Cressy Place
Update - 30th April 2025
New homes and community centre at Cressy Place – Planning approved
The proposed Cressy Place redevelopment scheme has been approved at the Local Planning Authority’s Development Committee on Thursday, 24th April 2025. The approved scheme (Planning Reference: PA/24/01832) includes 31 new affordable homes for rent, including wheelchair accessible homes and with over half of the homes being family sized, as well as and an improved, purpose-built community centre, designed specifically to meet the needs of the community.
If you would like to view the Planning Application, please click on this link Simple Search and input the Planning Reference number PA/24/01832
The scheme comprises two blocks. Block A is located on the site of the former garage and forecourt and provides residential units on all floors. Block B sits where the existing community centre is located at 2-6 Cressy Place, and provides an improved, purpose-built community centre on the ground floor and residential units on upper floors.
The scheme will deliver 31 new homes, including 17 family sized with three accessible homes. The accessible homes are located on the ground floor, and they will have direct access to their dedicated disabled parking bays. The affordable rents will be split 50/50 between London Affordable Rent (LAR) and Tower Hamlets Living Rent (THLR). This scheme supports the Mayor’s pledge to provide high-quality, affordable homes for rent within the borough.
The new development will significantly improve upon the existing community centre, that was originally created by combining three retail shops. The new modern, purpose-built facility will be designed specifically to meet the needs of the community and support a wide range of activities. Located in a prominent and easily accessible ground-floor position, the new centre will offer an even more functional and inclusive space. In addition, enhancements to the surrounding public realm will improve the overall appearance of the area, promote a stronger sense of safety, and help reduce anti-social behaviour.
The programme going forward
- Demolition of garages: April 2025
- Commencement of construction: 2026
- Completion and handover: 2028
Phases
Consultation Event - April 2023
Cressy Place Proposal - Consultation Events in April 2023
Following our dialogue with residents about the proposal of new homes at Cressy Place in 2021/2022, the Council will be holding two consultation events on the below dates;
DateTimeLocationWednesday 12th April 20234pm - 7pmStepney City Farm, Stepney Way, E1 3DGSaturday 15th April10am - 1pmStifford Centre, 2-6 Cressy Place, E1 3JG
The proposed development provides a total of 31 affordable homes and includes the re-provision of the Stifford Community Centre. 10% of the unit mix is proposed to be wheelchair accessible units located on the ground floor, with allocation for blue badge parking.
The consultation period will run until Sunday 30th April 2023, so if you are unable to make either of the above events you can still use our survey form to tell us your thoughts.
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Cressy Place Proposal - Consultation Material
Welcome to our Public Exhibition.
The Mayor is committed to making Tower Hamlets a place where people can live in high quality and affordable homes. The council will work with developers and housing associations to build a minimum of 1,000 social homes for rent per annum (4,000 over the next four years) with a focus on 3-4 bedroom homes.
This is the third iteration of scheme design. The first design, presented in 2020, was a much larger scheme providing 40 - 45 affordable homes with the inclusion of a new community centre. This was a concept scheme which the Council decided not to pursue. The second design of this scheme was smaller, providing up to 25 affordable homes and no provision of a Community Centre. It is now thought that the site can provide 31 homes now proposed as well as the re-provision of the Community Centre.
The site fronts onto Cressy Place, and is a 3 minute walk away from Stepney Green Station to the North. To the south-east is Stepney Green Park which is a 4 minute walk.
Existing Site
A key guiding key principle of the scheme proposals is optimising the housing potential of the site in a manner respectful of surrounding context and character, particularly of the adjacent Conservation Area to the north and west. Minimising encroachment into the existing green open space is also a key consideration so the proposed building is situated on the existing hard-standing & community centre area, which also reinstates the historical streetscape of Cressy Place.
Neighbouring buildings are predominantly four-storey apartment blocks, most notably Cressy and Dunston Houses, which have relatively generous floor-to-ceiling heights, pitched roofs, chimneys and additional decorative features.
Post-war blocks to the east and south are of a simpler architectural style and form.
Proposal
The proposed development provides a total of 31 affordable homes, comprising largely family-sized housing (3 & 4 bed dwellings) according to identified need and includes the re-provision of the Stifford Community Centre with a facility of the same size & specification.
10% of the unit mix is proposed to be wheelchair accessible units, located on the ground floor, with allocation for blue badge parking. Resident and community centre cycle parking and refuse storage will be located within the building, with capacity meeting local planning requirements. Additional short stay cycle parking is proposed on-street. The proposed scheme will be a car free development and will include a dedicated zone for delivery vehicles on Cressy Place.
The existing communal green space is proposed as retained and enhanced, with new play provision and “rain garden” arrangement to assist in surface water management.
The proposal is intended to echo the local character with use of brick frontages and a combination of simple, efficient building forms and motifs such as arched opening and inset balconies to reflect existing features.
The simple form of the building will contribute towards an ultra-low energy development. Energy and sustainability principles for the development will pay particular attention to thermal efficiency, a “fabric first” approach to avoid unnecessary energy use. Any residual Carbon emissions remaining will be offset in line with the council’s net zero carbon target, set out in Local Plan Policy D.ES7.
In order to achieve a bridge across Tinsley Road of sufficient size to contain useable accommodation, the northern-most façade of the proposed building sits on the back edge of pavement, partially reinstating the historic street frontage facing Cressy House.
As a result, to avoid overlooking issues, the form of the building along Cressy Place incorporates a series of projecting bays responding to the width and rhythm of the projecting bays opposite.
The primary façade forming the street frontage is envisaged as a wrap or skin contrasting with the main body of the building which is set back a further 4m.
The articulation of the primary façade is informed by some of the key features of Cressy House and Dunstan House, in particular the projecting bays and arched window heads. This occurs as a repeating arch motif which is most strongly expressed at street level with inset arches animating the public realm.
At the upper floors, vertical groups of windows project out towards the north. These provide views out only to the sides and no across Cressy Place. Windows within the northern face of these elements will be set behind a perforated metal skin, minimising views out whilst providing good levels of natural light within the dwellings.