Mayor of Tower Hamlets visits new civic hub site

Bangla Mirror Desk:
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman visited the old Royal London Hospital site in Whitechapel on 23rd March – which will be transformed into a brand new civic hub.   A group of journalists from local print and electronic media accompanied him at that time.
The old Royal London Hospital was sold to the council for £9 million in February 2015. The council is currently drawing up plans for the civic hub which will ensure the heritage of the site is retained.
With more people working in and around Whitechapel, it is hoped the hub will act as a huge economic boost for the area, and be a catalyst for regeneration.
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “Visiting this site today, you really get a sense of the unique history that this old hospital has. But it’s also got a bright future ahead. Over the next few years, Whitechapel will be changing to meet the demands of our borough. I look forward to seeing this brilliant place flourish.
“Basing the new town hall in Whitechapel will bring the council closer to the heart of the community – and deliver real savings for residents.”
The new civic centre will be funded through efficiencies made by the council, and is just one of a number of changes that will be taking place in Whitechapel over the coming years.
With the opening of the new Crossrail station in 2018, Tower Hamlets has identified Whitechapel as a huge growth opportunity waiting to happen.
The Whitechapel Vision plans were launched in March 2014. They have generated a lot of support and excitement from residents and businesses, along with strategic partners involved in the delivery of this project. They were also commended by a national Planning Award scheme in November 2014, and recently received a big funding boost from the GLA’s High Street Fund.
Once the developments and other improvements have been completed, Whitechapel will have:
•    up to 3,500 new homes delivered by 2025, including a substantial number of family and affordable homes
•    5,000 new jobs
•    a completely transformed Whitechapel Road
•    seven new public squares and open spaces
•    rejuvenating the town centre
Cllr Rabina Khan, cabinet member for housing and development, said: “Whitechapel Vision will bring about so much positive change in the area. This plan has real benefits for the community. People in Tower Hamlets are calling out for more affordable housing, jobs, and for their area to be improved to become a really great place to live – and Whitechapel Vision is a positive response to that call.”
Tower Hamlets is working hard to make this vision a reality. The council has created a new project team, who are currently working with a number of organisations to regenerate and  transform the area by undertaking discussions with key landowners on development opportunities; consulting with residents; and working closely with the Whitechapel Vision strategic partners who are:
•    the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority (GLA)
•    Transport for London (TfL)
•    Barts Health NHS Trust
•    Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)
•    L&Q London Housing Association
•    Sainsbury’s
Whitechapel Vision and the creation of a new civic hub all ties in with the Council’s strategy – A great place to live. This strategy aims to make the borough a place where people live in quality affordable housing, located in clean and safe neighbourhoods, served by well-connected and easy to access services and community facilities.