Foodbank Faces Eviction as Council Cuts Essential Services
A vital foodbank in Stratford is facing a severe crisis after the local council threatened to disconnect its water and electricity supply. Newham Council, through its wholly-owned housing company Populo Living, has informed Carpenters Café that power and water will be cut off from Wednesday, November 12.
This drastic action is part of a plan to force the foodbank to relocate from its current building on Dorian Walk into a set of four containers on Gibbins Road. Populo Living intends to use the vacated building as offices to manage the £1.4 billion regeneration of the surrounding Carpenters Estate.
A Year-Long Battle and a Christmas Plea
Volunteers at the foodbank, which serves approximately 80 people every week, have been resisting the move for a year. Their attempts to find an alternative community space were reportedly rejected by the council.
With the eviction imminent, the volunteers made a simple request: to delay the move until after December 2, so they could host their annual Christmas party in their current space. This plea was denied.
The new container site will not have space for visitors to sit down and socialise. Volunteer Tee Fakubin received the official notice that utilities would be severed, making the planned Christmas celebration impossible.
Community Outcry Over 'Profit Before People'
Volunteer Folu Fakubin described the council's decision as "heartbreaking". He highlighted the acute levels of poverty in Newham, stating, "People are really struggling... We treat people well here. They can stop, have tea or coffee and some food and feel treated like humans. But it feels like profit comes before everything else."
In internal communications, the council claimed the dispute has caused "serious cost impacts" and that the area will become unsafe due to construction, justifying the need for the foodbank's immediate relocation.
The Larger Regeneration Project
The regeneration of the Carpenters Estate was first proposed in 2003 following resident complaints about poor maintenance, asbestos, and rodent infestations. Over more than two decades, residents have been gradually moved out of the estate's low-rise terraces and three tower blocks.
The ambitious plan will see the estate, currently home to 710 properties, more than triple in size to 2,300 homes. A spokesperson for Populo Living emphasised the community benefits, stating, "50 per cent of these will be genuinely affordable at social rent."
The company also stated that an alternative, purpose-built site has been available for the café since July, and that access to the current building is now required to progress the redevelopment and provide the new homes.
