Bridges, boats and batting: What’s in store for Tower Hamlets in 2025

Building new homes is always on the agenda in Tower Hamlets, but 2025 sees some new infrastructure that will ease the lives of existing residents.

Development in London never stops and in the East End, it’s no different. Tower Hamlets can expect big changes in 2025, including the completion of a cricket square in Victoria Park, an upcoming public inquiry which will determine whether the Chinese government can build an embassy in the borough, and the first phase of the redevelopment of the former Westferry Printworks site will begin this year.

Tower Hamlets Council will press forward with the demolition of Harriott, Apsley and Pattison Houses, and the Redcoat Community Centre to deliver 407 homes and the re-provision of the community centre.

Meanwhile, in December 2024, Tower Hamlets Council regained planning powers from the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and will decide on major plans in some parts of Bromley by Bow and Fish Island for the first time in over 12 years. 

From completed schemes to ongoing projects, here are the key developments Tower Hamlets residents can expect to see in 2025.

First ever cricket square and pitch to open in Victoria Park

In June 2025, Tower Hamlets is set to welcome a brand new grass cricket pitch and cricket square in Victoria Park. The council has been working with the England & Wales Cricket Board, Middlesex Cricket in the Community, and London Cricket Trust to develop the grass cricket pitch.

Tower Hamlets is one of the largest growth areas for cricket in London, and the facility aims to increase the uptake and opportunities for children, young people, and adults of all genders and backgrounds. The council and its partners are planning on investing £150,000 in cricket facilities across the borough until 2026.

Tower Hamlets Mayor, Lutfur Rahman, said at the time: ‘A natural turf pitch enables players to develop and improve on their game. With work underway to create our very first grass cricket pitch at Victoria Park, I am confident that residents of all ages and backgrounds will have opportunities to play at the very highest standard of the sport.’

Shahidul Alam Ratan, a founding member of Tower Hamlets Cricket Club, told The Slice he has been campaigning for the club to have a home ground since 2009. ‘It’s great news for local residents,’ he said, ‘Tower Hamlets CC now will have a home ground and cricket will be flourishing going forward.’  

Public inquiry to be held over Chinese embassy

An appointed Inspector is set to open a public inquiry in February 2025, where representations that are both for and against a Chinese embassy being built in Tower Hamlets will be heard. 

Following the inquiry, Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Minister, Angela Rayner, will ultimately decide whether to approve the plans or not after she called in the application in October 2024.

Last month (December 2024), Tower Hamlets Council rejected the plans for a second time, citing security concerns over the embassy site attracting potentially large crowds of protesters, and the impact this could have on nearby historical landmarks as well as on tourists and nearby residents.

The purpose of last month’s planning meeting was to establish the council’s position on the plans ahead of the public inquiry and to see what the committee would have decided had they still been in charge of the final decision. 

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy previously said the resubmitted planning application was of a ‘high-quality development scheme’ and ‘has taken into full consideration the UK’s planning policy and guidance as well as opinions of all relevant parties’.

First phase of Westferry Printworks redevelopment

In August 2024, the council’s Strategic Development Committee approved plans to build more than 1,300 homes and a new secondary school on the former Westferry Printworks site. 

According to council documents, phase one of the project is expected to begin in 2025 and will see 459 homes built, of which 100 of these will be ‘affordable’.

The next three phases would start in 2026, 2027 and 2028 respectively to build the remainder of the homes. The secondary school is set to be built by the Department for Education (DfE) and is expected to be constructed between the years of 2024 and 2026.

In total 379 out of 1,358 homes will be classed as ‘affordable’, with the remainder for private sale. The scheme, from Westferry Development Ltd, will also deliver 230 family-sized homes across all tenures. 

The plans mark the third planning application that has been submitted for the 15-acre site, located on the Isle of Dogs, in eight years.

The council previously turned down two planning applications for the site from Northern & Shell, which the company Westferry Development also belongs to. 

During the most recent public consultation phase, 6,820 letters were sent out to nearby residents and owners. The plans received 968 responses in support of the development while 51 people had objected to the plans.

Council’s largest housing development scheme

In June 2024, the council’s development committee approved plans to demolish Harriott, Apsley and Pattison Houses and the Redcoat Community Centre in Stepney Green to provide 407 new homes and re-provision of the community centre. 

As part of the project, the council is re-providing 36 existing social rented homes and 28 homes for leaseholders.

Out of the remaining 343 homes that will be built on site, 40.5% are set to be ‘affordable’, which is excluding the re-provided homes. Of the social rented homes, 63% aim to be family-sized, which are three-bed and four-bed properties.

Meanwhile, 56% of homes within the intermediate tenure (discounted rent or shared ownership) also aim to be family-sized. The development, which has been designed by the architects, PRP, will also provide communal gardens, car parking and secure cycle and refuse storage, with building work set to start in summer 2025.

Bridge connecting Tower Hamlets and Newham

The Mayer Parry Bridge is due to open in March 2025 and will connect Tower Hamlets with neighbouring Newham. 

IDXS Limited is contributing £1m to the delivery of the bridge as part of the £750m data centre project in Canning Town which will see a massive data centre built while also generating power for 13,000 homes across Newham and Tower Hamlets. 

The bridge will connect Leven Road in Poplar with the Leaway, Canning Town in Newham. On the Tower Hamlets side, the bridge will land in the new Leven Road development. On the Newham side, it will land in the public piazza on the Segro site.

Silvertown Tunnel connecting Greenwich and Newham to open 

The new Silvertown Tunnel connecting Newham with the Greenwich Peninsula will open on 7 April 2025.

The tunnel has been designed to alleviate congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel, which Tfl say will result in faster journeys at busy times as well as improved air quality with the Victorian era Blackwall Tunnel ‘not built for today’s high traffic volumes’. 

Plans for the tunnel have come under criticism however due to a proposed user charge, which is also being implemented at the Blackwall Tunnel. A petition against the charge has reached over 42,000 signatures.  

Orbit Clipper ferry service 

The UK’s first all-electric ferry service, the Orbit Clipper, will start ferrying passengers between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe starting in March 2025. 

Part of the Uber boat fleet, the Orbit Clipper will have capacity for 150 passengers and 150 bikes. It will cross the river every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends, and predicts to carry 20,000 passengers every weekday.

There will also be a new pier extension at Canary Wharf designed to make the ferry more accessible for cyclists and those with disabilities. 

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