Manor Park Community Cafe & Studio Spaces

Project Update

Following planning approval for a new meanwhile-use building opposite Manor Park Station, the Council reviewed delivery options in light of significant increases in construction costs and delays to the construction programme. To ensure best value for public funding and protect the long-term sustainability of the project’s benefits, an alternative delivery approach has been agreed, as set out below.

Background

This project forms part of the Newham High Street Programme, launched in 2020 to develop long-term, evidence-led delivery plans for the borough’s high streets, shaped through community participation. The programme supports the ambition to create healthier, more inclusive, and resilient neighbourhoods, aligned with the Council’s wider recovery and place-based priorities.

A key aim of the programme is to help Newham’s high streets evolve into 15-minute neighbourhoods, where residents can access everyday social, cultural, civic, and economic needs locally.

Early engagement with local residents, alongside the Newham High Street Phase 1 Report (2021), identified a strong aspiration in Manor Park for a more diverse offer focused on leisure, community, and cultural activities for people of all ages. A community café combined with creative and co-working space emerged as one of the most supported ideas and was included as a recommendation within the Phase 1 report.

Co-design and Engagement

To support delivery of this project, the Council secured grant funding and appointed Meanwhile Space C.I.C. as Development Partner to co-design, construct, and operate a new building on land opposite Manor Park Station (1A Forest View Road, E12 5DA). The proposed building was intended to support business, cultural, and creative activity for a minimum period of 10 years.

The design proposal was developed through an inclusive co-design process, led by Meanwhile Space, involving residents, visitors, and local stakeholders across four engagement stages:

• Stage 1 – Discover (Nov 2022 – Jan 2023): Building relationships and understanding local needs and aspirations.
• Stage 2 – Define (Jan – Feb 2023): Sharing emerging ideas and shaping the project brief through feedback.
• Stage 3 – Develop (Feb – Apr 2023): Participatory design workshops enabling the community to meaningfully influence the design.
• Stage 4 – Deliver (Feb – May 2023): Exhibitions showing how community input shaped the final proposals.

Following this process, a planning application was submitted in 2023 and approved in 2024. The outcomes of the co-design process continue to directly inform the project’s delivery approach.

Delivery Update

Due to significant increases in construction costs and delays to the construction programme, it was no longer possible to deliver the new standalone building within the available grant funding, despite extensive efforts by the Council and Meanwhile Space. Proceeding would have required compromising the quality, scale, or long-term viability of the project, which the Council was not prepared to do.

Following the success of the Colours of Manor Park project, which transformed the exterior of Manor Park Library, an alternative opportunity emerged to bring the currently vacant unit next to the Library back into use.

Instead of constructing a new building, the Council will now work to deliver the Community Café and Hub from this existing space, ensuring the same social, cultural, and economic benefits originally envisaged are achieved in a more deliverable and sustainable way.

Design development and interior works are planned for 2026, with the Community Café and Hub expected to open in late 2026.

The Council will also continue to actively explore future meanwhile or longer-term opportunities for the site opposite Manor Park Station, informed by local priorities and funding availability.

Operator Selection

While delivery planning for the originally proposed building was being progressed, Meanwhile Space also managed an open call on behalf of the Council to appoint an operator, enabling the project to move efficiently towards delivery.

Following a competitive selection process, Tiffinwalli C.I.C. was appointed as the operator for the Community Café and Hub. Tiffinwalli is a Newham-based social enterprise with a strong track record of empowering women, particularly those from ethnic minority, migrant, and disadvantaged backgrounds. They deliver training, catering, and food heritage programmes that combine skills development, employment opportunities, and cultural celebration.

Following the agreed change in delivery approach, Tiffinwalli remains central to delivering the Community Café and Hub in the revised location.

Thank You

Thank you to all residents and stakeholders who have contributed to this project over the years — from early engagement that shaped the High Street Phase 1 Report, through to the co-design process and support for the planning application.

We recognise that some residents may be disappointed that the originally proposed new building will not proceed. However, we are pleased to be able to deliver the same community-led activities and benefits through an alternative approach, ensuring the project’s original aims remain at the heart of its delivery.