Member Article

Apprentices take centre stage at flagship Newham residential development

Young apprentices working on Canning Town’s Manor Road Quarter development met with local councillors and London community leaders this week. The VIP visitors took a tour of the site and the affordable homes being created there and learned about the positive impact the project is already having in Newham.

The multi-phase residential development is being delivered by national development partnership The English Cities Fund (ECF), with the Greater London Authority’s Homes for Londoners’ team, the London Borough of Newham, and Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association (MTVH).

ECF is a joint venture between nationwide placemaker Muse, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, Homes England, and Legal & General, one of the UK’s leading financial services groups and major global investor.

Last week, Joanne McCartney, Deputy Mayor for London and London Assembly Member for Enfield and Haringey; Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham; and Unmesh Desai, London Assembly Member and Newham Councillor, met with 15 of the apprentices at Manor Road Quarter.

These young people are learning about construction and starting their careers in the sector while working to create these new buildings in the heart of Canning Town. The wide range of skills being taught at Manor Road Quarter was exemplified by the many different specialities covered by the apprentices on the day, which included bricklaying, carpentry, engineering, site management, and quantity surveying to name a few.

A key driver of the work at Manor Road Quarter is to provide employment and skills opportunities in the Newham area. To date, 36 apprentices have been appointed by main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction and subcontractors, providing valuable opportunities for upskilling local people. In addition, five students are employed at Manor Road Quarter full time.

Nine percent of Manor Road Quarter’s 615 onsite operatives are from the local borough and the project has also created 352 job vacancies for people who were previously unemployed or were employed specifically for Manor Road Quarter, of which the vast majority were secured by Newham residents.

The dignitaries also toured one of the hundreds of affordable homes that are currently being built at Manor Road Quarter. Once complete, 804 new homes will be provided for the local area, 50% of which will be affordable, alongside family-friendly leisure and amenity space as well as a 2.9-acre park.

These modern, high-quality homes will help meet an increasing demand for housing in the Newham area, which is experiencing a growing population. The new neighbourhood at Manor Road is being built in a sustainable, community-focused manner that supports the health and wellbeing of its current and future residents.

Duncan Cumberland, residential director at The English Cities Fund, said: “This week’s visit by the Deputy Mayor for London, the Mayor of Newham, and the London Assembly Member for City and East was a great opportunity to showcase how the development is acting as a catalyst for renewal in the Newham area.

“The apprentices at the site are gaining valuable skills, knowledge, and experience every day while working on this project, giving these young people from the local area the best possible start for a long and successful career in construction.

“Looking forward, the hundreds of affordable homes Manor Road Quarter will deliver in Canning Town are going to fundamentally reimagine the space for future generations. Not only will these homes help ease the housing crisis in London, but Newham’s residents and families will be supported by a high-quality, sustainable, green and community focused environment.”

The Deputy Mayor for London, Joanne McCartney, said: “It was an honour to be invited to Manor Road Quarter in Canning Town to see first-hand the high-quality, new affordable homes being built and to meet the fantastic young apprentices helping to deliver this new development.

“With over 800 new homes on track to being delivered, half of which are affordable, we have every reason to celebrate as more Londoners get to benefit from the record-levels of affordable homes we’re building in the capital. There is also enormous potential to build communities in Newham through the new leisure facilities, green spaces and job opportunities on offer – helping to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for all.”

In July, the second of Manor Road Quarter’s three phases was granted planning consent and the planning application for the project’s third phase is due to be submitted to the London Borough of Newham in early 2024. Following its approval, the second phase is scheduled to start on site in Summer 2024.

The completed neighbourhood’s new 2.9-acre park will provide a stunning, wildlife friendly environment to spend time in for both residents and the wider community. The green space will also help promote active travel through new walking and cycle routes – creating a vibrant, inclusive, and connected community space.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Robson .