The council is considering whether it can instead be used for homelessness accommodation, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

10 Victoria Street (credit Newham Council)

Plans to demolish and rebuild a tower block in Stratford could be ditched, budget papers have revealed.

Newham Council announced it would demolish the tower at 10 Victoria Street in December 2023. Council leaders agreed at the time that it would be replaced with a new one.

However, budget papers set to be discussed tomorrow (Thursday 26th) say this work has been “paused”.

They say the council is considering whether it can be used for homelessness accommodation “on a more longer-term interim basis”.

The tower currently has 218 homes, which are one-bed and studio flats.

Leading councillors agreed in December 2023 that it should be demolished and rebuilt to include more “suitable” homes including two- and three-bed flats.

A council statement at the time said that – although more expensive – this was a better option than refurbishing it.

It said this was because this would “allow the provision of more purpose-built family-sized units, with better outside space for young families”.

The statement also said these homes would be offered to “homeless families” seeking temporary accommodation from the council.

However, budget papers now say the council is considering whether it can be refurbished and used for a longer period of time, pending the outcome of survey works.

They say they are considering whether the building could be used “solely for meeting the council’s temporary accommodation requirements on a more longer-term basis”.

They also say that if refurbishment and retrofit costs would be too high then “demolition works could be brought forward”.

The change was revealed in response to a challenge from councillors on an overview and scrutiny committee. The committee had recomended that the council “cease the demolition and rebuilding of 10 Victoria Street”.

They said the council should instead “repurpose the exisiting building to provide mixed social tenure accommodation for homeless single people and couples”.

The council leadership’s response said that it is working in a “revised business case”. It said that as such no money is currently being spent on the plan to demolish and rebuild the tower.

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