The Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Sub-Committee met to discuss the Local Plan update, review commercial asset use, and examine social landlord performance and the anti-social behaviour strategy. Key decisions included the endorsement of the Local Plan update, which proposes increased affordable housing requirements and a more permissive approach to tall buildings, and the review of recommendations for improving the management of the council's commercial assets.

Local Plan Update

Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding, presented an update on the Local Plan, highlighting its significance as the council's most important planning document. The plan aims to address overcrowding and related inequalities, setting out a strategic vision for growth across the borough. Key proposed policy changes include an increase in the affordable housing requirement from 35% to 40%, with a greater emphasis on social rented homes, and a more permissive approach to tall buildings, including the introduction of Zone F. The plan is expected to support the delivery of 52,000 homes by 2038.

During the discussion, concerns were raised about the potential impact of government proposals to reduce affordable housing targets to 20% and the implications for the council's ambitious plans. Officers explained that the Local Plan's timeframe extends beyond these proposed temporary measures and that the council would strongly lobby against such proposals. The viability of developments and the evidence base supporting the council's higher affordable housing targets were discussed, with assurances that individual applications would be assessed on their merits. The work undertaken to assess the suitability of tall buildings, including heritage impact assessments and consultation with Historic England, was also detailed. The Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) was mentioned as a mechanism to support planned growth, though questions were raised about its funding.

Review of Commercial Assets

The committee reviewed a report on the council's commercial assets, which stemmed from a series of meetings and site visits over the summer and autumn. Six recommendations were put forward to improve the management and utilisation of these assets for borough regeneration. A key recommendation was to review the council's approval process for new commercial tenants to speed up the process and maximise rental income. Other recommendations included reviewing the resources allocated to the Asset Management Team, developing performance metrics for regeneration projects, improving relationships with the private sector, understanding reasons for long-term vacancies, and enhancing transparency regarding property vacancies.

Councillor Asma Islam raised a concern about potential conflicts between the objective of securing the highest bid for commercial properties and the need to best meet the needs of the local community, suggesting a shift towards curating services rather than solely focusing on financial bids. Officers acknowledged this, stating that while best value legislation must be adhered to, there is scope to consider the local function and importance of retail units, such as those providing fresh produce.

Social Landlord Performance Report for Quarter 1

Mubin Choudhury, Performance Officer, presented the social landlord performance report for Quarter 1 of 2025/26. The report detailed the performance of registered providers (RPs) across various metrics, including decent homes, repairs completion, safety checks (gas, fire, asbestos, water, lifts), complaints, anti-social behaviour (ASB), re-lets, and vacant units.

The council's own performance was highlighted, showing improvement in decent homes and ASB reporting, with a new hotline launched for complaints and leaseholder properties. Among RPs, Poplar HARCA, Providence Row, and Spitalfields reported zero percent non-decent homes. Spitalfields, Poplar HARCA, Gateway, and Providence completed over 90% of emergency and non-emergency repairs on time. Most RPs achieved over 99% gas safety compliance. Concerns were raised regarding Gateway Housing Association's lower asbestos safety check rate, which officers committed to following up on. The issue of lift breakdowns, particularly with Sanctuary Housing, was a significant point of discussion, with members expressing frustration over prolonged repair times. Officers explained that while the council is not the landlord, they actively engage with RPs and can escalate concerns, advising residents to follow formal complaint procedures. The committee suggested formally writing to RPs and the Tower Hamlets Housing Forum (HOOF) to raise these persistent issues.

Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy

Leo Hutchinson, Strategy and Policy Manager, presented the proposed Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Policy for 2026. The policy aims to clarify the council's approach to preventing, addressing, and resolving ASB, following the integration of Tower Hamlets Housing services. A consultation was conducted with residents and professionals to inform the policy's development.

Key findings from resident surveys indicated that a significant number of people did not report ASB they experienced, and for those who did, satisfaction with the response varied. Residents expressed a desire for more dedicated officers, visible patrols, and improved noise monitoring and CCTV. Professionals highlighted the need for strengthened multi-agency partnership working, updated processes, and clearer feedback channels. The policy proposes five key priorities: prevention and early intervention, support for victims and witnesses, multi-agency partnership working, case management, and proportional enforcement.

Suggestions from the committee included ensuring clear communication channels for residents to report ASB, aligning the policy with residents' experiences of reporting to housing officers, and ensuring the distribution of ASB officers reflects areas with the highest need. Councillor Asma Islam suggested re-issuing the survey to gather more feedback from underrepresented wards and ensuring the strategy integrates existing council initiatives. Councillor Abdul Mannan proposed a single system and number for reporting ASB across all RPs and the council to simplify the process for residents. Officers confirmed discussions are underway with RPs to explore them buying into the council's ASB service.