Tower Hamlets Council's Cabinet has approved a significant investment of over £143 million to fund the development of more than 3,000 new homes across the borough.

The Mayor's Accelerated Housing Programme (MAHP) will see £143,235,790 allocated to 10 housing development schemes, with a commitment that at least 51% of the new homes will be affordable housing. The programme aims to address the borough's acute housing needs, with over 29,000 households on the housing register and a significant number living in overcrowded or unsuitable conditions.

Modern apartment building with distinctive angular roofs and balconies, set against a cloudy sky.
Modern apartment building with distinctive angular roofs and balconies, set against a cloudy sky.

The MAHP is a comprehensive plan to deliver over 3,900 homes across 42 sites, with a clarified target of 3,200 homes within these sites. The programme will employ a 'batching' approach for planning submissions and delivery to ensure efficiency.

Timeline for Delivery:

  • Batch 1: Planning submission targeted between March and July 2026, with an expected delivery of 341 homes.
  • Batch 2: Planning submission targeted between July and December 2026, with approximately 449 homes.
  • Batch 3: Planning submission targeted between December 2026 and June 2027, with approximately 500 homes.
  • Batch 4 (Strategic Sites): Procurement is planned to launch in September 2026, with a dedicated Cabinet paper detailing the strategy to follow in the same month.

Councillor Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Homebuilding and Enhancing Council Homes and Neighbourhoods, highlighted the ambition of the programme, stating, This is a very good newspaper that we're bringing forward from what your manifesto pledge was to deliver on what we have delivered in terms of our house building programme, an ambitious target of 12,000, and this is just a way of us proving that we are working towards that target.

Affordable Housing Commitment:

The programme aims for at least 51% of the delivered homes to be affordable housing. This aligns with London and Local Plan requirements of 50% affordable homes by habitable room on public land, or 35% where a portfolio approach is used. Significantly, the MAHP aims for at least 85% of its affordable homes to be social rent homes, exceeding the standard target. Batch 1 sites are projected to deliver 79% affordable (social rent) homes by habitable room, and Batch 2 approximately 72%. The report does not specify exact rental or purchase price ranges for these affordable homes.

A hand passes a set of keys to another hand, symbolizing a housing transaction or the granting of access.
A hand passes a set of keys to another hand, symbolizing a housing transaction or the granting of access.

Procurement and Delivery Partners:

A procurement strategy has been approved to secure delivery partners for the first batch of MAHP sites. For Batch 1, a single supplier is proposed to deliver all sites. This will involve a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) process to optimise tenderer numbers, followed by a 12-week tender period that includes dialogue with tenderers under the new Procurement Act 2023. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) will stipulate and evaluate social value and SME opportunities, with a standard 10% weighting for these criteria. Separate procurement will be undertaken for the nine strategic sites (Batch 4), with a dedicated Cabinet report to follow.

Locations of Development Schemes:

The MAHP encompasses 10 housing development schemes within 'Batch 1', which are expected to yield 341 homes. Specific locations for Batch 1 include: Tent Street, Bethnal Green PDC, Tomlinson Close, Southern Grove, Chisenhale, Back Church Lane, Strout's Place/Hackney Road, 33-37 The Oval, Gill Street, Vallance Road, and Lark Row. Additionally, nine 'strategic sites' (Batch 4) are identified, comprising Blackwall Depot, Commercial Road, Ensign Club and Shapla, John Onslow House, John Orwell Sports Centre, Bromley Hall School, Sir John McDougal Park Keeper's Cottage, Jack Dash House, and Blackwall Reach Phase 3.

Modern apartment buildings, likely representing new housing developments approved by the council.
Modern apartment buildings, likely representing new housing developments approved by the council.

Quality and Sustainability Measures:

All new developments under the MAHP will be required to meet Net Zero Carbon standards. Where on-site net-zero is not feasible, carbon offsetting will be permitted. Funds generated from carbon offsetting will be reinvested into making other homes within the borough greener and more energy-efficient. The council will also conduct a detailed climate risk analysis across the borough to identify vulnerable neighbourhoods and inform future investment decisions. A new Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Strategy is scheduled for consultation in 2026.

A modern apartment building with balconies and a small park area in front, likely representing new housing developments.
A modern apartment building with balconies and a small park area in front, likely representing new housing developments.

Further details on the programme can be found in the Public reports pack for the Cabinet meeting on 15th July 2026 and the Agenda frontsheet for the Cabinet meeting on 15th July 2026.