Update for residents affected by the Canning Town building incident – 6 November 2026

 

Resident Support Update

We are continuing to work closely with Prime Property Management to ensure the safety of all residents.

Update for residents affected by the Canning Town building incident – 6 November 2026

We will update this page every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Additional updates will be published if there are any significant developments.

If you need urgent advice or support, our out-of-hours team is available 24 hours a day on 020 8430 2000.

Residents who require additional support can find information about council assistance at: Centurion Tower, St Vincent Court, Sovereign Tower, Thanet Tower and Prince Court – Newham Council.

Newham Council continues to work closely with partner agencies following the service of Dangerous Structural Notices on St Vincent Court, Centurion Tower, Sovereign Tower, Thanet Tower and Prince Court.

You can read summaries of the notices here:

Dangerous Structural Notices – North Residential Buildings (Centurion Tower, St Vincent Court, Sovereign Tower) (PDF)

Dangerous Structural Notices – South Residential Buildings (Thanet Tower and Price Court) (PDF)

Below are updates on the following topics: Galliard Homes support with relocation costs
Council Tax relief
Business rates relief
Homelessness and housing support
Parking charge review
Pets

Galliard Homes support with relocation costs

Galliard Homes have written to residents to confirm they will be reimbursed for the reasonable costs in relation to relocation and temporary accommodation. This will apply retrospectively from 23 October 2026 for residents of Centurion Tower, Sovereign Tower or St Vincent Court. For residents of Thanet Tower and Prince Court this is from 30 October 2026. This help is in place for an initial period of 14 days from the date of the letter from Galliard up to and including Thursday 19 November, while the investigations continue.

How to claim: Residents must keep receipts, or other proof of the costs paid, so that Galliard can reimburse them. Galliard will share details of how to claim with residents, and they advise that residents should not incur significant expenditure without first obtaining confirmation from the relevant responsible organisation regarding reimbursement arrangements.

The Council is not a party to these arrangements and cannot determine or guarantee the outcome of individual claims or reimbursement requests.

Council Tax relief

Newham Council is granting a 100 per cent discretionary reduction in Council Tax for residents who have moved out of their homes as a result of the evacuation.

This will be back dated to the 23 October 2026 for residents who have evacuated the North Towers and the 30 October for those residents who have evacuated from the South Tower and will be reviewed monthly. Priority on awarding the discretionary reduction will be given to Direct Debit payers to prevent further monies being taken unnecessarily. Once the discretionary reduction is awarded, we will automatically refund any payments to the bank account from which the Direct Debit payment had been made. For residents not paying via Direct Debit the Council will make contact to obtain bank details for receipt of the refund due. Residents will not have to claim their discretionary reduction; it will be applied automatically.

Business Rates Support for Caxton Works Businesses

The Council recognises the significant disruption experienced by businesses affected by the evacuation of the Caxton Works buildings.

To support affected businesses forced to close during this period, temporary Business Rates Hardship Relief will be applied to eligible businesses operating from the affected buildings. 

The relief will remain in place from the 23 October 2026 for businesses in the North Tower and 30 October 2026 for businesses in the South Tower while they are unable to access and operate from their premises and will be reviewed as the situation develops. 

The reduction will be applied automatically but the Council will contact affected businesses directly if any further information is required. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Business Rates Team.

Homelessness and housing support

The Council's Housing, Prevention and Support Service (HPASS) is working with affected residents to provide housing advice and assistance where appropriate. Residents who are unable to secure accommodation through their own arrangements, landlord, managing agent, insurer or other responsible party are encouraged to contact the Council as soon as possible on 020 8430 2000 so that their circumstances can be assessed.

The Council will consider requests for assistance in accordance with its statutory duties under homelessness legislation and will provide advice, support and housing options based on individual circumstances and eligibility. This may include homelessness prevention support, housing advice, assistance to secure alternative accommodation and, where relevant statutory criteria are met, temporary accommodation.

Residents should note that any entitlement to housing assistance is assessed on a case-by-case basis and will depend on individual circumstances and the Council's legal duties.

Residents requiring housing advice or support should contact the Council's Housing, Prevention and Support Service (HPASS) through the Council's Customer Experience Team on 020 8430 2000.

Parking enforcement

The Council is putting arrangements in place to review Penalty Charge Notices issued to residents which were a direct result of the evacuation. Eligible cases will be considered for cancellation. Further information on how this process will operate will be communicated to residents in due course.

Pets

Some residents have asked about temporary accommodation for pets following the evacuation.

Temporary pet care is available via The Newham Animal Welfare Team who can be contacted on 020 3373 2777 or at animal.welfare@newham.gov.uk and to discuss pet care requirements, availability, and boarding arrangements. Most animals can be accommodated.

