Tower Hamlets Labour councillors have hit out at a decision to approve a 46-storey tower block in Canary Wharf which includes no 'affordable' housing.

At April's meeting of the council's strategic planning committee, four Aspire councillors voted in favour of the plans, four Labour councillors voted against the application and one Aspire member abstained.

The Aspire chair of the committee broke the tie to approve the plans submitted by developer Olympian Homes.

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The planned site at 56-58 Marsh Wall will include 795 co-living spaces.

It would have had to include 278 'affordable' flats under the council's 35 per cent 'affordable' quota.

Aspire said that, in lieu of 'affordable' housing, the developer agreed to pay the council £47.9 million in an 'affordable' housing contribution.

The money will be put towards the mayor's housebuilding programme, which aims to build 4,000 'affordable' and social homes by 2026.

Cllr Sirajul Islam, leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Group, said: "Aspire's decision is all the more confounding given that, had they been included, these 278 homes would have helped some of the 20,000 people on the council's housing waiting list."

Cllr Asma Islam, Labour's shadow member for housing, added: "This development could have built 278 affordable homes for Tower Hamlets residents, instead we will end up with 795 luxury apartments for people outside of the borough.”

A spokesperson for Aspire said the strategic planning committee "sits above party politics and often follows the recommendations of council officers".

They added: "In this case, officers recommended that the development and cash payment would better serve affordable housebuilding objectives and should proceed."