Concerns have been raised by members of the Tower Hamlets community
The Truman Brewery site will be redeveloped(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
After the approval of the ‘controversial’ Truman Brewery redevelopment, Tower Hamlets Council has clarified that homes will not be prioritised for ‘particular ethnic groups’. The Truman Brewery redevelopment in Brick Lane was approved by the Secretary of State, Angela Rayner, following a planning appeal.
In the official decision letter, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, granted permission for the construction of a data centre, a large mixed-use residential and commercial complex, and a new office building, as well as restoration work on the Boiler House.
In the inspector’s report, the development of ‘Block J’ only comprises 44 homes, with only 11 being affordable. The six social rented units were specifically configured as 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom homes and were “arranged to accommodate larger families of Bangladeshi heritage”, following consultations with the local Bangladeshi community. The homes will incorporate design requests such as a separate kitchen and living areas.
These suggestions were implemented to accommodate larger multigenerational families. The Tower Hamlets community were concerned at this reference to homes being designed with a particular ethnic group in mind; however, the council has confirmed that they will be allocated on ‘housing need’ and no ‘particular ethnic group’ will be prioritised.
Save Brick Lane protesters outside the Truman Brewery earlier this year(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
In a statement given to MyLondon, a Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “Affordable homes delivered through the Truman Brewery redevelopment will be allocated based on housing need and eligibility. Any suggestion that homes will be prioritised for particular ethnic groups is incorrect.
“The inclusion of separate kitchen and living spaces in family homes is not a bespoke design for any particular community. The council has long sought this approach for homes with three or more bedrooms as good practice for family households, and it is reflected in London-wide housing design guidance.
“The decision to approve the scheme was made by the Secretary of State following a planning appeal. The Council opposed the development because it does not provide the level of affordable and social housing local people need.”
Homes will be allocated strictly in accordance with the Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme, and the developer has no say in how they are given. Race, ethnicity and nationality are not part of the allocation criteria. At the end of 2024, over 28,000 households were on the waiting list.
The council and the Save Brick Lane campaign both opposed the plans, arguing that a housing development would be a better use of the site. Lutfur Rahman, of the borough’s ruling Aspire Party, said he was concerned about “the impact this development could have on Brick Lane and Banglatown”.
He said: “Tower Hamlets is facing an acute housing crisis, with over 30,000 households on the waiting list and thousands of families living in overcrowded conditions. Against that backdrop, a development of this scale delivering only six homes for social rent falls significantly short of addressing local need.”
The actual distribution of what types of families are decided by Tower Hamlets Council under part 6 of the Housing Act 1996, which states that homes are allocated ‘strictly on housing need’, not ethnicity.
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