12/08/2020
London Borough of Tower Hamlets has granted planning permission for Poplar HARCA to build 22 new homes at Leaside Business Centre, on Gillender Street.
This development will also include new commercial, community and green space.
We recognise that current Red Box business tenants who work from Leaside contribute a lot to the local community. That’s why many of them have benefited from sub-market rents. We have to balance these competing priorities to deliver the maximum benefit to our residents, which often means taking very difficult decisions. This project necessitates existing businesses moving from the Red Box workspace.
We don’t ever underestimate the difficulties moving entails, whether a home or a business. But in order to deliver more new homes, we have to use our existing resources, including land, as effectively as possible. We have been publicising, consulting on and having individual conversations about this project since June 2019. We have offered help to find suitable, alternative premises for every tenant. Covid-19 has obviously made things more difficult, and so we have extended the notice given to these businesses to five months.
New workspace will sit within the existing Grade 2 listed Bromley Hall and Old Poplar Library on this site. Once the development completes in 2022, businesses will be able to work from here and the public will again be able to visit this historic local landmark.
Poplar HARCA reinvests every penny it receives from any source into building and maintaining homes, and providing community and housing services. This includes all profits from the sale of properties. You can read more about what we do including our community centres, new homes and places, community regeneration and community news.
Click here to read more about support for our business tenants during the pandemic.