for where could we find more details on,
like for example your regeneration plan for Middlesex Street.
If I can just tell the audience, the Middlesex Street is very unique,
it's like it's just off Liverpool Street,
so there's a lot of night time economy on one end,
but at the same time it's also next to Petticoat Lane and there are lots of market stores of huge
historical significance. So I noted that you want to put more seats than and planting you know and
refurbish the toilet which sounds quite harmless I would say but it would be nice to see what are
your actual plans because for example seating would encourage nighttime ASB in that area where
are residents as well and there are there are the market stores as well that you probably need to
protect as well so this display between the gentrification and regeneration where the balance
sits so it'll be nice to see what kind of plans that you have for some of these that you mentioned
yeah i'll answer that so the toilet refurbishment of uh laden street toilet um will create some new
classy, sui generis cafe bar space with new planting and seating around the toilet.
That's the final part of a pre -existing programme called the Middle Sixth Street Regeneration
Programme.
In terms of the future of both Middle Sixth Street and I suppose the regeneration strategy
more broadly, that's what the Future Places strategy that is mentioned on page 36 we'll
look at.
This will help us to develop clear spatial plans for different areas of the borough,
so really focusing on local needs, as you say, Middlesex Street has a very distinct character with Petticoat Lane Market,
and that Future Places plan is being brought forward with a range of partners, including the City of London.
Middlesex Street itself is split between the two boroughs, for example, so that we can coordinate regeneration strategy
with those partners and with residents through consultation going forward and
really sort of hone in on what makes our places unique and special and yeah bring
forward place specific interventions in the coming years. Sorry chair and just to
put in because politicians are here as well and I think one of the scrutiny functions is to give the
political perspective which officers can't give is that the way we see regeneration as an administration isn't about gentrification.
It's about working collectively and co -producing with local residents in relation to their needs.
What I can say is around that area we've also delivered currently a youth centre as well,
which was much needed by local residents
and the young people in the area.
And again, that plays a pivotal role
in how we look at how we regenerate areas
and provide service provisions for not only
kind of grown up adults, but also our young people as well
who are residents and sometimes can be neglected.
Thank you.
So, Abodu, copy your question, please.
Thank you, thank you for your,
I will go to the question.
How will the council ensure that developers pay their fair share of this cost of this
infrastructure needed to support their development?
That's the first question.
And second question, as far as my knowledge, you know, old London Chest Hospital probably
had 274 units coming up.
So are there any parking facilities inside there?
As you know, there are a lot of residents
asking about this.
Of course,
they are trying to be getting
planned before previously.
I believe
planning has passed already.
274 units.
Residents
are really worried.
There is a
one -way street
and they are
thinking about the parking issue.
Also,
they are right next to the
Victoria Park.
As you know,
there are shops
going Sunday.
They are worried
about the parking.
Are there any
facility inside their areas?
And are there, how many of them, like, are all of them like car -free zone or any updates
please?
And another last question on that.
And coincidentally, like, number page 30, it says right to buy.
It's one of the famous questions I have received as a local representative.
A lot of residents apply for a right to buy scheme and it's been over a year now.
So they want to know how long does it take to inform them or complete their right to
buy process.
I know it's around 1400 applications you received, very short time of period and how long does
it take?
It's already over a year now.
Thank you.
Sorry, I'll come in first.
In relation to developers paying their fair share, that's done by formula.
So we have a SIL formula and sort of, there are various formulas attached within planning.
So you know, in terms of schooling, in terms of football, square meterage.
I mean, if you want the specifics, I'm sure Matthew can give you the whole list of the
various formulas in relation to how CIL and other elements of financial contributions
are calculated.
There's also other things like you can provide kind of discounted space within sites, or
you can provide social housing, or you can do in -kind money contributions.
So there are multiple kind of ways of calculating how much money is paid by the developer.
And that's also based on viability as well in terms of how financially viable those developments
are.
And if we also charge too much, for example, they can kind of challenge that and go to
the courts essentially, the planning inspector, and present their case in relation to viability.
So everything has to be tested.
I can say on that note, we have one of the best viability teams in the country and a
number of councils come and purchase that service for them as well.
and recently I was at an LGA planning away day and we were looked upon very kindly by a number of local authorities
who were interested in how we operate our viability team. So it's very well recognised nationally and by the LGA as well.
