THE first stage of a �150,000 package to make one of the big housing estates in London’s deprived East End more habitable is nearing completion. Improvements such as new lighting, pavements, better open spaces and a fresh lick of paint are due to be finished by the end of the week on the Malmesbury Estate at Mile End

THE first stage of a �150,000 package to make one of the big housing estates in London’s deprived East End more habitable is nearing completion.

Improvements such as new lighting, pavements, better open spaces and a fresh lick of paint are due to be finished by the end of the week on the Malmesbury Estate at Mile End.

The makeover’ began in September—now Tower Hamlets council hopes to start on the next stage mid-March to be finished by the end of November.

Housing chief Gavin Cansfield said: “We are now applying for funds to landscape public spaces in the neighbourhood.”

RUN-DOWN HOUSING

The work to spruce up run-down council housing in one of Britain’s poorest boroughs follows years of neglect during the controversial housing choice’ period when estates were being handed over to private management companies lock, stock and barrel.

But now the authority has scraped together �7.5 million to improve its remaining estates managed since July by its new Tower Hamlets Homes offshoot. The not-for-profit arm’s-length organisation looks after 22,000 leasehold and tenancy properties for the council.

The Malmesbury Estate scheme is being partly underwritten by cash from private developers in exchange for planning consent for commercial schemes, the practice known as planning gain,’ which is also helping fund stations on London’s new Crossrail super tube’ soon going under construction to open by 2017.