Newham's new approach to housing and high streets
We are very much looking forward to Newham Council's Head of Regeneration, Robin Cooper joining our November forum to talk about the development of housing provision in the borough and the exciting new plans for the creative quarter at Royal Docks.
This month the council announced that its 'housing delivery plan will usher in a ground-breaking new approach putting residents at the heart of Newham's housing'. New opportunities it states will be created for local people to influence plans including the Mayor of Newham's Citizen's assemblies, ballots, interactive focus groups, drop-in sessions and site walkabouts.
In October, it was revealed by the council's leadership that the borough had received the highest grant of any London council - £107 million - for affordable housing from the Mayor of London through the Building Council Homes for Londoners programme. This will support the construction of 1,100 new homes that are genuinely affordable for residents. So far 46 council owned sites have been identified for the build and all the homes will be started by 2022.
A separate boost for Newham's high streets with a £1.5 million investment to drive community-led improvements was also announced this month. The project will see seven imaginative murals and four underpass enhancements created across key town centres within the borough, alongside improvements to 40 shop fronts. These improvements will help to create more attractive areas for residents and encourage businesses to invest in Newham.
As part of the project, the council will draw on the creative expertise of Newham's young people to involve them further in shaping the project, alongside five individual two-week work placements created specifically for young people. AOC Architecture has been appointed by Newham Council to manage the project.