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Welcome from the Mayor

Mayor Lutfur Rahman
Lutfur Rahman
Executive Mayor

  

 

 

 

 

 

Tower Hamlets represents London’s future as well as its past.

For centuries our borough has shaped the development of London and the UK through The Docks and the world trade and immigration that came with it. It is our welcoming nature and our entrepreneurial spirit that make Tower Hamlets such a great place to live, visit, learn, work and invest.

Tower Hamlets has the third largest economic output in the country, and is critical to the UK economy. In the last 12 months alone, we’ve given consent to over 9,000 new homes and supported the development of JP Morgan’s new tower HQ and Visa’s European HQ move to Canary Wharf. We have also expanded the Hackney Wick and Lower Lea Valley Creative Enterprise Zone, and continue to strengthen the borough’s creative economy.

It is also critical to supporting our 330,000 residents with new homes and opportunities for social mobility so our young people can become the high achievers we need for the future success of our country.

Our Housing Strategy 2026–2036 reinforces this direction, setting out a long-term approach to delivering safer, higher quality homes and improving the condition of existing stock. It sharpens our focus on tackling overcrowding and ensuring residents can access secure, well-designed housing that supports healthier, more resilient communities.

The latest 2021 Census shows Tower Hamlets is the fastest growing and most densely populated place in the UK. The ONS now predicts a further 20.4% increase in population by 2032.

We have recently released ‘Our Tower Hamlets – Vision to 2035’ which was coproduced with a wide range of partners from Queen Mary University London to Canary Wharf Group. That vision includes the expanded development of our borough, and we have created the right conditions for growth through our new Local Plan.

We have built more homes than any other London borough since 2013 and we are on track to build 4,000 new affordable and social rent homes by May 2026, with a further 3,332 homes through the Mayor’s Accelerated Housing Programme. Over the past year the council has also given planning consent to 8,110 homes, and we are unlocking tens of thousands of new homes and jobs at pace with private and social housing partners, creating real benefit for communities alongside real returns for investors.

Investors and developers should know that we are here to work with them. The beauty of Tower Hamlets is that it already has all the ingredients for successful developments.

We are committed to working in partnership with you to realise our shared benefit, and will provide full and consistent support to development which can deliver on local priorities. If you’d like to be part of the next chapter of Tower Hamlets’ story, don’t hesitate to reach out – my team and I stand ready to discuss how best we can work together.

Welcome from the Chief Executive

Steve Halsey
Steve Halsey
Chief Executive

 

 

We have always considered Tower Hamlets to be a city within a city.

We represent the very best of London’s history, culture and business, and have all the ingredients for growth in abundance.

People have always come to Tower Hamlets to make a better life for themselves and with nearly 200 languages spoken, we are one of the most diverse places in the UK.

That entrepreneurial spirit is locked in our DNA, with a young and talented workforce ready to propel London and the UK to future success.

Canary Wharf is now one of the biggest business and cultural districts in Europe and Aldgate East, Spitalfields and Tower Hill are the gateway to The City. Together with Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, they create a golden triangle for growth which is connected by some of London’s best transport links and wider infrastructure.

The culture in Tower Hamlets is a huge pull for people. Millions visit to see places like the Tower of London, Young V & A and the Museum of London Docklands. We have amazing markets and high streets like Old Spitalfields, Columbia Road and Brick Lane; major events from the London Marathon to festivals in Victoria Park; and historic music venues including Wilton’s Music Hall and The Troxy. Canary Wharf alone offers over 100 cultural events a year.

We are a centre for learning and innovation with institutions like Queen Mary University London and University College London. Two new life science clusters are being planned for Canary Wharf and Whitechapel, and Barts NHS Trust trains more than 4,000 people at any one time in medical careers.

With all of this, it is no wonder we are the fastest growing borough in the country – but we need development to keep pace.

By working with neighbouring local authorities, the government, and the private sector, we can achieve our ambitions for growth together.