Press Release 25 August 2025

29 August 2025

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press conference - Friday 29 August 2pm

Hason Raja Centre, 117 Vallance Rd, London, E15BW

Brick Lane under threat
Save Brick Lane Campaign Group Launches Legal Challenge to

Truman Estates at Public Planning Inquiry

Tower Hamlets Council Strategic Development Committee unanimously rejects Truman Brewery planning applications on 31st July 2025.
Truman Estates are now appealing the applications to the Planning Inspectorate: Public Inquiry to start 14 October.
Save Brick Lane has launched a legal challenge against Truman Estate appeal.

The Save Brick Lane campaign is calling on residents, community groups, and supporters across London to stand together in defence of Brick Lane, as the fight against the Truman Brewery development enters a decisive new stage.

On 31st July 2025, Tower Hamlets Council’s Strategic Development Committee unanimously rejected all four of Truman Estates’ planning applications following an unprecedented show of community opposition. Residents, activists, and local businesses filled the Town Hall chamber and demonstrated outside in defence of Brick Lane’s history, culture, and economy.

Councillors from Aspire, Labour, and Independent groups spoke forcefully against the proposals, criticising the developer’s profit-driven approach and defending the interests of local people. The applications were refused on multiple grounds, including failure to meet urgent housing needs and the risk of accelerating gentrification and displacement.

Grounds for refusal are published here: Tower Hamlets Council Decisions – 31 July 2025
Watch the full committee webcast: Tower Hamlets Council webcast

Despite this clear rejection, Truman Estates has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. In response, the Save Brick Lane campaign has launched a legal challenge and will participate as a Rule 6 Party at the forthcoming Public Inquiry, beginning 14th October 2025. With legal representation secured—including a solicitor, barrister, and a KC appointed by the Council—the community is prepared to hold Truman Estates to account and cross-examine their witnesses directly.

What’s at stake

The proposed development offers just six social housing units, despite the site’s capacity to deliver hundreds. Instead, the plan prioritises office space, commercial units and a data centre, threatening the survival of independent shops and displacing long-standing communities.

In contrast, the community has put forward a Masterplan for Brick Lane—developed with residents and supported by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets—that prioritises genuinely affordable housing, community facilities, and spaces for small businesses. This vision reflects the needs of Spitalfields and Banglatown, one of the most densely populated wards in the borough.

Community voices

The campaign, working with Dr. Tanzil Shafique from the School of Architecture at Sheffield University, will be running workshops to help local residents and businesses from one of the UK’s most disadvantaged areas get involved in the upcoming planning inquiry.

Deba Malique, resident of Chicksand Estate and Vice-Chair of Vallance, Montague & Regal and Moss Close TRA:

“I feel compelled to speak out against the Truman Brewery development plans that threaten the heart of our community. I was born in Tower Hamlets and grew up on these streets. Today, I walk through Brick Lane with my child, sharing the rich cultural legacy my father brought with him when he migrated here in 1961. The proposed developments do not support the needs or vision of the local community. We deserve development for the community, not against it.”

Jonathan Moberly, local resident and Save Brick Lane campaigner:

“Brick Lane is not for sale. The amount of social and affordable housing proposed in the current Truman Brewery plans is derisory. It does nothing to meet the needs of this community. We demand a plan that prioritises homes, not hollowed-out office spaces that don’t serve local people.”

Next steps

14th October 2025 – Planning Inspectorate Public Inquiry begins.

Save Brick Lane will be a Rule 6 Party, legally represented and fully engaged in the Inquiry.

NOTES TO EDITORS

PHOTOS [ copyright cleared]

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1RPxlmjZWR7AnXIuyKamx_DGkRzrPwCDx

Video of SDC meeting

https://towerhamlets.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1009022

CHRONOLOGY

6 May 2020 - application submitted by Truman Estates (TE) to develop a shopping mall along Woodseer Street. Save Brick Lane is formed as a coalition to fight the development.

14 Sept 2021 - TE shopping mall application approved by a 2-1 vote of the Strategic Development Committee (SDC) in spite of over 7000 objections

October 2021 - Save Brick Lane (SBL) launches a Judicial Review to challenge the decision and campaign for a community-led Masterplan for the site.

May 2022 - Aspire elected with a manifesto commitment to develop a Masterplan.

2023-24 - Masterplan developed in consultation with the local community. It places a heavy emphasis on the provision of social housing, community facilities and open space. 345 social housing units are proposed.

July 2024 - Legal challenge to the 2021 shopping mall application reaches the Supreme Court who decide in favour of Truman Estates.

August 2024 - Truman Estates submit 3 new planning applications to develop across the Old Brewery and Bangla Cash and Carry sites. Office, leisure, retail with a small amount of housing on the Bangla Cash & Carry site.

September 2024 - Brick Lane Masterplan SPD adopted by Tower Hamlets Council. SBL mount an exhibition with a model demonstrating how the Council’s plan for the site can be developed - it is displayed off Brick Lane over several months of consultation with the public.

November 2024 - Truman Estates threaten legal action against the council. Masterplan is withdrawn.

11 June 2025 - Truman Estates submit an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds that the council is taking too long to determine the 2024 applications.

31 July 2025 - The Council SDC met to vote on the applications. Prior to the meeting SBL organised a Community Day of Action Demo outside Whitechapel Townhall. Close to 200 local residents turned up for the demo and stayed for the meeting to watch how councillors will vote. SDC committee members unanimously voted against all three planning applications and a listed building consent. .

14 October 2025 - Planning Inspectorate will stage a public inquiry to determine the applications.

There is a better scheme

The Truman Estates application – a development at home in the City of London with its heavy emphasis on office and commercial space in bulky office blocks, but entirely alien to the history, culture and small scale economy of Brick Lane.

The SBL alternative scheme - delivers on the LBTH Local Plan and focuses on social housing, community provision and affordable workspace.

The choice between housing and offices will determine the future of Brick Lane.

CONTACT

07473 141334 (Jonathan Moberly)

‭07846 890823‬ (Puru Miah)

battle4bricklane@gmail.com

https://sites.google.com/view/savebricklane

Full details of the planning applications:

https://sites.google.com/view/savebricklane/planning-apps

Press release - 1 August 2025

Press release - 18 July 2025

Media resources

Press archive

Brick Lane under threatSave Brick Lane Campaign Group Launches Legal Challenge to

Truman Estates at Public Planning Inquiry

Brick Lane under threat
Save Brick Lane Campaign Group Launches Legal Challenge to