The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is putting serious momentum behind its housebuilding plans, setting aside £8 million for what’s being called the Mayor’s Accelerated Housing Programme. The goal? To fast-track as many as 3,332 new homes across 37 council-owned sites over the next five years – with a strong focus on affordable housing and larger family homes that the area badly needs.
This new drive builds on the council’s existing promise to deliver 4,000 affordable homes by May 2026. It also comes just as the borough wraps up consultation on its upcoming Local Plan, which will help shape development in the years ahead. And with the population expected to jump from 323,854 in 2022 to nearly 390,000 by 2032, according to ONS projections, the pressure to provide more homes has never been greater.
Executive Mayor Lutfur Rahman put the programme’s ambition into perspective: “This programme is not just about numbers, it’s about transforming people’s lives. Inadequate housing blights lives – affecting everything from health and education to employment and life expectancy. We are already on track to exceed the target I set of 4,000 affordable new homes, and now the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme marks our boldest step yet to meet housing needs in our community and build a fairer future for our residents.”
Tower Hamlets, like many parts of London, is facing a shortage of suitable and affordable housing. Too many families are living in cramped or substandard homes, and the council says it is determined to change that. As the next step, a full business plan will be drawn up and partnerships formed with organisations including the Greater London Authority, Homes England, institutional investors and private developers – all with the aim of getting spades in the ground sooner rather than later.
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References:
1.) https://www.theplanner.co.uk/2025/08/13/london-council-seeks-fast-track-homes-its-sites
