The Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub Committee is scheduled to meet on 8 December 2025, to discuss housing delivery, regeneration and infrastructure priorities, and the housing options transformation programme. The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall in Whitechapel. Members of the public are encouraged to watch the meeting online.

Regeneration and Infrastructure Priorities

The sub committee is scheduled to discuss regeneration and infrastructure priorities to support housing delivery.

The report pack includes details of the council's future places plan, which is designed to promote Tower Hamlets' development opportunities. The council has engaged Arup to lead this project. The plan is intended to:

Tell a clear and coherent story about the London Borough of Tower Hamlets' vision for regeneration, consistent with the emerging local plan.

The Corporate Director for Housing & Regeneration is expected to launch the report at MIPIM 2026[^2].

The report pack also mentions the Lower Lea Valley regeneration project, a collaboration between Tower Hamlets, Newham, Transport for London, and the Greater London Authority. The aim is to unlock infrastructure delivery in the Lower Lea Valley.

Other regeneration initiatives that are scheduled to be discussed include:

• The Whitechapel Road Improvement Programme.
• The Middlesex Street Regeneration Programme.
• The Mayor's Air Quality Fund, which will fund public realm and greening initiatives near schools in areas with the worst air quality.

The council's infrastructure plan and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) are also scheduled for discussion. The IDP is an evidence base supporting the Local Plan, formed by internal teams, external partners, Local Plan evidence, and bespoke evidence. It looks at the spatial nature of requirements, when they are needed, and a broad estimate of costs per project up to 2038.

The report pack identifies a future funding gap of £130m up to 2038 and suggests ways to close the funding gap, such as cost reduction and maximising grant income.

Housing Delivery Update

The sub committee is scheduled to receive a housing delivery update.

The council's housebuilding programme comprises approximately 3,700 homes across more than 50 sites. The council is on course to acquire 237 buy back properties in 2025/26 and has received an indicative offer from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to fund the purchase of a further 106 Temporary Accommodation homes.

Since April 2022, 307 new homes have been delivered across 21 sites. There are 600 homes with planning permission ready to start on site, and 3000 in pipeline sites. The council has invested c£350m in the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) business plan to support housing growth.

Examples of housing delivery include:

• Heylyn Square, which delivered 32 new build family-sized homes.
• O'Brien Garages, which provided affordable homes addressing diverse housing needs.

The council is also purchasing properties through the Council Housing Acquisition Programme (CHAP). In 2025/26, the council aims to secure 200 homes through this programme.

The Mayor's Accelerated Housing Programme is expected to deliver over 3,000 homes.

Housing Options Transformation Programme

The Housing Options Transformation Programme is scheduled to be discussed, although the report pack does not contain any details about what this discussion will entail.