In relation to the London Chess Hospital, because this is a wider meeting, can I suggest if it's appropriate,
if you put in an inquiry directly to Sri, she can maybe respond to the specifics of that,
because I feel it might be inappropriate to identify one specific development and the kind of micro details maybe you're asking.
It will also have an impact in relation to how public realm operate with the one ways and other kind of
landscaping issues around that
Have I left anything out
Right. Well, I think that was part of the previous paper the right to buy but
Yes, you're right. There are 1400 applications or there about circa 1400
there is a legal process involved and with that legal process, the conveyancing process,
there are a number of applications at different stages and as you can understand, the council has a legal team,
but we have limited capacity in terms of we're not a specialist housing, conveyancing organisation.
So we are trying to work through as much as we can at pace and maybe, can I suggest, our legal team,
I know Geoff, you are also dealing with it from your, the right to buy separate, sorry,
housing management and our legal team, and maybe we can give you a note in relation to
how many we have processed to date and what's in the pipeline of processing in relation
to that.
Would that be satisfactory?
I understand that the legal process, you need to follow this step, but I understand that
The resident point of view is like it's been over a year,
just once the application been done,
that's all they received, or your application,
we received your application, we'll inform you.
It's been a year now, nothing been happened,
like not ID.
I think it's a clarification already.
It's an enlargement.
It's also Councillor Kabir.
What I'm trying to say is it's not within
this directorate's gift to expediate
the right to buy applications,
or we don't have that information at hand per se because it's with legal.
Can you pass me where I can get all those answers?
Yeah, maybe if you do a member's inquiry then legal can give you an updated response.
I'm sure you'll be well within your rights for that.
Yeah, it's not a question just to response to Councillor Kabir.
So you know the right to buy process basically usually takes more like 12 months and when
Labour government announced they're kind of ending right to buy discount to whatever 16%,
there was a huge spike in applications.
So I don't know what the previous year was like normal right to buy applications per
year, maybe like a few hundred.
And so A, it probably takes like a whole like a year or so timeline on average and two,
when you have a spike of like 1400 applications there might be like a backlog of you might take two, three years
and that's what probably is but I think you speak to legal or the right to buy it in that's what's probably happened.
Okay I think Debbie is the best person to help it.
Yeah I just want to say that's a very good point our normal rate of right to buy applications is somewhere like 100 to 100 a year
and 1400 is amongst the sort of highest numbers of applications in London even when the former deputy
the Prime Minister brought in the policy to reduce the discount substantially but gave
people forward notice that they had a period of time to put their applications in. It unfortunately
led to a big spike all at once and so we're not the only council in this position but
we are trying to work through it as quickly as we can.
I hope you speed it up and that will satisfy the residents of Thorharnes hopefully. Any
Any other question on this?
If not, then thank you very much once again.
Kabir Ahmed, David Jers, and everybody else
who was presenting tonight is wonderful.
And next to see you in next meeting.
Hopefully things are going to be better.
So now we are moving on to any other business.
Before we close the meeting, Paul has one item
on any other business. Please, Paul.
Thank you, Chair. I've been asked to highlight to members of the committee that
Tower Hamlets is currently doing a consultation on the housing strategy for 2025 -2030
about more homes, better homes and safer homes.
They've asked me to send round a link which I'm going to send to you about the consultation.
They've just encouraged all members to contribute to the consultation
and to share it with any interested party, so I'll be emailing that round to you as soon as this meeting finishes.
Sorry, Chair, can I just, I don't think we had the opportunity to introduce Elizabeth,
who's been here all along and she was sitting in the front. Elizabeth's taken over from Andrea,
so she works at Poplar Harpa and she was representing T 'Hooft, if we had any questions for T 'Hooft.
But just as Elizabeth has been here all night, I think it's only fair we acknowledge Elizabeth coming here and welcome her best.
My team already have welcomed her but maybe the committee would like to just welcome Elizabeth.
Sorry, apologies, we didn't know that I would have welcomed you at the beginning of the meeting.

5 ANY OTHER BUSINESS

So welcome to our homeless and hope we work together.
So betterment of the government and look after our residents,
according to our ability.
So if anybody wants to share anything?
Just echo with the chair, welcome to, you know, we love to work with you guys.
Thank you.
Anybody else?
If not, there are no more questions.