The Cabinet of Tower Hamlets Council is scheduled to meet on 17 December 2025 to discuss a range of issues, including strategic planning, financial performance, and community safety. The Cabinet will consider the strategic vision for Tower Hamlets in 2035, revisions to the Community Infrastructure Levy, updates to planning obligations, and strategies for youth justice and community safety.

Key Topics for Discussion

• Strategic Vision - Our Tower Hamlets 2035

  The cabinet will consider a report on the strategic vision for the borough, called Our Tower Hamlets 2035. This vision outlines the council's ambitions for the borough by 2035 and how it plans to achieve them, and was co-produced with residents and partners. The vision statement is:

  Work together with kindness, creativity and determination to break the cycle of poverty and inequality, so that everyone of us can live a good life and reach our full potential.

  The report pack includes the Consultation and Engagement Summary Report and the Implementation Plan.

• Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Partial Review

  The report pack includes a paper regarding a consultation on proposed revisions to the Tower Hamlets Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule. The council adopted the current schedule in April 2015, with a revision in 2020, but is now considering the introduction of a new rate for Research & Development (R&D) uses.

  The proposal is to introduce a rate of £117 per square metre for R&D developments. According to the report pack, a viability assessment commissioned in 2024 found that this rate is viable and would align with the adopted Local Plan. The Draft CIL Charging Schedule and supporting documents, including the R&D CIL Study and CIL Funding Gap Statement, are included in the report pack.

• Partial Update to the Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

  The cabinet will consider a report regarding a partial update to the Planning Obligations SPD. According to the report pack, planning obligations are legal agreements between developers and the council to mitigate the impacts of development proposals. The SPD provides guidance on how these obligations are secured.

  The proposed update includes revisions to the Monitoring and Development Coordination Fees and the Mansard Roof Contribution. The draft updated SPD, Equalities Impact Assessment, and Consultation Statement are included in the report pack.

• Planning for School Places 2025/26 Review and Recommendations

  The cabinet will consider the annual review of pupil place planning in Tower Hamlets. The report explains the current position on school place provision, projected demand, and steps to manage sufficiency and sustainability. It also informs decisions on education capital investment and commissioning of places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

  According to the report pack, pupil numbers in primary schools have been falling since 2018/19, and this is anticipated to continue. The report pack also notes that there has been a steady increase in demand for Year 7 entry, but that this growth is now understood to have peaked in 2023/24.

• Community Safety Partnership Plan 2025-2028

  The cabinet will consider the Community Safety Partnership Plan, which is required under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The plan sets out how the council, fire service, police, probation service and NHS ICB will work together to tackle crime and disorder locally. The Annual Strategic Needs Assessment 2023-2024 has informed the development of the plan.

• Budget Monitoring 2025/26 – Quarter 2

  The cabinet will review the budget monitoring report for Quarter 2 of 2025/26. The report provides an overview of the council's financial performance and progress against savings targets.

• Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2025-2028

  The cabinet will review the Youth Justice Strategic Plan, which outlines the strategic priorities and goals of the Youth Justice Executive Board. The plan highlights progress made over the past year and sets out ambitions and objectives for the next three years.

Other items on the agenda include:

• Approval of the minutes from the previous cabinet meeting.
• Announcements from Mayor Lutfur Rahman.
• An update from the Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Abdul Wahid, on key issues and questions relevant to the reports under consideration.
• A public question and answer session.

It is not possible to determine from the agenda or reports pack whether any of these items will be discussed, or what decisions the council will make.