A visualisation of the Bow Wharf development planned for 2015.
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Residential housing developments in Bow

In recent years East London’s Bow and Roman Road area have seen an explosion of housing developments. Like it or not, the property developers have arrived and the area is changing fast. Here’s an updated list of developments clearly illustrating the ‘Bow Boom’ in the last two years, including a few that are still in the pipeline.

New housing developments in Bow, East London

Map plotting new housing developments in Bow, East London, from 2000 to 2015.
Map plotting new housing developments in Bow, East London, from 2000 to 2015. Image by © Social Streets CIC

The map shows the new housing developments being built in Bow East, Bow West, and also within a 10 minute walk of the Roman Road high street including parts of Fish Island, Globe Town, the eastern reaches of Bethnal Green, and northern reaches of Bromley-by-Bow.

The colour red represents the private housing developments that have been built in East London’s district of Bow between 2010 and 2015; a total of 13 developments. An astonishing 10 of those 13 development have appeared in the last two years – the ‘Bow Boom’.

The colour purple shows the private housing developments built in the five years previous to that (eg 2005-2010); a total of five. The blue and green colours represent developments built before 2005; just three.

The 13 housing developments that have been built in the Roman Road catchment area in the last five years (including those due to complete this year) have brought circa 1,674 new households to the area. This unprecedented population growth is sure to see significant change in the local shops and services along Roman Road.

It’s a time of great opportunity, but vigilance is also needed to ensure our heritage and history are protected; that architectural designs contribute positively to the local landscape; that promised Section 106 money is put to good use for the community; and that the developments are affordable, well-built, and provide a suitable mix of one and two bedroom apartments, as well as larger four and five bedroomed housing for families.

With more developments on the horizon, including the former fire station on Parnell Road, should local residents be consulted on big planning decisions that would have a significant impact on local life? The Localism Bill of 2010 introduced the concept of neighbourhood planning. Is this something you would welcome for Roman Road and Bow?

Central Foundation College

CGI image of Central Foundation College conversion off Tredegar Square in Bow, East London.
Central Foundation College off Tredegar Square will be turned into 36 units.

Site: College Terrace, Bow, East London
Planning application: PA/12/0577
Residential units: 36
Housing mix: 10 x 1 bedroom,13 x 2 bedroom, 12 x 3 bedroom and 1 x 4 bedroom units
Affordable housing: 9 of the 36
Conservation issues: Grade II listed and in Tredegar Square conservation area
Developer: Central Foundation Schools of London
Architect: Assael
Completion: works due to commence 2015

Bow Wharf

Architect's drawing of Bow Wharf housing development on Hertford Union and Regents canal.
A visualisation of the Bow Wharf development planned for 2015.

Site: Bow Wharf adjoining Regents Canal and Old Ford Road, Bow, East London
Planning application: PA/11/03371
Residential units: 39
Housing mix: 32 flats and 5 town houses, three block from three to six storeys high (10 x 1-bed, 14 x 2-bed, 4 x 3-bed, 5 x 4-bed)
Retail unit:and 64 square metres of commercial floor space
Conservation issues: Stop Lock Bridge is Grade II Listed and is in the Regents Canal Conservation area; two warehouses within the Bow Wharf Complex are locally listed
History: This application has been contested over a period of many years. Find more information from Friends of Regents Canal.
Owner: Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways)
Developers: H2O Urban

Peabody Old Ford Road

CGI of proposed development on Old Ford Road, Bow, London.
Still in planning, Peabody’s development on Old Ford Road, Bow.

Site: Old Ford Road at Old Ford Bridge
Planning application: PA/13/01886
Conservation: Victoria Park Conservation Area
History: replacing void left by the demolition of the Royal Victoria music hall in the 1980s.
Residential units: 3
Housing mix: 3 affordable rented homes (1 x 1-bed, 9 x 2-bed, 4 x 3-bed)
Developer: 
Peabody Old Ford Development
Architects: 
Allsop Gollings
Completion date: Autumn 2015

LIVE3

CGI of the LIVE3 development on Old Ford Road in East London.
LIVE3 replaces the Old Methodist Church on Old Ford Road.

Site: Old Ford Methodist Church, Old Ford Road, East London
Application number: PA/12/03272
Application status: permitted 18 April 2013
History: Old Ford Methodist Church
Residential units: 9
Housing mix: 2 x 3 bedroom units; 2 x 2 bedroom units; 5 x 1 bedroom units
Leisure: community hall with ancillary spaces
Developers: Gateway Living 
Architects: MEPK
Completion date: 2015

St Clements

CGI image of St Clement's Hospital housing development.
St Clements on Bow Road, part managed by the East London Community Land Trust.

Site: Bow Road, Bow, East London
Planning application: PA/13/01532
Residential units: 252
Conservation: Grade II listed
History: St Clement’s is part of the UK’s first ever urban Community Land Trust. While most of these will be private homes, 35% will be designated as affordable, of which 23 will be handled by the East London Community Land Trust. These properties will be the UK’s first urban CLT properties ever delivered to market.
Developer: Linden Homes
Contractor: Galliford Try
Shared management: East London Community Land Trust
Affordable housing:  Peabody
Architects: John Thompson and Partners

Tredegar Place

CGI image of Tredegar Place housing development in Bow, East London.
Tredegar Place, Tredegar Road, Bow, London.