Boarding charges are £18 per day for cats and £24 per day for dogs. Prices for other pets are available on request. Proof of vaccination is required; residents can ask their vet to email confirmation directly to the team.

*check out future updates at https://www.newham.gov.uk/news/article/1583/resident-support-update

Joint Statement: Hasanah Centre Stratford

 

Meeting with Cllr Oliur Rahman and local Businesses

"I had a constructive discussion with the Deputy Mayor Cllr John Gray and local businesses about how we can work together to help our businesses thrive.

Supporting local businesses means supporting local jobs, strengthening our high streets and creating opportunities for our community". Cllr Oliur Rahman

Labour Unions Councillor Network

 

I have just signed up - 

" Labour councillors make decisions every day that affect jobs, services and local economies.
Our new Trade Union Labour Councillors Network will strengthen the relationship between Labour councillors and the trade union movement.

It’s open to all Labour councillors who are members of an affiliated union. You’ll get a regular bulletin, policy briefings, model motions and invitations to online events and training.

Sign up or forward to a councillor you know https://labourunions.org.uk/councillors/

6 mile Lee Valley Walk - Wildlife Discovery Centre

 
Off message. It's been a while since I've posted about a walk with Gill, but better late than never.

Today we drove to the Wildlife Discovery Centre in Lee Valley Park for a 6.36-mile circular walk, courtesy of Country Walking magazine via the OS Maps app. It's only a little over 30 minutes by car from East London. We also completed this walk back in 2024.

There was one modest climb, a spell of rain (we enjoyed a pleasant but rather soggy lunch under a tree), and lots and lots of water: weirs, bridges, rivers, streams, canal towpaths, locks and numerous lakes formed from former gravel quarries.

Along the way we spotted red kites, muntjac deer, animal sculptures, skittish ponies, bird hides, Victorian coal tax boundary posts and all manner of other birdlife.

A thoroughly recommended walk.

Cheshunt railway station is not far from the route for those arriving by public transport.

Finally, on the way home, we stopped for a well-earned drink at The Sultan pub.

I'll post some more photographs from the walk on Facebook over the next few days

Delivering Uma Kumaran's Stratford & Bow Parliamentary Report

This afternoon, Constituency Labour Party volunteers met up with Uma Kumaran MP in Forest Gate to collect copies of her latest Parliamentary Report.

It was good to catch up with fellow members of our new CLP, which we hope will begin meeting and campaigning again very soon. There was a real sense of enthusiasm as volunteers gathered to help ensure residents across the constituency receive an update on Uma's work in Parliament and locally.

I was given a bag of reports for the Green Street West area and set off by bicycle to begin delivering them. Over the coming days and weeks, volunteers will be delivering reports to homes throughout the Stratford & Bow constituency.

During my round, I was pleased to come across a council-owned block that was in excellent condition. I intend to write to Sanctuary Housing Association, which manages the block, to commend the caretaker team for their hard work and high standards.

However, I also noticed an electric scooter being stored in a communal area. As this could pose a safety and fire risk, it needs to be removed as soon as possible.

My Local Government Week

 

Monday started with a street cleaning roundtable with Cabinet colleagues and senior officers to discuss improvement actions, followed by further meetings on the Council's performance management. In the evening, I attended a meeting of Labour Group officers.

On Tuesday, I went to an in-person meeting in Westminster of Labour London LGA leaders, deputising for Mayor Forhad Hussain, and stayed on for the all-party LGA Councillors' Forum. There were interesting presentations and Q&A sessions with Government ministers Jim McMahon MP and Matthew Pennycook MP. The big issues were fair funding, local government finance and changes to planning laws. Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Independent, Green and Reform councillors from all over England were present. I think there was a genuine attempt by the LGA Chair, Cllr Eamonn O'Brien, to build consensus and create a single voice for local government despite political differences.

Back in Newham, Cllr Tonii Wilson and I had our monthly meeting with the Mayor on housing issues. In the evening, I held my new monthly surgery for West Ham ward constituents and raised casework relating to housing and parking matters.

On Wednesday, Cllr Wilson and I spent the day at the Council's Bridge Road Depot in West Ham ward, meeting officers from the Housing Needs Service, which deals with homelessness and temporary accommodation. We met three different teams to learn more about their work and the challenges and blockages they face. We were very impressed by the friendly, enthusiastic and professional approach shown by everyone. We both look forward to returning soon and meeting colleagues we were unable to see on this occasion.

Thursday saw me deputising for the Mayor again at the reopening of Newham College's Stratford Campus and its newly developed A Block. The formal reopening was carried out by James Asser MP. We were given a tour of the campus and the facilities are simply excellent. We also discussed the possibility of working with the College to provide housing management courses for Newham staff. The College already delivers construction skills training for Newham repair apprentices.

