In a delegated Officer Key Decision, Newham Council has approved the award of a contract for enabling works at James Riley Point on the Carpenters Estate to General Demolition Ltd. The works are required to prepare the building for future construction as part of Phase 1 of the Carpenters masterplan.

James Riley Point Enabling Works Contract

The Corporate Director of Inclusive Economy and Housing, in consultation with the Lead Member for Inclusive Economy and Housing Delivery and Climate Emergency, and the Lead member for Housing Services, has approved the award of the James Riley Point Enabling Works Contract to General Demolition Ltd for £2,142,554.

The report notes that five tenders were received and evaluated based on a 40% quality, 50% price, and 10% social value weighting. General Demolition Ltd achieved the highest overall score, demonstrating a strong combination of quality, social value, and competitive pricing.

The enabling works are necessary to prepare the existing building for future construction works, forming part of Phase 1 of the Carpenters masterplan, which is located on the Carpenters Estate in the Stratford Ward. The section 106 agreement is in place and the main works are being procured separately.

The report explains that vacant possession of James Riley Point has not been achieved, with one leaseholder remaining in the building. To address this, an exclusion zone has been approved, allowing the works to commence while providing safe access to the remaining leaseholder. Once vacant possession is achieved, the contractor will undertake the remaining works.

The delivery of homes will supply 132 new affordable rent homes and replace 4 leaseholder properties, kickstarting the development phases of the Carpenter’s Estate masterplan. The council expects that the successful contractor will pay the London Living Wage and demonstrate social investment in line with Towards a Better Newham and the Council’s Recovery and Reorientation Plan¹.

Alternative options, such as demolishing and rebuilding the tower block, were considered but rejected. Residents strongly opposed demolition, and it was deemed unlikely to deliver as many homes as the current consent, nor was it considered a low-carbon solution. Delaying the enabling works was also considered but rejected due to potential programme delays and the need for early-stage existing condition survey information for the designers of the main works project.

The decision to award the contract was made by the Corporate Director of Inclusive Economy and Housing, following previous Cabinet approvals in March 2021 and February 2025 relating to the proposed Enabling Works.