Dramatic changes for Keats House car park are on the way

Plans to build affordable flats on the car park opposite the London Buddhist Centre are going strong as they pass into their next consultation stage. However, the design of the five-storey building that will provide 11 new affordable homes is not yet set in stone, as the consultation period does not end until 24 January 2019. If the proposal is successful, the car park could be looking at a dramatic transformation as early as winter 2019.

Addressing the problem of affordable living, London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council is developing plans to construct a five storey building with 11 residential units on the car park between Keats House and Globe Road. The units will incorporate cycle parking facilities, wheelchair access, and developed refuse and recycling storage. Attractively, the plans insist that the development will be 100% affordable housing.

With more than 19,000 people registered in need of housing in Tower Hamlets, and an expected waiting time for a two bedroom house extending to a possible 12 years, the possibility of cheaper housing is a pleasing element to the council’s proposal.

According to the Tower Hamlets Council building proposal, the new homes, with sizes varying from one- to three- bedrooms, will be let on 50% social rents or 50% Tower Hamlets living rents, which is more beneficial for struggling families on lower incomes. Private sector rents are up to three times as much as social rents, so this building opportunity could be largely advantageous for the community.

In the first consultation, held in June 2018, the feedback was largely positive. Many were pleased with the housing scheme’s priority of reachable and affordable housing. The redevelopment of the site was also seen as an opportunity to deter any current anti-social behaviour on the site as the new massing will allow for a well lit and safe route between Sceptre Road and Globe Road.

The above image shows how the design team have altered their plans after consulting with the local authority. They have dramatically adjusted the massing on the corner. The current proposed massing now leaves more space for the locally-known monument and public walkway.

The fifth storey has been altered to move away from Keats House to encourage a more natural look and continue the four storey building line. As the new homes will sit opposite the tall and striking London Buddhist Centre, the design team has shown plans to mimic and enhance this, using similar colours: traditional red brick and white banding.

Have something you’d like to change or add? The design isn’t yet finished and the consultation end date is 24 January 2019, so there is still time to make your opinions known. The local community can make a comment on the Tower Hamlets Council Planning Consultation, to be reviewed and assessed later.

If you liked this article, you might enjoy St. Margaret’s House proposed expansion.