Newham Council approves Carpenters Estate Regeneration Strategy Update after further Scrutiny

Newham’s Cabinet has agreed  a range of measures to enable the Carpenters Estate regeneration to progress. 

Cabinet approved:  

1.     Approval of the S106 and commitment to infrastructure improvements  

2.     The enhancement of Phase 2, Lund Quarter, increasing the number of homes, 50% of which will be social rent  

3.     Increased overall budget , including additional funding for James Riley Point refurbishment 

4.     Changes to the delivery strategy to ensure construction can start promptly, despite delays to gaining vacant possession 

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 4 February, Newham Council approved the latest Carpenter's Estate paper. The approval is an essential step in facilitating the pace at which development work progresses across several Phases, and reflects Newham’s ambitions to secure change for the better for the Carpenters’ and Newham’s residents.  

The decisions Cabinet agreed to affect the Early Phases of the development programme, including the James Riley Point tower refurbishment (Phase 1), Lund Quarter (Phase 2) and Station Quarter (Phase 3). These changes will ensure these projects can progress as quickly and effectively as possible.  

Following changes to the current planning consent, enabling works for James Riley Point are due to start on site in the summer; with detailed planning applications due for Phase 2, Lund Quarter, and Carpenters Primary School at the end of the year and construction expected to start 2026, along with the submission of detailed planning for Phase 3, Station Quarter. 

The additional funding means that the enabling works for James Riley Point can get underway in the summer, marking a development milestone in the regeneration. Along with the delivery of Phase 2, Lund Quarter, these first two phases are crucial for residents as they provide the majority of the replacement homes for existing residents, both Council tenants and home owners, who want to remain on the estate. These early phases provide vital community infrastructure including new sport and community facilities and a new primary school, unlocking future phases of the regeneration. 

What’s changed? 

Additional homes – the number of homes overall has increased by 115, located in the Lund Quarter.  

Overall funding – projected costs have increased, with the council forecasting a need to borrow an additional £320m to complete the development in its entirety compared to the September 2023 costs, and an additional 3 years have been added to the overall programme, extending it from 11 to 14 years. While the overall masterplan remains viable, as with all development projects across the UK, these costs have increased in response to the Building Safety Act, build cost inflation and increases in the cost of borrowing. However, this increase is offset by improved grant funding from the GLA and others as well as refreshed assumptions around long term income the scheme will generate.  

James Riley Point – the ground-breaking refurbishment of this tower block will ensure this landmark building becomes a legacy for the estate, along with Lund Point, the other retained tower. The refurbishment will deliver larger modern, energy-efficient, zero carbon homes benefitting from new balconies. Cabinet approved an increase in budget of £20m, needed to address inflation and increased costs, some of which are due to delays in commencement. However, the majority of these cost increases are being offset by similar increase in grant funding.  Approval clears the way for the enabling works on the tower to start this summer – a milestone for the estate after 20 years of waiting.  

The Carpenters Estate regeneration 

Driven by the ambition of Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and Newham’s council’s desire to see the regeneration of the estate, the transformation taking place on the Carpenters Estate is innovative. It reflects the council’s inclusive growth agenda by providing hundreds of local jobs and apprenticeships, investment in local businesses through local procurement as well as 50% of the homes at genuinely affordable rents.

Newham’s wholly owned housing company Populo Living are leading the development of the masterplan and early phases on behalf of the council, undertaking extensive engagement with residents to understand what they wanted to see as outcomes of the regeneration. Retained street layouts, the option to remain on the estate and the green refurbishment of two of the estate's towers helped secure a resounding yes in favour of the Masterplan, which the residents contributed to.  

As well as refurbishing over 40% of the existing 710 homes, the works will transform this central area of Newham in line with the Council’s ‘Stratford Vision’, with great connectivity to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Stratford town centre and station. On completion the area will be home to over 2,300 households, with new open spaces, trees, commercial spaces and new community and sports facilities. 50% of the homes will be genuinely affordable, and the council will retain ownership of the land, creating an exemplar of large-scale estate regeneration. 

Nick Clough, Carpenters Project Director at Populo Living said: “The Mayor and her Cabinet have a strong vision and ambition for Carpenters as a mixed and thriving community where Newham residents are included and not pushed out. Cabinet approval reflects their determination to make progress on delivering the vision.

If you visit the estate today, you can already see positive change and the results of investment in the estate, with the completion of two new play areas, a community garden and arts trail. By the summer we will also have completed a new community train cafe; be starting construction works on the old estate management officer, transforming it into a new community events space, with a cafe, affordable workspace and other support neighbourhood uses; and be starting the reconstruction of James Riley Point.” 

Populo Living

Populo is Newham Council's wholly owned housing company. We are making Newham home for everyone by designing and building better homes and places. For media enquiries, please contact media@populoliving.co.uk. 

Find out more about Populo Living and our developments at www.populoliving.co.uk.