Berkeley and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have signed a deal that will see 223 homes for social rent delivered several years ahead of schedule, supported by a grant from the GLA.
The Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Cllr Maium Talukdar, visited Heron Wharf in Poplar this week to celebrate the partnership and see the rapid progress on this 20-acre regeneration site.
Of the 223 new homes for social rent, 168 will be family-sized homes, which have been called for by Tower Hamlets Council as part of its commitment to deliver for local people and tackle overcrowding in the borough.
Funding has been provided by London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the GLA 2021-26 affordable homes programme, with homes set to complete in 2029; years ahead of the original schedule.
The Deputy Mayor also met residents who already live in some of the 219 affordable homes already delivered in the first phase at Heron Wharf.
Together, the partners and residents visited Leven Banks Park, at the heart of the neighbourhood, and officially marked the installation of a public sculpture that honours the site’s industrial history.
The 22m-high piece is a section of Gasholder 1, built in 1876 when the site was operating as Poplar Gasworks. It has been carefully restored, returned to the striking blue colour that it would have been when it was last operational, and placed in the parkland for the whole community to enjoy.
On completion, Heron Wharf will include 2,900 high-quality, tenure-blind homes, a 2.5-acre riverside park, and 80,000sqft of flexible commercial/community space with the amenities people really want on their doorstep, including a food store, a restaurant and café, gym, children’s nursery and retail.
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “Tower Hamlets faces some of the highest housing pressures in the country, and this type of partnership working will allow us to offer properties that meet the needs of our residents.
“Acquiring these new-build homes, many of them family-sized, allows us to speed up delivery, tackle overcrowding, and support residents most in need of secure housing. This innovative approach demonstrates the scale of our determination to address the impact of London's housing crisis in Tower Hamlets.
“And this development offers more than just homes: it will create a thriving community with green spaces and local amenities that residents can benefit from for years to come.”
Harry Lewis, Divisional Land & Development Director at Berkeley Capital, said: “This deal will see hundreds of local people provided with a safe, quality home that meets the needs of their family. And thanks to the ambition and drive of our partners at London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the GLA, we’ve been able to significantly speed up delivery, so the benefits of regeneration are felt sooner.”
Find out more about Berkeley's approach to brownfield regeneration here.