Canning Town: An East End area with a bright future

People seeking flats to rent in Canning Town will be able to experience the excitement of living in a well-connected area that is set to undergo transformative changes over the coming months and years.

The historic area is part of the London borough of Newham and did not exist in its current form prior to the reign of Queen Victoria, but has undergone a rapid and dramatic evolution over the last 200 years.

With the establishment of railroads in the mid-19th century, Canning Town became a hotbed of industry and the population rapidly swelled, with houses built quickly and often cheaply to cater to the influx of workers.

As such, the area has not always had the best reputation, becoming known for its slum housing throughout much of its lifespan, as well as being the site of the infamous industrial accident known as the Silvertown explosion, with a memorial marker still standing at the site to this day.

Despite this, Canning Town is an area that offers a great deal of potential, thanks in large part to its superb location near many Docklands developments and strong transport links, both in terms of overground and underground rail services and its proximity to London City Airport and the new Stratford International Station.

It is also known for its Rathbone Market, its many historic pubs and the Bridgehouse II music venue, a recently launched facility that aims to continue the legacy of the famous original Bridge House, which once brought world-famous superstars to Canning Town.

However, the most concrete reason to consider moving to Canning Town is the extensive programme of redevelopment that is set to transform the area into a vibrant and thriving community in the near future.

The Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme will see up to 10,000 new homes created at a cost of £3.7 billion, with thousands of new jobs and two improved town centres also set to be introduced.

Widespread enhancements to schools, health, leisure and other community facilities have all been promised, as well as additional shops, a supermarket and office space.

The already strong accessibility of Canning Town is also set to be bolstered further through a significant highways improvement scheme that is currently underway, thereby improving connections to the station and freeing up space for town centre expansion.

Meanwhile, Rathbone Market will be receiving a similarly radical overhaul via the introduction of a new market square, extra shops and yet more new homes, with the first phase of this scheme set to be completed by this summer.

These projects come in addition to a £4 billion regeneration of nearby Stratford, which will involve the opening of Westfield Stratford City - one of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe - only ten minutes away from Canning Town.

Such initiatives will help Canning Town to benefit from the economic boon that will be provided by the 2012 Olympic Games and beyond, allowing it to move forward as one of London's most dynamic and forward-looking areas in the very near future.

Posted by Martyn Glynn

Published 28th February, 2012

© 2012 Estates IT Limited