Brick Lane Central masterplan SPD

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Thank you for visiting our webpage. The online survey has now closed. If you would like a printed copy to fill in, please drop by the Tower Hamlets Town Hall at 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ.

This page will be updated regularly with more information about engagement events to be held in Summer 2023. In the meantime, please hit the ‘subscribe’ button mid-way down the column on the right side of this page, or register at bricklanemasterplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk for further updates.

Welcome to the engagement page for the Brick Lane Central masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has commissioned Muf architecture/art, assisted by academic and architect Shahed Saleem, to develop a new masterplan for an area we have called ‘Brick Lane Central’ in Spitalfields and Banglatown.

Why is this SPD needed?

Brick Lane is an internationally recognised area with a rich and diverse history. Its heritage buildings, restaurants and shops, markets and businesses, and most notably, its people, make up its vibrant character. The area is of special significance to the Bangladeshi community, who form a large portion of the local population. It is also a highly central and urban area that has constantly evolved over time, experiencing particularly rapid change in recent years.

A strong commercial hub has evolved around the Truman Brewery Estate, with a fashion, food and drink, entertainment, and creative industry focus. Whilst these uses reflect the area’s role as a town centre, certain challenges have arisen around Brick Lane. These include development pressures that have affected the local community, and balancing competing needs and priorities, with many local residents and businesses expressing concern about the nature and direction of development in the cultural heart of Banglatown.

In response to the scale and pace at which change has occurred in the area, and while Brick Lane Central is generally designated as a commercial area, the council is exploring ways in which we could maximise opportunities for appropriate, and where possible, social and affordable residential development. This process is designed to ensure that local communities can remain in their area, and to deepen the involvement of the community in the development process, through a new masterplan for the Spitalfields and Banglatown area.

A detailed masterplan is required to respond to existing challenges and provide guidance to help manage change in the area.

How we are involving the community?

As part of the early engagement strategy, we are in the process of holding a series of preliminary workshops, meetings, and discussions. The purpose of this is to set out the aims, scope, and programme of the project, and to understand the objectives and concerns of all stakeholders. This will inform the shape, content, and direction of the masterplan.

To shape the masterplan, during May and early June 2023 we are holding a series of meetings and discussions with key stakeholders including landowners, community groups, local businesses, and residents’ groups, as well as public events including a street stall and an online webinar. These will help us deepen our understanding of local aspirations, concerns and priorities, and will place particular emphasis on hearing from those whose voices may not have historically taken part in planning consultations, but who are affected by changes to the Brick Lane area.

We held the following public events during May and June 2023:

In-person info and Q&A session

  • We hosted an-person public meeting from 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023 at the Brady Arts & Community Centre (192-196 Hanbury St, London E1 5HU). This took the form of a short presentation followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Online webinar

  • We hosted an online webinar from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday 1 June 2023. The webinar was open to anyone who has an interest in the Brick Lane Central masterplan SPD. At this online meeting, LBTH officers were present to discuss the project and respond to any comments or queries.

Pop-up stall

Online survey

We put together an online survey which was open until Sunday 4 June 2023 (which was formally closed 5pm Monday 5 June 2023 to allow late submissions).

At this stage, early engagement will be followed by a formal ‘statutory consultation’, where all stakeholders will be invited to comment on the Draft Masterplan, either in writing or via workshops and events.

How does this SPD relate to the Local Plan and what influence can it have?

The Tower Hamlets Local Plan (2031) was adopted in 2020 and the London Plan in 2021. These overarching frameworks contain several spatial polices, development management policies and site allocations to guide and manage development in the borough – including housing, open space, and town centres, and so on.

Whilst the Local Plan sets out the borough’s strategy and objectives for planning policy in the Brick Lane area, the masterplan will be developed to provide additional, detailed guidance, that has been refined based on existing policies.

The proposed masterplan will be developed in a manner that will allow the borough to adopt its findings into a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The finished SPD will be a key document for the delivery of many of the priorities and objectives of the council for the Brick Lane Central area.

The key principles that will underpin the development and implementation of the masterplan are the delivery of affordable housing and community services, promotion of local businesses and employment, retention and enhancement of history and culture, provision of green and open spaces and urban greening, ensuring cultural sensitivity and cohesion, and providing a forum for community consultation.

Centreing on the Truman Brewery Estate and surrounding street blocks, there may be an opportunity to identify sites with the capacity to deliver new homes, as well as improvements to the area with enhanced green spaces and connections.

What will the SPD’s status be once it’s adopted?

Once complete, the SPD will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for sites within the designated masterplan area. This means that in addition to satisfying the requirements of national, regional, and local planning policies, development proposals will also need to demonstrate how the guidance in the Brick Lane Central SPD has been considered.

