Update from the Board: July 2025 CLH London Report

As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and securing permanently affordable homes in Newham, we are sharing the latest insights and progress updates from the Community Led Housing (CLH) London July 2025 report.

Key Takeaways from the Report

• Blake Road Design & Planning: Slow-moving site investigations (essential for foundation design and flood mitigation) are now complete. We are awaiting the consultant’s report so Citizen Design Bureau can progress the design works, aiming for a pre-application planning submission this autumn.
• Blake Road Lease Secured: Great news—our amendments to the lease have been approved by Newham Council! We are just awaiting a response on the Agreement for Lease before we are in a position to sign.
• 65 Fords Park Road Community Garden: A massive job to clear rubbish and build new shelters and seating is complete, thanks to the charity Build Up, PEACH, Newham Council, and local young people. We are now planning how to use the garden for autumn planting.
• Fords Park Road Community Building: Design for All has finished initial feasibility designs, which were well-received by the resident working group. While initial costings were quoted around £1m, consultants advised this will inevitably come down to around £500k as the design progresses.

“Having both of these [the Agreement to Lease and pre-app] in place before progressing the discussion will help any potential partners/funders to engage seriously in the project, and make securing funding much easier.”

CLH London, July 2025 Report

Next Steps for Our Sites

For Blake Road, we are holding off on fixed delivery and tenure proposals until the pre-application stage in the autumn, with a public conversation likely taking place around September. For Fords Park Road, our immediate next step is to complete an operational business plan for running the community space in partnership with PEACH. This will determine our borrowing capacity for the refurbishment and allow us to go to the Council cabinet to approve the disposal of the site.

Call for support: There are many funding opportunities out there for small grants to transform the community garden and run activities. If you have any availability to help write funding bids or ideas for activities to run, please get in touch!