Tower Hamlets fails on green space, say campaigners

Tower Hamlets’ failure to address inadequate access to green space in its Local Plan early engagement proposals is a health crisis in the making.

CPRE London has written in response to Tower Hamlets’ early engagement consultation on its Local Plan saying the absence of proposals to tackle the lack of green and open space is unacceptable. Read our full consultation response here CPRE London Tower Hamlets Local Plan March 2023.

We urge local residents to submit their own views by the deadline 8 March 2023. Those wishing to have their say can email localplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk by 8 March. We suggest saying “I want the borough to address the lack of green space in the borough and deliver more green space and less grey space – and I want to see the Draft Local Plan include specific proposals for at least 3 major new parks in the borough and many more smaller green spaces, to be created from grey space.” You can find the consultation documents here: download the low resolution document on the right.

We have said we have significant concerns about the failure of early engagement consultation to put forward proposals to address green and open space deficiency in Tower Hamlets. We are also concerned about proposals for major developments which would lead to further reduction in the amount of green space per person, making matters significantly worse, and leaving huge numbers of people without even formal or informal space for sports or recreation.

• The consultation recognises that as of 2016/17, there was a total of 0.89 ha per 1,000 residents, significantly less than the local open space standard of 1.2 ha per 1000 residents. The council indicates the population is set to increase with 34,700 new homes, or roughly 100,000 more residents. However no significant large new areas of green space are planned and there is no strategy for creating smaller green spaces e.g. ‘streetparks’ (converting grey space to green space or mini parks) either.
• Some areas of the borough earmarked for new high-density housing are already home to major new high-rise housing development with very little or no provision for green or open amenity space. For new and existing residents in these areas, the lack of access to any green space is unacceptable.

The purpose of the Local Plan review is not simply to identify space for new homes: it must deliver sustainable patterns of development. A failure to plan for adequate green and open space contravenes London and national planning policy. Even more concerning, evidence shows people who will, as a result of these proposals, live without adequate access to green and outdoor facilities will be less healthy and less happy. The ‘town cramming’ which is emerging in parts of the borough, is set to be worsened by the proposals set out in the early engagement document, and this is a health crisis in the making.

Without clear proposals for creation of new green and open space, we believe Planning Inspectors should not, in good faith, deem Tower Hamlets’ Local Plan sound as it will not be delivering sustainable patterns of development and will be contradicting national and London policy.

Too many roads, not enough green spaces. Tower Hamlets must tackle this head on.

We have put forward proposals for how the borough can address these issues which, we have said, should be included in the next version of the plan, including pointing to roads and roundabouts which can be reconfigured to deliver much need green and open space.

This is a once in a generation opportunity for the town planners of Tower Hamlets to transform the hostile, road-dominated environment in the south of the borough into a humane green place with space for sports and recreation for residents of this very densely populated area and the council must tackle this head on.