The Masterplan Area:



Thank you for visiting our webpage. The online survey has now closed. If you would like a printed copy to fill in, please drop by the Tower Hamlets Town Hall at 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ.

This page will be updated regularly with more information about engagement events to be held in Summer 2023. In the meantime, please hit the ‘subscribe’ button mid-way down the column on the right side of this page, or register at bricklanemasterplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk for further updates.

Welcome to the engagement page for the Brick Lane Central masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has commissioned Muf architecture/art, assisted by academic and architect Shahed Saleem, to develop a new masterplan for an area we have called ‘Brick Lane Central’ in Spitalfields and Banglatown.

Why is this SPD needed?

Brick Lane is an internationally recognised area with a rich and diverse history. Its heritage buildings, restaurants and shops, markets and businesses, and most notably, its people, make up its vibrant character. The area is of special significance to the Bangladeshi community, who form a large portion of the local population. It is also a highly central and urban area that has constantly evolved over time, experiencing particularly rapid change in recent years.

A strong commercial hub has evolved around the Truman Brewery Estate, with a fashion, food and drink, entertainment, and creative industry focus. Whilst these uses reflect the area’s role as a town centre, certain challenges have arisen around Brick Lane. These include development pressures that have affected the local community, and balancing competing needs and priorities, with many local residents and businesses expressing concern about the nature and direction of development in the cultural heart of Banglatown.

In response to the scale and pace at which change has occurred in the area, and while Brick Lane Central is generally designated as a commercial area, the council is exploring ways in which we could maximise opportunities for appropriate, and where possible, social and affordable residential development. This process is designed to ensure that local communities can remain in their area, and to deepen the involvement of the community in the development process, through a new masterplan for the Spitalfields and Banglatown area.

A detailed masterplan is required to respond to existing challenges and provide guidance to help manage change in the area.

How we are involving the community?

As part of the early engagement strategy, we are in the process of holding a series of preliminary workshops, meetings, and discussions. The purpose of this is to set out the aims, scope, and programme of the project, and to understand the objectives and concerns of all stakeholders. This will inform the shape, content, and direction of the masterplan.

To shape the masterplan, during May and early June 2023 we are holding a series of meetings and discussions with key stakeholders including landowners, community groups, local businesses, and residents’ groups, as well as public events including a street stall and an online webinar. These will help us deepen our understanding of local aspirations, concerns and priorities, and will place particular emphasis on hearing from those whose voices may not have historically taken part in planning consultations, but who are affected by changes to the Brick Lane area.

We held the following public events during May and June 2023:

In-person info and Q&A session

  • We hosted an-person public meeting from 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023 at the Brady Arts & Community Centre (192-196 Hanbury St, London E1 5HU). This took the form of a short presentation followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Online webinar

  • We hosted an online webinar from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday 1 June 2023. The webinar was open to anyone who has an interest in the Brick Lane Central masterplan SPD. At this online meeting, LBTH officers were present to discuss the project and respond to any comments or queries.

Pop-up stall

Online survey

We put together an online survey which was open until Sunday 4 June 2023 (which was formally closed 5pm Monday 5 June 2023 to allow late submissions).

At this stage, early engagement will be followed by a formal ‘statutory consultation’, where all stakeholders will be invited to comment on the Draft Masterplan, either in writing or via workshops and events.

How does this SPD relate to the Local Plan and what influence can it have?

The Tower Hamlets Local Plan (2031) was adopted in 2020 and the London Plan in 2021. These overarching frameworks contain several spatial polices, development management policies and site allocations to guide and manage development in the borough – including housing, open space, and town centres, and so on.

Whilst the Local Plan sets out the borough’s strategy and objectives for planning policy in the Brick Lane area, the masterplan will be developed to provide additional, detailed guidance, that has been refined based on existing policies.

The proposed masterplan will be developed in a manner that will allow the borough to adopt its findings into a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The finished SPD will be a key document for the delivery of many of the priorities and objectives of the council for the Brick Lane Central area.

The key principles that will underpin the development and implementation of the masterplan are the delivery of affordable housing and community services, promotion of local businesses and employment, retention and enhancement of history and culture, provision of green and open spaces and urban greening, ensuring cultural sensitivity and cohesion, and providing a forum for community consultation.

Centreing on the Truman Brewery Estate and surrounding street blocks, there may be an opportunity to identify sites with the capacity to deliver new homes, as well as improvements to the area with enhanced green spaces and connections.

What will the SPD’s status be once it’s adopted?

Once complete, the SPD will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for sites within the designated masterplan area. This means that in addition to satisfying the requirements of national, regional, and local planning policies, development proposals will also need to demonstrate how the guidance in the Brick Lane Central SPD has been considered.

The Masterplan Area:



Page last updated: 05 Jun 2023, 05:00 PM