Calls for Mayor to provide funding to support Cable Street Community Land Trust project
The London Assembly has raised concerns 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.
TfL raised 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).
The Assembly is calling on the Mayor, 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.
Zoë Garbett AM, who proposed the motion, said:
“I’m so pleased that the London Assembly joined me to urge the Mayor to secure the future of the Cable Street Community Land Trust (CLT) project.
“Problems with the DLR track nearby that have halted this development can be solved through collaboration with TfL or funds for additional maintenance – it’s a simple fix to save a community-led project that has been on the cards since 2018.
“Losing its current site would mean losing genuinely affordable homes, writing off around £1 million in funding that has already been spent, and worst of all, destroying the long and productive relationship with the people and community who have been working on this development.
“I hope that in the Mayor’s final budget due next month, that we see funds for any consequent and hopefully much reduced costs required to safeguard the building of these homes on the existing site.”
The full text of the motion is:
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
The meeting can be viewed via webcast or YouTube.
Follow us @LondonAssembly.
Notes to editors
- The Motion was agreed by 12 votes for and 2 votes against.
- Zoë Garbett AM, who proposed the motion, is available for interview.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Tony Smyth in the Assembly Media Office on 07763 251727 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.