The people of Custom House in Newham have voted 'yes' to a £300m investment allowing the council to regenerate the area.

The plans will transform Freemasons Road and the surrounding neighbourhood to deliver 368 homes at social rent levels that local people can afford, new shops and community facilities as well as create jobs.

The mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said: “Our community in Custom House has waited twenty years too long for much needed improvements to this much loved neighbourhood.

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"The ‘yes’ vote is a testament to their success in driving the regeneration plans through a people-powered co-production process that has led to the development of an exciting masterplan that will transform the area for the benefit of our residents.

“Step by step we will take this project forward with residents in the same way we have since 2018, keeping them at the heart of our co-designed plans.

"The masterplan developed with the community will be taken forward together as we renew Custom House.

“As part of our promise to build homes our people can afford, fifty percent of the 734 new homes will be at social rent levels; with a brand new health centre and nursery, and a new high street on Freemasons Road that will benefit local residents and create jobs.”

The Custom House Steering Group worked with the community to co-design the Custom House masterplan

The  hard fought ballot result is a welcome success for the neighbourhood, with a turnout of 62 percent where 53 percent of residents voted ‘yes’ to the Custom House masterplan.

These plans involve:

  • 734 residential homes, of which 50 percent are planned to be at social rent levels.
  • A mix of homes including flats, family houses and maisonettes; with the range of housing tenures distributed across the masterplan area so that the Custom House estate restoration and regeneration programme supports the existing mixed and inclusive neighbourhood.
  • A retrofit programme to 68 existing Council homes, which will support the Council’s carbon neutral targets as part of its climate emergency response.
  • A new health centre, nursery and enhanced green spaces, including an accessible and open route into Cundy Park.
  • New retail and commercial space on Freemasons Road to transform it into a vibrant local high street, encouraging visitors from ExCeL and users of the Elizabeth line to support local businesses.