Tower Hamlets Council has signalled it wants to build new homes and a community centre on a patch of open space at Cressy Place, in the Tinsley Road area near Stepney Green — and residents have until October 22 to have their say.
The council has published a formal notice announcing its intention to “appropriate” the land under section 122(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972, a legal mechanism that allows local authorities to repurpose land they own — including open space — for planning purposes such as housing.
The notice, dated September 16 and signed by chief executive Allan Richard Ward, invites representations or objections from members of the public before the council proceeds.
Anyone wishing to comment must write to Imelda Burke, Housing Supply Team, Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BJ, or email imelda.burke@towerhamlets.gov.uk, by October 22.
The Cressy Place site sits in a residential pocket of Stepney, close to Stepney Green Underground station and the busy Mile End Road. Like many inner-London neighbourhoods, the area has seen intense development pressure in recent years, with former industrial sites and railway arches giving way to new homes.
What does ‘appropriation’ mean?
Under section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972, a council can “appropriate” land it owns — changing its designated use — for any purpose it is authorised to pursue, such as providing housing. Where the land counts as open space, subsection (2A) requires the council to advertise its intention in a local newspaper for two consecutive weeks and to consider any objections before going ahead.
Objectors do not need to use legal language. The council is required to consider all representations — whether they raise concerns about the loss of open space, the principle of building on the site, or the type of homes and community facilities proposed.
Importantly, appropriation is not the same as planning permission. Even if the council appropriates the Cressy Place land, a separate planning application would still be needed before any homes or community centre could be built — and that application would be subject to its own public consultation.
The open space question
The notice describes the land as open space, a designation that gives it a degree of protection in planning law. Councils can only appropriate open space after advertising the proposal and considering objections — a safeguard designed to ensure such land is not repurposed without public scrutiny.
In a borough as built-up as Tower Hamlets, where private gardens are rare and public parks are heavily used, even small pockets of open land can matter to residents. The council will need to weigh that against the pressing need for new homes.
Why the council wants the land
Tower Hamlets is one of the most densely populated boroughs in the country, and the pressure for new homes is acute. The council has increasingly looked to small parcels of council-owned land — including former garages, infill sites and pockets of open space — to deliver new housing where larger development sites are scarce.
The capital as a whole is struggling to meet its housebuilding targets, with London’s 558,000-home target falling short, while rents in the capital have hit a record £2,825 a month, underlining the demand for genuinely affordable homes.
How to have your say
Residents who want to object — or to support the principle of new homes while raising concerns about the details — should make their views known before the deadline. Representations can be brief; the key is to explain clearly how the proposal affects you or your community.
- Deadline: October 22
- Write to: Imelda Burke, Housing Supply Team, Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BJ
- Email: imelda.burke@towerhamlets.gov.uk
- Quote: the Cressy Place appropriation notice (dated September 16)
It is not the only land-use battle in the borough. In Stepney, the Genesis Cinema has taken its fight against student flats to a planning inquiry, after Tower Hamlets refused permission for the scheme.
What happens next
After October 22, the council will consider the representations it has received before deciding whether to proceed with the appropriation. If it goes ahead, the land’s designated use would change to allow housing and community use.
That would not be the end of the story. Detailed designs for the homes and community centre would still need planning permission, triggering a fresh round of consultation in which neighbours are notified and can comment on issues such as height, density, daylight, traffic and the mix of homes.
