The Officer Key Decision meeting on Monday 28 September 2026 approved the contract award for the refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House, a former maternity hospital, to create a 42-bed Rough Sleepers Assessment Centre. This decision, made by Caroline Holland, Section 151 Officer, is subject to a call-in period.

Lady Helen Seymour House Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre Refurbishment

The primary decision made at this Officer Key Decision meeting was the approval to award a second stage JCT Design and Build Contract to Buxton Building Contractors Limited for the internal and external refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House. The contract value for these works is £9,501,427.00. This decision was approved by Caroline Holland, Section 151 Officer, in consultation with Councillor Susan Masters, Lead Member for Adults and Health.

Lady Helen Seymour House, a five-storey Victorian building located in Plaistow, is set to be transformed into a 42-bed assessment centre for individuals experiencing homelessness. The centre will provide a supportive environment with on-site facilities including a training kitchen, laundry room, and a medical suite offering mental health and substance misuse support. This initiative aligns with Newham's Corporate Plan 2022-2026, specifically Priority 1 (A healthier Newham and ageing well) and Priority 5 (Homes for our Residents), as well as the Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Strategy's Priority 3 (Support people to move off and stay off the streets).

The refurbishment project is also committed to environmental sustainability, in line with Newham's Climate Action Just Transition Plan. Measures to make the building more carbon-neutral include removing the gas supply in favour of electricity and solar panels, installing air source heat pumps, and improving thermal insulation with new windows and external doors.

The total project budget is £10,965,117, funded through a combination of Newham Council's capital contribution (£3.240M), Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding (£0.500M), Greater London Authority (GLA) Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) grant (£6.203M), GLA top-up funding (£0.523M), and Carbon Offset Funding (£0.500M). The decision also includes the approval to accept an allocation of £0.500M from the CIL Fund towards the project's budget.

The contract sum of £9,501,427.00 represents an increase of £1.305M compared to Newham Council's original estimate. This variation is attributed to additional works required, such as lowering the ground floor, upgrading the lift specification, meeting revised planning requirements for window finishes, achieving specified carbon efficiencies, installing cooling systems, upgrading building finishes, and improving circulation. The recommended contract sum includes £0.750M in provisional sums and a client contingency of £0.845M, which will be monitored closely.

Buxton Building Contractors Limited was previously awarded a Stage 1 Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) in October 2025. The revised project programme indicates that the main works are now scheduled for completion by September 2027, a delay from the original indicative completion date of November 2026.

The decision was made under delegated authority from a Cabinet decision on 30 January 2024, which authorised the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Lead Member for Health and Adult Social Care, to finalise contracts for the acquisition and refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House. Alternative options considered and rejected included doing nothing, which would risk losing external funding, and re-tendering the works, which would cause further delays. The Stage 2 proposals and costs from Buxton Building Contractors Limited were assessed and deemed to represent best value for the Council.

The decision is subject to a call-in period, ending at midnight on 14 October 2026, and can be implemented from 15 October 2026. The decision record can be found in the Public minutes 28th-Sep-2026 Officer Key Decision.pdf.