BBC London radio personality Eddie Nestor hit the streets of Tower Hamlets today (Tuesday, 17th June) with Mayor Lutfur Rahman on a whistle stop tour to see the real Tower Hamlets.
Eddie visited the council’s flagship regeneration schemes including Poplar Baths and the Ocean Estate in Stepney, top performing school St Paul’s Way Trust School and East London Central Synagogue, one of the few remaining working synagogues in the borough. Listen to the Mayor’s interview with Eddie on 94.9 FM between 5pm and 7pm on 17th June or on TV – Sky Channel 0152 or Freeview Channel 721.
Mayor Rahman took Eddie to see a number of successful projects in the Borough.
•St Paul’s Way Trust School is a top performing school and has been rated outstanding by Ofsted. The school benefited from BSF funding to create an attractive building, which has resulted in raising pupil’s aspirations and attainment. The new school has specialist accommodation for all subjects with particularly impressive facilities for science and sport. The Faraday Science Centre was opened by television personality and Patron Professor Brian Cox. Last year around 50 per cent of sixth formers gained places to study at Russell Group Universities.
•Poplar Baths is another success story. Split across two sites in Poplar and Stepney, the £36 million scheme is being delivered by the council with developer Guildmore. The scheme will deliver a state of the art leisure centre, 100 new homes and youth facilities. The project will see the restoration of Poplar Baths – the Grade II listed building and former swimming pool opposite Chrisp Street market – giving residents a new leisure centre, sports hall, cafe, gym and other leisure facilities, and new council homes at this site.
•Over in Stepney, the ambitious Ocean Estate has delivered more than 800 new homes – of which half are affordable and 1,200 existing council homes have been refurbished inside and out. The £220m development has been led by the council, in partnership with East Thames Consortium. £10 million has also been invested on landscaping improvements, including new paved and grassed play areas, increased street lighting and a new parking layout. The area has also benefited from new community facilities including a new community centre offering an extensive GP service, housing services and space for community groups.
The last stop on the tour was East London Central Synagogue where Eddie met faith leaders Leon Silver and Reverend Alan Green who spoke about their experiences of working with the community.