Newham Council has secured a £2.9 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to refurbish Alice Billing House North Block in Stratford. The funding will support the transformation of the Grade II listed building into affordable creative workspaces, a community café and gallery, and a public pavilion.
The council will enter into a funding agreement with the Creative Land Trust (CLT) to manage the NLHF grant and oversee the project. The Draft Funding Agreement outlines the terms and conditions under which the council will provide the grant to the Creative Land Trust, detailing the purpose of the grant, payment schedules, use of funds, and monitoring and reporting requirements. The agreement also addresses intellectual property rights, confidentiality, freedom of information, and data protection. The project aims to revitalise the North Block of Alice Billing House, which is currently on Historic England's 'At Risk' register.
The South Block was refurbished in Phase 1 and is currently in use as affordable artist studios. The current project focuses on the North Block. Repairs to the roof of the South Block are included in the project's use of funds.
The refurbishment project will deliver:
- 12 affordable studios, intended for approximately 42 creatives
- A public café and gallery
- A community pavilion and courtyard improvements
- Conservation of heritage features
The NLHF Grant Notification Letter states that the council must complete the approved purposes of the delivery phase and submit a completion report, final payment request, and evaluation report by 31 March 2029.
CLT was selected through a competitive process to oversee the refurbishment and operations. They have secured match funding from various sources, with only £63,000 remaining unsecured. The council will support CLT in securing the remaining unsecured funding. The full project cost is £3.8 million, with the remaining amount to be secured through match funding, as detailed in the Officer Key Decision report.
The funding will cover staff appointments, restoration of the North Block, construction of a community pavilion, repairs to the roof of the South Block, and various programmes. The North Block will be used as affordable artist studios, and the community pavilion will be a flexible, publicly accessible space.
The project supports environmental sustainability through the adaptive reuse of a heritage building and replacing gas heating with an air source heat pump system. The project aligns with several council priorities, including inclusive economy, supporting young people, and people-powered Newham.
The Permission to Start form confirms that the Creative Land Trust accepts the Grant Contract and that the project aligns with the approved purposes. Yves Blais, Operations Manager at Creative Land Trust, Malene Oddershede Bach, and Catherine Webster are listed as signatories for the Creative Land Trust. Darren Mackin, Director of Community Wealth Building, is listed as the signatory for Newham Council.
Alternative options considered and rejected included doing nothing, which would leave the North Block unused and deteriorating, and council-led delivery, which was rejected due to resource constraints and a lack of specialist operational capacity.