Mayoral Visit: A New Standard for Affordable Living in Tower Hamlets

Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, visited South Quay Plaza in November, for a first-hand look at the high standard of living on offer in affordable homes delivered by Berkeley and L&G.

Along with Deputy Mayor Cllr Maium Talukdar, a team from London Borough of Tower Hamlets toured two affordable housing schemes on the Isle of Dogs that demonstrate what can be achieved through partnership working.

At South Quay Plaza they viewed a selection of the 49 homes for social rent in Harcourt Tower.

Spread over eight floors, 19 of the apartments have three or four bedrooms, delivered to help tackle overcrowding in the borough. Managed by Southern Housing, the building also includes 300sqm of play space and study areas, with a relaxation area, TV room and children’s playroom all inside and free to use for residents.

Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “Tower Hamlets is a small borough. We can’t build out, but we can certainly build up. We have no choice but to deliver and develop tall buildings, but within them it’s important they have amenity spaces that cater for families. The developments I have seen today are wonderful and clearly show what modern living is.”

Harry Lewis, Divisional Land & Development Director at Berkeley Capital, said “With world-class architecture, tenure-blind family-sized homes, and facilities that residents really need, South Quay Plaza is a testament to partnership working. With London Borough of Tower Hamlets and L&G, Berkeley has provided hundreds of local people with a high-quality, sustainable place to live, for social rent. Affordable homes are not just a housing statistic – each and every front door represents a very real change for a local family, and we’re truly proud of the positive impact here, helping people out of temporary accommodation and reducing overcrowding in the borough.”

Shaun Holdcroft, Head of Affordable Homes at L&G, said: “It’s one of our core aims to improve people’s lives through high-quality, well managed housing. In practice, that means building strong partnerships which are key to tackling the UK’s affordable housing crisis.

“The Social Rent homes at Harcourt Tower, and the Shared Ownership homes at Hampton Tower next door, are more than just bricks and mortar, because a safe and secure home is the foundation from which we our customers build a good life.  As a Registered Provider, we have a long-term commitment as a landlord to our customers and the communities they live in.”

An earlier phase of development at South Quay Plaza included neighbouring Hampton Tower, with a further 78 shared ownership homes delivered by the partners. 
As the fastest growing and most densely populated area in the UK, Tower Hamlets faces acute housing pressures. More than 29,000 residents are on the Housing Register, many living in overcrowded or unsuitable homes. 

Find the original news story, and more from London Borough of Tower Hamlets on accelerating delivery, here.