by Niall Mulholland, East London Socialist Party
Several years after Newham’s Labour-run council shamefully approved plans that paved the way for the loss of much of the iconic Durning Hall community centre, the building has stood largely dormant. The charity that owned Durning Hall, Aston Mansfield, found ‘property market’ changes thwarted their ‘regeneration’ plans.
Although Durning Hall recently reopened for limited use following its sale to a “London based property development company”, new redevelopment proposals now threaten to further erode what remains of this vital local resource.
For decades, Durning Hall has been a cornerstone of community life in Forest Gate. As recently as 2021, more than 40 different groups were using the centre. Many have since been displaced or closed down altogether.
Instead of restoring and strengthening community use, the proposals prioritise commercial development. The scheme includes a 157-room hotel, 93 aparthotel rooms, and the conversion of an adjacent former sorting office into 28 flats. When I asked directly at a recent ‘consultation’ event, representatives were unable to confirm whether any of the 28 flats would be social housing.
Even the previous redevelopment scheme, approved in 2021, for 78 units with 35% ‘affordable’ housing, fell far short of what local people need.
A retail supermarket is among the redevelopment plans. Forest Gate already has a Co-op, Lidl, Tesco, and Iceland. Recent local redevelopment has replaced smaller independent shops with multinational chains. There is speculation that a ‘high-end retailer’ such as Waitrose could occupy the new unit – an indication of who this development is really designed to attract.
The historic character of Forest Gate, with small, independent, local businesses and accessible community spaces, is steadily being eroded. The area does not need more hotels. What Forest Gate does need is affordable, accessible community space and genuinely affordable social housing.
Durning Hall has served generations of local people. There is no reason it could not be refurbished where necessary, with council funding, and brought under democratic council and community control.
Campaigners who opposed the previous redevelopment are once again organising to resist these plans. Socialist Party members will again participate fully in the campaign and will be raising the issue at Newham Trades Union Council to seek the backing of the organised trade union movement.
The future of Durning Hall should not be dictated by commercial priorities. It should be decided by the needs of the community that used it for decades.