Newham Council has confirmed that households evacuated from five tower blocks in the Caxton Works estate in Canning Town will receive a 100 per cent discretionary reduction in council tax while they are displaced, with relief backdated to late October.
The council said the relief will be automatic and backdated to 23 October 2026 for residents of Centurion Tower, Sovereign Tower and St Vincent Court, and to 30 October 2026 for those evacuated from Thanet Tower and Prince Court. It added the measure will be reviewed monthly.
Around 211 households were evacuated from Centurion Tower, St Vincent Court and Sovereign Tower in the early hours of 23 October, after the London Fire Brigade told the council the buildings faced serious structural problems, the council said. Residents of Thanet Tower and Prince Court were evacuated a week later on 30 October, and dangerous structural notices have been served on all five buildings, the council said. No date has been given for when residents may return, and the cause of the structural problems remains under investigation.
The council said it will apply the council tax reduction automatically and give priority to households who pay by direct debit so that no further payments are taken. Payments already made by direct debit will be refunded automatically to the originating bank account, the council said. Residents who do not pay by direct debit will be contacted and asked to provide bank details so refunds can be processed.
Temporary business rates hardship relief will also be applied automatically for eligible businesses at Caxton Works that are unable to operate from their premises. The council said this relief will be backdated to 23 October for businesses based in the north towers and to 30 October for businesses in the south tower.
Developer reimbursements and council role
Developer Galliard Homes has written to residents offering to reimburse reasonable relocation and temporary accommodation costs, retrospectively from the same dates, the council said. The developer’s scheme covers the initial 14 days from the date of its letter, up to and including Thursday 19 November 2026, according to the council’s summary of the correspondence.
The council emphasised that it is not a party to Galliard Homes’s reimbursement arrangements and cannot determine or guarantee individual claims. It urged residents to keep receipts for any expenses they wish to claim under the developer scheme.
Newham Council said it is working with the buildings’ property management company, Prime Property Management, and that its housing prevention and support service is advising residents who cannot secure alternative accommodation through their own arrangements, a landlord, managing agent or insurer.
Household totals vary between accounts. The council referred to around 211 households displaced from the three north towers, while other figures place the total of affected households and businesses at a higher number. The council did not give a return date for residents and said investigations into the structural issues are ongoing.
The council’s announcement on 6 November 2026 sets out the immediate financial protections it will apply, but it made clear the measures are discretionary, will be kept under monthly review, and do not remove the need for residents to pursue any separate claims with Galliard Homes, insurers or other parties.
Residents who have queries about council tax relief, refunds or business rates help are being asked to contact Newham Council directly. The council said it will contact non direct debit payers to obtain details needed to process refunds.
For households awaiting clarity on the safety and future of their buildings, the council reiterated that it is providing housing support services and working with the managing agent and the developer, while structural investigations continue.
