<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1639395339/projects/aberfeldynewmasterplan/8dd40d6c-b4c3-4f2b-8686-7ba40da11bd5.jpg" />On Saturday 4th December, Poplar residents welcomed in the festive season by switching on lights along Aberfeldy Street, illuminating the street’s colourful murals with special guests including Mayor John Biggs, the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh Minister Zahidul Islam and Councillor Ahbab Hossain, Speaker of Tower Hamlets Council. The Festival of Light was organised by Aberfeldy Street business owners for the community on national Small Business Saturday which celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to &#39;shop local&#39;. The event included a Winter Market organised by Aberfeldy Big Local, with goods such as bubble tea made by young people from Spotlight, jigsaws and knitwear made by local and independent traders, on offer. Christmas card and gingerbread house workshops took place at non-profit furniture shop More Life Home and the Your Future Aberfeldy hub, and mince pies and alcohol-free mulled wine were available to residents from Tommy’s Flowers pub. There was also boxing club taster sessions at the Aberfeldy Boxing Club that people could drop into throughout the course of the afternoon. Prior to the lights switch on, Mayor John Biggs, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Minister Zahidul Islam, Councillor Ahbab Hossain, Speaker of Tower Hamlets Council, Councillor Victoria Obaze, Councillor Kahar Chowdhury and Councillor Rajib Ahmed were given a tour of the new, affordable homes being delivered by EcoWorld London and Poplar HARCA, as part of the latest phase of the Aberfeldy regeneration. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1639395390/projects/aberfeldynewmasterplan/e5752bf8-79c5-4d6e-9504-556754d3387d.jpg" />The Festival of Light is the latest in a series of community events on Aberfeldy Street, with previous activities such as Aberfeldy Fun Day in the summer, a collaborative art project with young people at Langdon Park School to design vinyls for all the shopfront windows and most recently, Aberfeldy Spooks during Halloween. Several physical improvements have been made on Aberfeldy Street since 2019, commissioned by Poplar HARCA and EcoWorld London and include the large scale, colourful murals painted across the buildings. Several local entrepreneurs were also given rent-free retail units to kickstart their businesses and business support also provided to existing traders on the street. Laurrice Debichi, a local Poplar resident who helped switched on the lights, said: ‘I was born in Aberfeldy and most of my friends were born here too. It is a really close-knit community. It has been great to see more shops open on Aberfeldy Street have more on offer which we can use and see the street come to life. It reminds me of what I remember Aberfeldy Street was like when I was younger. Me and my family have been going along regularly to all the events and activities on the high street. I think it is important to keep the community spirit going and have opportunities which bring the community together and connect us with new people.’ Josh Johnson, a personal trainer who also volunteers for Aberfeldy Boxing Club, said: ‘Aberfeldy Street has given me an opportunity to change my life in a way I thought it would never change! I’ve completed my Kickstart placement at Aberfeldy Boxing Club this year, running children’s boxing classes and it’s given me a new direction. Since finishing I still volunteer my time at the club and am setting up my own personal training businesses. If I could sum up the street for me it would be great people, great services and great vibes!’ John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: ‘This is a fantastic way to encourage people to shop local within Tower Hamlets. Our small businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic and so festive events like this help to give them a boost and also showcases the community spirit of our business owners. The Aberfeldy regeneration will also provide much-needed new affordable homes for families in the borough, as well as investment in the area.’

Aberfeldy Street celebrates Festival of Light with Mayor and Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladedesh

Converts date format for news, from string to Date

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1637232494/projects/aberfeldynewmasterplan/00872507-a967-454b-8f81-6323842ab92c.jpg" />The regeneration of the Aberfeldy neighbourhood in Poplar has moved a step closer following the submission of a hybrid planning application to Tower Hamlets Council. The application submission marks the culmination of over two years of extensive engagement with residents and the wider community on the Aberfeldy new masterplan, which has been developed with the community by Aberfeldy Village LLP, the joint venture partnership between Poplar HARCA and EcoWorld London. Aberfeldy residents have been involved in the development of the plans at every step of the journey so far and prior to the submission residents gave the proposals the thumbs up, with almost 90% of the over 400 respondents saying they supported the details of the masterplan. This follows the estate regeneration ballot last year, where 93% of residents voted to support regeneration on a 91% turnout. Commenting on the news, Aberfeldy resident Alaina said, “It was exciting to see the detailed proposals over the summer – it’s exactly the change our neighbourhood needs. It’s excellent news that the application has now been submitted. I can’t wait for work to get started.” If the green light is given, the masterplan will deliver over 1,600 new homes of all types and tenures, at least 35% of which will be affordable homes for people on the Tower Hamlets housing waiting list, and all current residents wishing to remain in Aberfeldy have the option to do so, in a like-for-like home on the same tenancy terms and rent levels. Working with Aberfeldy residents and pupils from local schools to develop designs that will create a safer, greener, child friendly neighbourhood alongside much needed new housing, the masterplan will deliver a new local centre on Aberfeldy Street, with purpose-built shops, workspaces, and a community centre. New connections will be created across the A12 and A13 to improve links to Poplar and Newham and deliver new walking and cycling routes and improvements to local streets, parks, and public spaces to create healthy streets that will improve the local environment, reduce air pollution, and encourage active travel. Poplar HARCA Chief Executive, Steve Stride said “This application is a once in a generation opportunity to deliver the homes, workspaces and community facilities that this area of Poplar so desperately needs. The Aberfeldy LLP is committed to working with residents to deliver real change that makes Tower Hamlets a better place to live. 50% of the new homes to be built in the first phase as part of the transformation of Aberfeldy Street will be affordable. We hope to welcome the first residents into their new homes in 2024. Commenting on the application submission, Heng Leong Cheong, CEO at EcoWorld London said “From the outset we have worked very closely with the local community and we are pleased that there is clear appetite from residents to see the masterplan brought forward, and we are happy to be submitting the application now with the support of the community. We have been working with Poplar HARCA in Aberfeldy since 2012 and we are proud of the positive change we have already delivered at Aberfeldy Village, and we look forward to continuing to work with them, Tower Hamlets, the GLA, TfL and residents to make this exciting and ambitious masterplan a reality.”

