| AdminHistory | Tower Hamlets saw a period of extensive administrative decentralisation - or 'devolution' as it was described at the time by its advocates - while under Liberal control between 1986 and 1994. In place of large directorates running services for the whole borough, certain powers were devolved to seven neighbourhoods and largely concentrated in Neighbourhood Centres, some of them specially built for the purpose and paid for by the sale of buildings previously occupied by Council staff.
The new administrative structure was launched in July 1986 and attracted a great deal of local and even foreign interest, including fact-finding visits from politicians from as far afield as Bolivia. The system was intended to give historically distinct local areas within the borough more control over decision-making and increase accountability. These innovative arrangements produced some interesting political outcomes: in July 1986 the Liberals were in overall control of Tower Hamlets Council together with four of the Neighbourhoods (Bethnal Green, Globe Town, Bow and Poplar), but by May 1989 - with the Liberals still holding power in the Council - Labour was running four of the Neighbourhoods.
Seven Standing Neighbourhood Committees (SNCs) were created (in brackets are assigned collection archive reference codes):
- Bow Standing Neighbourhood Committee (L/BON): initially under Liberal control
- Bethnal Green Standing Neighbourhood Committee (L/BGN): initially under Liberal control
- Wapping Standing Neighbourhood Committee (L/WAN): initially under Labour control
- Globe Town Standing Neighbourhood Committee (L/GTN): initially under Liberal control
- Isle of Dogs Standing Neighbourhood Committee (L/IDN): initially under Labour control
- Poplar Standing Neighbourhood Committee (L/PON): initially under Liberal control
- and Stepney Standing Neighbourhood Committee (L/STN): initially under Labour control
The names were later simplified from Standing Neighbourhood Committees to simply Neighbourhoods: Bow Standing Neighbourhood Committee, for example, became Bow Neighbourhood.
Each SNC was independent, with its own Neighbourhood Chief Executive (Keith Ivory in the case of Bow) and offices. However, the SNCs continued to be closely linked to Tower Hamlets Council in some respects; for example the clerking for meetings was often done centrally by Corporate Services, and the Neighbourhoods were obliged to enact the Council's homes and estates improvement programme which began in March 1987.
In May 1990 the Neighbourhood Centre for Bow was based at 1 Gladstone Place, Bow, with a so-called First Stop Shop initially situated at 503a Roman Road and then at Ewart Place (next to Gladstone Place), where it became a One Stop Shop. Residents could make appointments with their councillors through the First Stop Shop / One Stop Shop. Bow was divided into three wards: Bow, Grove and Park. Residents elected seven councillors, who formed a Committee to decide the Neighbourhood's policies, priorities, inprovement programmes, budget and spending plans.
Bow Neighbourhood dealt with the following areas of local governance:
- Housing (advice and repairs)
- Lettings, management and right-to-buy
- Social services
- Leisure
- Administration
- Finance
- Planning
- Health and consumer services
- Highways and works
- Personnel
- Arts and entertainment
- Surveyors
- Research and community development
Housing advice and repairs were organised through the following estate-based offices:
1. Locton Estate Office, Locton Estate, Ruston Street, E1:
- Monteith Estate
- Locton Estate
- Ranwell East Estate
2. Ranwell West Estate, Hewlett Road, E3:
- Ranwell West Estate
3. Lefevre Walk Estate, E3:
- Lefevre Walk Estate
- Lanfranc Estate
- Malmesbury Estate
- St Stephens Estate
- Tredegar Estate
New estate offices were planned for Ranwell East Estate, Lanfranc Estate, St Stephens Estate and Tredegar Estate.
In 1994 the return of labour government in Tower Hamlets signalled the end of the neighbourhood system. The Council along with associated local forum and area groups continued to administer the borough and give a voice to residents.
This descriptive account of the neighbourhood system is based on articles in 'Tower Hamlets News', July and October 1986, May 1989, June 1990 and March 1991. |