Current Major Developments
1. Bow Wharf: Refused
Tower Hamlets Council refused planning permission in December 2025 for H2O Urban’s proposal.
A separate legal battle is also underway over a 2019 heritage report on the site which the Trust has refused to share with the Forum. The Information Commissioner ruled in our favour, but the Trust has appealed to a First-Tier Tribunal. That hearing, originally set for 27 March, has been postponed to on or after 19 June 2026.
2. Chisenhale Works
Chisenhale Art Place faces an uncertain future. Its lease ends in December 2031, rent is only secure until the end of 2026, and the derelict western wing of the building has been earmarked for 52 new homes under the Mayor’s Accelerated Housing Programme (architects: HTA).
3. John Onslow House, Roman Road Market: 225 homes proposed
The former Council offices on Ewart Place, just off Roman Road Market, are earmarked for 225 new homes under the Mayor’s Accelerated Housing Programme (architects: Pollard Thomas Edwards).
4. Clare House
The unsafe 22-storey Clare House tower is to be demolished and replaced with a 23-storey block and 4 to 5 storey homes
5. Zone F: The tall buildings threat to Bow
The new draft Local Plan, agreed by full Council in November 2025 and now with the Secretary of State, proposes a sweeping new Zone F for tall buildings covering much of the borough and allowing heights up to 70 metres, taller than the Clare House tower currently being demolished. When the independent examin