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Terry a local resident and citizen scientist from Custom House reflects on the obstacles to prosperity in the area despite the regeneration plans in the last two decades.

These are the messages, thoughts听and findings of Terry, a local resident and citizen social scientist from Custom House, Newham. Terry conducted research on the obstacles to prosperity that local residents in Custom House experience, as part of the Prosperity in east London 2021-2031 Longitudinal Study.

Broken promises

In 2001, plans to regenerate the Custom House estate were first shared with residents. The plan was part of the broader 鈥淐ustom House and Canning Town Regeneration鈥� initiative, involving 19 different areas, which promised to transform the area and improve quality of life for residents. Although some regeneration has already occurred in parts of Canning Town, Custom House remains little changed if not worse.

The shops along Freemason鈥檚 Road have had the same structure since the 1990s. Now run-down and in disrepair, few stores remain. Most have moved out or shut down. Houses in the estate similarly reveal years of neglect - the result of limited repairs, poor maintenance, and a lack of renovation.

When asked why the promises of regeneration had failed to reach Custom House, Terry explained:

鈥�鈥淚 think the first time they tried to take on more than they could chew...but they tried to just get people out first. It left people in a lot of uncertainty - people don鈥檛 want to set roots, buy new stuff or spend money decorating if you鈥檙e going to be moving out. And because of the regeneration - they鈥檝e started doing some things now - but the council was slow on repairs. And then it was Mears that ran it - private renters who have got chucked off by the council since - but Mears were not short of abusing people, charging over-inflated prices, people were living with dirt coming out their taps, windows falling out. [The council鈥檚] addressed some of it now but they were putting a hold on repairs because they say it comes out of a different pot of money. But the way it seems to me, they didn鈥檛 want to spend money on a place that potentially would come down. So the more it was the left, the more it got run down. There鈥檚 probably numerous reasons for it - finances, people鈥檚 demands - but I think one of it was actually the original plan was just over-done and they should have realised that and talked to people, let them have an input on how it would proceed, instead of bulldozing ahead.鈥�

鈥淚s a promise that lasts 20 years still a promise?鈥�, Terry asks.

Across the bridge

As infrastructure and amenities in Custom House have fallen into disrepair over the years, residents have simultaneously seen the rapid development of the Royal Victoria Docks just across the Custom House DLR bridge. Terry describes this in detail:

鈥�鈥淎cross the bridge you will see a completely different world. New buildings, clean streets, and the greatest security. A resident once saw a fight start on the other side, in less than 5-minutes ExCel1. security had diffused the situation; I can empathize with my fellow residents when they say we feel like we do not exist. The Custom House community have been forgotten.鈥�

Residents lamented the stark contrast between their estate and the relative wealth, safety and modern amenities just across the bridge. Despite vague promises that these mega developments would benefit the community, Terry pointed out that they had failed to create jobs for the community. Most events at ExCeL, for instance, outsourced their staffing needs to agencies. Training opportunities to work in the hospitality and events sector were also not made available to residents, making it difficult for them to access what opportunities they could find.

This lack of consideration for the local community in Custom House also extended to the way estate regeneration initiatives were carried out. For instance, Terry recalls how the allotment in Custom House had been prematurely shut:

鈥�鈥淚t was used by the community a great deal, it was all looked after and taken care of, but about 2-3 years ago it was shut down - it was earmarked for regeneration. They said you鈥檝e got to give people a lot of notice and you might as well vacate it now because if people dig their heels in further it鈥檚 more difficult to get people out. I disagree with this and obviously they didn鈥檛 keep the time, it overran. So it鈥檚 just been sitting empty. And then because of that, you had more people starting fires there, drug abuse, people sleeping in tents, causing trouble. I just don鈥檛 see the sense in shutting something so early, which was so pivotal to keeping the community together. It was good for their mental health. People could鈥檝e done a lot of things with it, especially with today鈥檚 problems - people struggling to get food - an allotment would have been great for the community.鈥�

As Terry points out, crime and dwindling support networks that helped with food security and mental health were linked to the loss of important community space in Custom House. Communities know this and live this reality - they know the assets in their neighbourhood and the opportunities needed. Yet, they were not listened to in the regeneration planning. As Terry frequently urged: 鈥淟isten to the people, find out what they want鈥�.

Lost futures

The sense of loss that residents of Custom House felt extended beyond amenities and opportunities, to communities and lives. Walking around Custom House, Terry pointed out multiple roadside memorials mourning the deaths of young people killed in violent crime.

Although crime levels have gradually gone down over the years - from 645 reported crimes in the second quarter of 2020 to 464 in the same quarter of 2022 (Metropolitan Police 2022) - crime and death are still a visible and daily reality. Poor future prospects and the uncertainty of having to move make it difficult for young people to thrive in school and envision alternative life paths. Crime seems to become the path of least resistance. Terry describes this situation:

鈥�鈥淲hen you come from a run-down area, there鈥檚 no money being put into it, people don鈥檛 feel they have a future. They turn to a quick-and-easy way to get money. And a quick-and-easy way to get money is crime and doing things like muggings... and it hasn鈥檛 helped - the regeneration and the uncertainty of not knowing what鈥檚 going on hasn鈥檛 helped. People come to me all the time and they ask what鈥檚 going on, when鈥檚 my place coming down? And kids鈥� education and stuff like that suffers.鈥�

Communities suffer too. Terry describes the cost to the Custom House community that decades of failed promises and neglect have incurred:

鈥�鈥淣o one鈥檚 got any vested interest in staying in the area, because they鈥檙e not sure what鈥檚 happening. So how can you build a community on uncertainty? Over the years there have been so many short-term lets, council鈥檚 letting private companies like Mears overcharge people - for a normal place that cost 拢600, charging 拢1,100 a month - of course people can鈥檛 make rent! And then there鈥檚 such a steady stream of people moving in and out...When we moved in here, every family was a council resident, every family was invested in the area long term, but now, from a street of about 28 houses - me knowing every one of the houses - I now only know about 16. And that鈥檚 the cost of this - communities are breaking down.鈥�

While conducting research in Custom House, Terry and his research partner, Twinkle, met the father of a young boy who was killed just a few minutes鈥� walk away from Freemason鈥檚 Road. He urged them to be careful of who their children mixed around with. As Terry explained, this task becomes much harder in an environment of degeneration and uncertainty, where rooted communities are difficult to build and positive communal spaces for young people hard to find. When communities suffer, individuals suffer too.

In conversations about Custom House, Terry frequently spoke of futures - 鈥渋t鈥檚 all about people鈥檚 futures鈥� - what futures are being built for the people of Custom House?

If you could speak to a policymaker now, what would you say?

鈥�鈥淟isten to the people first, find out what they want - don鈥檛 assume to know, get people involved.鈥�

Terry

鈥淐rush humanity out of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms鈥�. Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities