Community hall makes way for housing for Whitechapel families who don’t drive

Plans are being thrashed out tonight (Thurs) to pull down a community hall in London’s East End and put up family blocks of flats—with a ban on car parking.

The four and five-storey blocks, proposed by Tower Hamlets Homes to replace Orion House which is currently used as open space and a car-park, would be low-cost “affordable” housing.

The development, within a few minutes’ walk of Whitechapel and Bethnal Green Underground and National Rail stations, is planned as “car free” zone.

It is being recommeded by Tower Hamlets council at tonight’s strategic development meeting and has the backing of Transport for London on condition that no on-site car-parking is included.

But the scheme does have five large family-sized detached houses with wheelchair access and individual ‘Blue Badge’ disabled parking.

The existing community hall is to be demolished and rebuilt where contractors for the estate currently have their office.