Stopping the cancellation of GLA-supported community housing scheme on Shadwell site

Zoë Garbett AM moved and Zack Polanski AM seconded the following budget related motion:

“This Assembly expresses its concern at Transport for London’s (TfL) proposed
withdrawal of the existing site for the Cable Street Community Land Trust (CLT) project, which London CLT and Citizens UK have been developing on this site in partnership with the Mayor since 2018.

This Assembly notes TfL’s concerns over its estimated additional maintenance costs
of the adjacent Docklands Light Railway (DLR) track if the scheme was to proceed as
planned, estimated at £2m over four years (£500k per year).

This Assembly further notes cancelling the project on this site risks the loss of:

• 41 genuinely affordable homes for the local community
• £1m GLA grant funding from previous budgets spent developing the project on this site
• A community-led development on brownfield land fenced off for 50 years
• A flagship GLA Small Sites Small Builders project
• Years of community effort, trust and financial investment

This Assembly calls on the Mayor to:

• Investigate the £500k/year operational costs estimated by TfL
• Work with project partners and TfL to reduce or eliminate the costs of proceeding with the scheme on the existing site
• In his final draft consolidated budget for 2026-27, to provide funds for any consequent and hopefully much reduced costs required to safeguard the building of these homes on the existing site.”

Following debate, and upon being put to a vote, the motion was agreed with 12 votes being cast in favour and 2 votes being cast against.