The Officer Key Decision meeting scheduled for Tuesday 17 March 2026 is set to consider an early works package for the refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House. This refurbishment is intended to create a Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre.

Lady Helen Seymour House Refurbishment

The meeting's report pack indicates that a key item for consideration is an early works package for the refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House, located at Florence Road, Plaistow, E13 0DW. This package is to be awarded to Buxton Construction Limited, with an estimated value of £820,765.65. The works are described as necessary to make a significant start on the site set up and completing the early demolition works associated with the refurbishment to help meet the project's January 2027 completion date.

The refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House is part of Newham Council's commitment to its Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, aiming to provide a 42-bed Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre. The project has secured significant grant funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), totalling £6.203m in GLA SHAP capital grant funding, £0.523m in GLA Top-up, £0.500m from the Carbon Offset Fund, and £3.576m through prudential borrowing, making a total capital allocation of £10.802m. The council is also set to receive £2.7m in revenue funding for the centre's operational costs post-completion.

The early works proposed include site setup, demolition of internal walls, lowering the ground floor, installing hoarding for site security, erecting scaffolding, and addressing highway requirements and statutory fees. The report outlines that these costs will be met from the existing approved capital allocation and do not require additional funding. The decision-maker for this item is Paul Kitson, Corporate Director of Inclusive Economy and Housing, in consultation with Councillor Rita Chadha, Lead Member for Adult Health and Social Care. The report notes that Appendix A contains exempt information due to legal professional privilege.

This project aligns with the council's Building a Fairer Newham Corporate Plan 2022-2026, specifically Priority 1 (A healthier Newham and ageing well) and Priority 5 (Homes for our Residents). It also supports 50 Steps to a Healthier Newham (Priority 11 – Building a Borough of Health and Promoting Housing) and the Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Strategy (Priority 3 – Support people to move off and stay off the streets). Furthermore, the project is considered in the context of the Climate Action Just Transition Plan, with principles of increasing equity, reducing emissions, and future readiness.