Afterwards, I met another councillor to discuss housing casework issues before attending a Teams one-to-one with a housing director. In the evening, I joined a residents' meeting in Massey Court, East Ham, alongside local councillors and officers to discuss fresh water pressure, anti-social behaviour, parking and concierge services. This was followed by a meeting of Newham Labour councillors.

Today, I visited a hostel run by Just Homes, a local charity, with the Mayor and my Cabinet colleague Susan Masters. By coincidence, I had previously met one of its principal supporters through my role as a trade union pension trustee. Following a presentation, we visited a new hostel site they are developing in Plaistow.

The remainder of the day was spent trying to catch up on phone calls, emails and reading papers. Another busy week lies ahead. I had hoped to catch up on everything today, but I failed miserably!

#Newham #WestHamWard #LocalGovernment #Housing #CommunityLeadership

Camden Families for Sagal - By election day

 

Late this afternoon, I joined hundreds of Labour Party activists at the UNISON headquarters on Euston Road to campaign in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election happening today. 

I was assigned as a board runner again—reluctantly, since I don’t know the area well and had a few “issues” earlier this week in the same role. Still, duty called, so I set off with a team of five, walking 13 minutes to Bloomsbury. 

By coincidence, I’d met everyone before in various Labour movement contexts over the years—great activists from Tower Hamlets, Barking & Dagenham, Croydon, and Barnet, with me representing Newham. 

We were sent to some beautiful on-street residential blocks managed by Camden Council, which I believe were compulsorily purchased in the 1960s or ’70s when they were run down and incredibly cheap compared to today. I climbed to the top of one staircase and found the roof door open, so I looked out and felt like I was in a Mary Poppins chimney scene!

The blocks seemed well managed and reportedly very spacious. Along the way, we met two local residents who were also Labour supporters, encouraging their neighbours to back Sagal. 

There were at least four canvassing teams from Newham Labour out tonight, including our Mayor, Forhad Hussain. 

I think the count is happening this evening—let’s see what happens. I’m hopeful, though politics is tricky to predict these days. While I worry about extremist politics on both the far left and far right, it’s nothing new in British politics, and I’m sure we’ll eventually navigate our way toward progressive change.

UPDATE: Great news. Sagal wins with significant majority. Burnham busts Green and Reform bubbles?

Busy Labour Movement Day 1

 

Yesterday I was at UNISON's National Centre in London (again, see my previous post), this time attending the UNISON Community Service Group Executive meeting as one of its elected NEC members.

I attended the morning session and, after lunch, briefly joined my branch's training day next door, taking part in the opening session before returning to the SGE meeting.

Later in the afternoon, I had to attend an urgent work meeting and unfortunately missed our Regional Labour Link meeting. However, the meeting was chaired by Yvonne Green, Croydon Branch Secretary and Regional Convenor. The photograph shows Yvonne Green alongside our Regional Secretary, Sara Gorton.

In the evening, I attended a Newham residents' Housing Surgery in Plaistow with local councillors. Staff from 11 housing teams were on hand for what proved to be a busy and well-attended drop-in session, providing residents with advice and support on a range of housing issues.

"On the knocker" for Sagal in Camden

On Saturday, after my Labour Councillor surgery in West Ham, I headed over to UNISON HQ to help campaign for Labour candidate Sagal in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

Sagal, the current Leader of Camden Council, was selected by local Labour Party members to contest the seat. There were hundreds of Labour members and supporters gathered for the 2pm canvassing session. I am somewhere in the crowd featured in the "Vote Labour" section of the photo collage above.

I joined a canvassing team that included Hackney Labour MP Meg Hillier, London Assembly Member Marina Ahmad, and Labour members from Hackney, Southwark and elsewhere across London.

Following a briefing from local organiser and campaign lead Liam Conlon MP, we travelled by Tube to our canvassing area. I had volunteered as the Labour doorstep "board runner", although everyone in our team was an experienced campaigner.

The biggest challenge was not the residents, who were generally friendly and willing to engage, but the wonderfully unusual internal layouts of some of the council housing blocks we were canvassing. We would start at the top of a block, only to find ourselves going down and back up several times to reach every flat. It certainly provided a good workout and was excellent for personal fitness!

My first and last conversations of the afternoon were both with strong Labour supporters, each scoring a 10 out of 10 for Sagal, and I did not encounter any negative comments. Fingers crossed for a positive result in the by-election on Thursday 8 October.

I hope to be back out campaigning alongside our Labour Mayor, Forhad Hussain, and fellow Newham Labour comrades before polling day.

If you are a Labour supporter and would like to get involved, you can volunteer through the Labour Party events website: https://events.labour.org.uk/

See you on the campaign trail!