The Tower Hamlets Cabinet met on 18 June 2025, and made decisions on a number of key issues, including the adoption of new design guidelines for mansard roof extensions in conservation areas, the approval of corporate performance measures, and the commissioning of rough sleeping support services. They also approved a six-month extension to the 0-5 Public Health Nursing Services contract and agreed to exclude one supplier from domiciliary care service contracts due to serious concerns raised by a forensic report.

Here's a more detailed look at the topics discussed:

Mansard Roof Extensions and Character Appraisal

The Cabinet approved new and updated design guidelines for mansard roof extensions and revised Character Appraisal and Management Plans (CAMPs) for five conservation areas in Bow: Clinton Road, Driffield Road, Medway, Ropery Street and Tredegar Square. The aim is to balance residents' needs for additional living space with the importance of preserving the historic character of the borough.

Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding, introduced the report, highlighting the opportunity for families to extend their homes and remain rooted in the community. He emphasised that the guidelines set out clear design principles to manage change sensitively and consistently across the conservation areas.

A representative of the residents' campaign group spoke in favour of the proposals, emphasising the need for more space for growing families and the environmental benefits of improving the insulation of older Victorian housing stock. They also praised the innovative streetscape fund, which would see some of the money spent back in the community to improve the streets and the heritage of the neighbourhoods.

The cabinet authorised the Corporate Director for Housing and Regeneration to make any necessary factual or graphic design changes prior to publishing the final documents.

2025-2026 KPI and Target Setting

The Cabinet approved the proposed corporate performance measures and associated targets for 2025/26, as part of the council's Strategic Plan 2022-26¹. The number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will increase from 56 to 60, with some KPIs being removed or adjusted.

Ayesha Hakim Rahman, Deputy Director, Strategy, Improvement & Transformation, explained that the new KPIs would highlight key areas such as Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments, young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), and community safety. She noted that the KPI setting process included enhanced involvement from the overview and scrutiny members, with a dedicated workshop held on 14 April 2025.

The cabinet noted that the proposed corporate performance measures and associated targets incorporate suggestions from the Overview and Scrutiny Session held on 14 April 2025.

Commissioning of Core Rough Sleeping Services

The Cabinet approved the procurement of a two-lot framework to deliver specialist services to support people rough sleeping in Tower Hamlets. The anticipated value of the four-year contract is £9,280,000, with funding coming from both general funds and anticipated grant funding.

The decision was made after some discussion and clarification regarding the contract length. It was agreed that the recommendation would be amended to specify a 1+1+1+1 year structure, subject to available grant funding, to ensure flexibility and protect the council's financial commitments.

0-5 Public Health Nursing Services Contract Extension

The Cabinet authorised the Corporate Director, Children’s Services to extend the existing 0-5 Public Health Contract for a period of six months. This extension is needed to allow sufficient time to share tender papers with the mayor's office and prepare the award report for Cabinet. The extension period for the new 0-5 Public Health nursing contract will be exercised as 2x6 month periods.

Domiciliary Care Services Direct Award of contracts

The Cabinet agreed to exclude one supplier, referred to as supplier A , from the direct award of domiciliary care service contracts, following a review of options and recommendations set out in an exempt appendix. This decision was based on serious concerns raised by a forensic report, including poor governance, lack of controls, and disputed overpayments. The Cabinet agreed to pursue option B, which involves making direct awards to other incumbent suppliers (B to E) to cover interim arrangements.

Councillor Sabina Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, stated that the decision to exclude supplier A was the best choice to protect the council and service users.

Contract Forward Plan – Q4 – FY 2024-2025

The Cabinet reviewed and noted the contracts set out in the Contract Forward Plan for Q4 of FY 2024-2025. They confirmed that all listed reports may proceed to contract award by the appropriate Corporate Director following consultation with the Mayor after an appropriate procurement exercise.

The contracts included:

• Removal, Storage and Disposal of Abandoned Vehicles and Vehicles Parked in Contravention of Traffic Regulations
• Liquid HVO and Diesel Vehicle Fuel Supply
• Advertising Services Contract
• Child Case Management System
• Remote Processing Framework
• Translation and Interpretation Language Services

Conversion to Academy Status: Virginia Community Primary School

The Cabinet noted the decision of the Secretary of State for Education to approve the application from the Governing Body of Virginia Community Primary School to convert to academy status. They delegated authority to the Corporate Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, to manage the conversion process. The council will enter into a commercial transfer agreement and grant a 125-year lease for a peppercorn rent to the London East Teacher Training Alliance (LETTA) Trust².

Other Matters

Mayor Lutfur Rahman raised concerns about a recent incident of vandalism at the Newmarket car park, where several cars were damaged. He requested a report from officers on the incident and measures to prevent future occurrences.