The New Carpenters Estate

Foreword by Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham

“After decades of waiting and being left behind, residents can finally take comfort that they have a Council which is forging ahead to deliver on the promises I made to deliver much needed homes they can afford.

We are making substantial progress with the Carpenters Estate restoration and regeneration programme, and submitting the outline masterplan is a demonstration of our commitment to transforming the estate into a vibrant community and neighbourhood instead of a ghost town languishing because of historical neglect. With £1billion of investment in the Carpenters Estate, we are showing the scale of my administration’s ambition for our residents.” - Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz 

About the Carpenters Estate regeneration

If you know Newham, you’ll know the Carpenters Estate. It’s a 28-acre estate next to Stratford station and Westfield Stratford City. First built in the 1960s, it’s been the subject of several stalled attempts to redevelop it.

In a ballot held in late 2021, residents overwhelmingly backed a ground-breaking masterplan for the future of the Estate. The masterplan was co-produced by Populo and residents, and was approved in February 2024. will deliver:

• Over 2,300 modern and sustainable homes, 50% of which will be genuinely affordable
• Over 28,000sqm of commercial space including new cafes, restaurants, shops, workshop spaces and more.
• Better connected streets, with a clear route to Stratford station and houses and maisonettes at the centre of the development with taller buildings towards the edge.
• The regeneration is intended to support inclusive growth in Newham by providing hundreds of local jobs and apprenticeships, investment in local businesses through local procurement and new inward investment to the borough throughout its 15-year span.

Like all of Populo's work, the homes will be built with high quality materials, designed to last a lifetime. As part of the Council’s climate emergency response, 44% (314) of the existing homes will be retained, including two of the estate’s iconic towers. These homes will be refurbished to offer more space and the high standards of energy performance that Newham Council requires, as part of its response to the climate emergency.

The new Carpenters Estate supports a 15-minute neighbourhood, with everything to live a good quality life within easy reach, with community, education and commercial facilities. All existing council tenants, homeowners and those with a right to return can remain on the Estate.

The new homes will range in size from one bedroom to four-bedroom family homes. The homes will be in buildings of varying heights and designed for a mixture of needs, including homes for older people and those with accessibility requirements. New homes will be brighter and built to last, with high quality materials, they  will be built with sustainablity in mind, to modern standards, helping to reduce energy bills.

The tallest buildings will be located adjacent to the railway line and lower and mid-rise buildings will be in the centre of the estate.

• The restored and regenerated estate has been designed with residents in mind, including new replacement community and sports facilities and a mix of non-residential uses (including, shops, cafés and workspaces) at ground floor level. In the new central square, there will be lots of green spaces, including new communal gardens and play areas.
  
  The Carpenters Estate restoration & regeneration programme will also deliver on the Council’s inclusive growth agenda – providing hundreds of local jobs and apprenticeships, investment in local businesses through local procurement and new inward investment to the borough throughout its 15-year delivery timeline.

  It will be easier to get around with direct access to Stratford Shopping Centre and a new entrance to Stratford station, connecting The Carpenters Estate to London, the UK and the World.
  
  Read more and have your say about our upcoming phases on Commonplace: https://thecarpentersestate.commonplace.is/ 

The history of The Carpenters Estate

In 1767 The Carpenters Company, a City of London livery company, purchased a 63-acre farm estate in the parish of West Ham near Stratford, as a revenue investment.

Many of London’s factories, including The Yardley Box Factory, were built on the canals of the River Lea, The Great Eastern Railway and Carpenters Road in the following decades.

To house the workers for these factories, The Company of Carpenters built rows of Victorian terraced houses between Carpenters Road and the neighbouring town centre of Stratford.

The Company of Carpenters made efforts to improve the lives of the area’s employees and residents, including building a school and social club for the area.

 

The Rebuilding of The Carpenters Estate

During the Second World War Stratford was a frequent target for air raids, and by the end of the war much of the original Carpenters Estate housing had been destroyed or was badly damaged.

The present estate was built in 1967, combining low rise housing, maisonettes and three tower blocks: Lund Point (1967), Dennison Point (1967) and James Riley Point (in 1969).

The area has since undergone massive changes following the construction of the Olympic site, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Stratford City E20 development, and there have been similar plans to regenerate The Carpenters Estate. Now, in partnership with Newham Council, Populo is leading the delivery of a programme to transform The Carpenters, to provide many more of the high-quality homes the area needs.