Aberfeldy regeneration masterplan reaches an important milestone 

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1632229959/projects/aberfeldynewmasterplan/3dbf5ac0-2471-4d53-8ca1-686bbb93b522.jpg" />In September, Aberfeldy New Village LLP, the joint venture partnership between Poplar HARCA and EcoWorld London, held a consultation event to present the latest masterplan proposals for the regeneration of the Aberfeldy neighbourhood in Poplar. The event was an opportunity for residents to see and discuss the proposals to deliver new homes, shops, and workspace alongside better connections for walking and cycling and new and improved parks and public spaces. Over 60 residents attended on the day, as well as ward councillor Rajib Ahmed and representatives from the Aberfeldy Masjid. Residents met with and discussed the masterplan with the Aberfeldy project team, and Maureen’s pie and mash and curry from The Indian Butler was provided free of charge. Feedback on the regeneration proposals from attendees was overwhelmingly positive about the future direction of regeneration for Aberfeldy and the event itself. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1632230095/projects/aberfeldynewmasterplan/9c897629-baae-4444-85a5-851de195bc29.jpg" />Commenting on the consultation exercise, Mahbubul Alom, Chairman of the Aberfeldy Islamic Centre said, “I was very impressed with the organisation of the consultation event held by Poplar HARCA and EcoWorld London and I look forward to seeing these exciting regeneration plans being delivered as soon as possible.” Food leftover from the event was donated to Friends in Poplar, a charity that provides meals to those in need in the community. Sister Christine Frost MBE, who founded the charity in 1968, shared with the project team that the Friends are due to deliver their 20,000th meal in early October. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1632230028/projects/aberfeldynewmasterplan/d9f14f48-2ce4-4562-b9a8-823720a25c43.jpg" />This consultation event, held at the Aberfeldy Neighbourhood Centre, marked the culmination of months of conversations with residents on the proposals for next stage of regeneration in Aberfeldy. In July, almost 5,000 information booklets were sent to households across Poplar with the details of the new masterplan, along with a feedback form and freepost envelope for residents to return their comments on the plans. The ‘Your Future Aberfeldy’ hub at 43 Aberfeldy Street has been open every Monday and Wednesday throughout August and September for residents to drop in to view the plans, speak to the project team and leave their feedback. The result of this consultation exercise has been overwhelming positive, with over 400 feedback forms received showing support for the masterplan proposals from almost 90% of respondents. Over the last two years, feedback from the local community has helped to shape these plans and last year 93.1% of residents voted in favour of regeneration, with 91.1% participating in the ballot. A hybrid planning application is now being prepared and is due to be submitted to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets this autumn. This latest regeneration of Aberfeldy will: <li>Ensure everyone living in the area previously known as Aberfeldy West, will be given the option to remain in Aberfeldy, and at a minimum offered a like-for-like home </li> <li>Deliver up to 1,600 new high-quality homes, and increase the number of affordable homes in Aberfeldy </li> <li>Significantly improve local roads and underpasses to create safer, healthy street and improve connections to Poplar and Newham </li> <li>Create a child-friendly neighbourhood with attractive new public spaces and enhanced parks where everyone feels welcome </li> <li>Deliver new walking and cycling routes to improve local links, encourage active travel and improve air quality </li> <li>Provide new workspaces, commercial and retail space to encourage and support local business and employment </li> <li>Improve the retail spaces along Aberfeldy Street to create a new local centre </li>Although, the consultation period has now closed, Poplar HARCA and EcoWorld London will continue engagement and discussions with the local community as the plans are brought forward.

Enthusiastic turnout for Aberfeldy New Masterplan Consultation  

Poplar HARCA and Ecoworld are working in partnership with local residents on a new masterplan for the Aberfeldy neighbourhood in Poplar.
We want to hear your views on our early ideas.