Chrisp Street Market plans started on site in 2021 but were paused to allow fire safety redesign

Telford Homes and Poplar Harca are preparing to submit revised plans for the redevelopment of Chrisp Street Market in east London to Tower Hamlets council early next year after an earlier version of the scheme was stalled by fire safety regulations.

The pair have consulted on a new vision for the 3.7ha site, drawn up by JTP Architects, which would include up to 580 homes, 675 shared-living homes and 650 student accommodation rooms in 12 buildings up to 29 storeys in height.

Chrisp Street 7

Sheppard Robson’s 2016 proposals for the Chrisp Street Market site. The scheme has since been redesigned by JTP

The scheme, located in Poplar, would also contain 44,000sq ft of office space, a replacement Iceland store and the refurbishment of the site’s existing outdoor market.

Telford Homes and Poplar Harca’s fresh proposals for the site come nine years after the pair submitted plans designed by Sheppard Robson for 19 new buildings up to 25 storeys in height, containing 643 homes, office space and a cinema.

Approved in 2018, the scheme started construction in 2021 but was paused so it could be redesigned to comply with new government fire safety regulations.

Telford Homes said the extant planning permission is due to be withdrawn.

In an update earlier this month, the development team said: “Following the last few years’ challenges with rising construction costs and evolving regulations, we have now embarked on a new vision for the site. 

Chrisp Street site

The site (outlined in red) will be turned into hundreds of new homes 

It added: ”Between when we first developed our proposals for Chrisp Street and today, a lot has changed. The economic environment changed significantly – in the UK and globally – whilst increased regulation on the building of new homes also forced us to re-examine our plans, including the implementation of new requirements from the Building Safety Act.”

The developer said it had also faced further delays as a result of the new inspection regime, which requires gateway 2 sign off from the Building Safety Regulator before construction can begin.

The new scheme would be built in four phases, with the first phase anticipated to start construction in late 2027 with the entire scheme completed by early 2034.

Housing association Poplar Harca would deliver the scheme’s social rent and shared ownership homes.

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