Site: Tredegar Road, Bow, East London
Residential units: 32
Housing mix: 20 x studio/1 bedroom; 9 x 2 bedroom, 4 x 3 bedroom
Website: Tredegar Place
Developer: Centra Group (commercial arm of Circle Housing)
Completion date: spring 2015

Sutton Wharf

CGI image of Sutton Wharf housing development overlooking Regents Canal in East London, with view of London skyline behind.
Sutton Wharf with it’s 18 storey high Grand Regent Tower, on Regents Canal and overlooking Mile End Park.

Site: Palmers Road, E2, overlooking Mile End Park, East London
Residential units: 650
Block A: 154 apartments over 10 storeys
Block B (Grand Regent Tower): 81 apartments, 3 storeys of commercial units (16 storeys)
Block C: commercial space on ground floor, 35 affordable housing units (9 storeys)
Block D, E, F: 150 affordable housing units, 50 in each block (10 storeys)
Block G: commercial units on two floors, 16 student accommodation units (6 storeys)
Developers: One Housing Group (created from merging Toynbee Housing Association and Island Homes)
Architects: Stockwool and Burwell Deakins
Contractor: Galliford Try and Hollybrook
History: Purchased by Bluecroft from the vacating cash and carry business. Part of 4 acre site between two parks and a canal in Mile End. Bluecroft property secured change of use and a detailed planning consent for 650 flats with commercial space and community uses.
Completion date: In stages, with completion in 2015

Essence E3

GGI of Essence E3 housing development in Bow, East London.
Popular known as the ‘Tesco development’ Essence E3 are the residential flats built on the former Safeway supermarket just off Gladstone Place, Roman Road Market.

Site: Gladstone Place, just off Roman Road Market, Bow, East London
Website: Essence E3
Residential units: 208
Retail: 2,678 m2 of retail space comprising three units, one of which is meant to be for a Tesco Metro
Developer: Centra Group (commercial arm of Circle Housing)
Contractor: GoldQuest
History: A series of postponements has led to much residendial unrest regarding the late opening of the Tesco supermarket that was promised to replace the loss of the Safeway supermarket on the original site,
covered here by Ted Jeory.

Completion: May 2014

Gunmakers Wharf

The luxury flats of Gunmakers Wharf on Old Ford Road overlook Victoria Park and the Hertford Union Canal.
The luxury flats of Gunmakers Wharf on Old Ford Road overlook Victoria Park and the Hertford Union Canal.

Site: Gunmakers Lane, just off Old Ford Road, Bow, East London
Residential units: 121
Retail: 1 x retail unit
Website: Gunmakers Wharf
Developers: A2Dominion
Completion: 2013

Chapel Ford Lofts

Converted chapel on Old Ford Road in Bow, East London.
Chapel Ford Lofts can be found at the very eastern end of Old Ford Road, East London. Photo by © Social Streets CIC

Site: Old Ford Road, Bow, East London
Residential units: 14
Website: Old Ford Lofts
Developer: Redbrook Buildings
Contractor: Sond Construction
Agent: Bridge New Homes
Completion: 2013

Merchant’s Quarter (Saunders)

CGI of Saunders building of the Merchants Quarter development, just off Bow Road, East London.
Saunders building of the Merchants Quarter development, just off Bow Road.

Site: Bow Road, Bow, East London
Residential units: 39 apartments
Completion: 2011

Mojo

The red and graphite facades of Mojo's development on Tredegar Road where it meets the A12.
The red and graphite facades of Mojo’s development on Tredegar Road where it meets the A12.

Site: Tredegar Road, Bow, East London
Residential units: 86
Mix: The scheme comprises 62 private flats (11 x studio, 18 x 1 bed, 23 x 2 and 10 x 3 bed), 16 social rented units (2 x 4bed flat, 1 x 5 bed flat, 5 x 2 bed flat and 6 x 3 bed flat) and 8 shared ownership flats (5 x 1bed, 1 x 2 bed and 2 x 3 bed).
Developer: Bellway Homes
Completed: 2010

Merchant’s Quarter (Kira)

Merchant's Quarter on Bow Road, with Tesco occupying the ground floor retail unit.
Merchant’s Quarter on Bow Road, with Tesco occupying the ground floor retail unit.

Site: Bow Road, Bow, East London
Residential units: 181
Mix: 22-storey tower blocks and eight low rise (predominantly four storey) blocks of flats and maisonettes, with 161 private and 20 social housing flats
Retail/leisure: 5,317 sq ft retail A1 space and 5,877 leisure D2 space
Developer: Telford Homes
History: the first of seven projects in partnership with East End Homes
Completion: 2010

SoBow

SoBow, Ordell Road, just off Tredegar Road, Bow, East London.
SoBow, Ordell Road, just off Tredegar Road, Bow, East London.

Site: Ordell Road, Bow, East London
Residential units: 201
Mix: 144 private units (11 x studio, 65 x 1 bed flats, 64 x 2 bed flats and 4 x 3 bed flats) and 57 social apartments (7 x 1 bed, 23 x 2 bed, 17 x 3 bed and 10 x 4 bed flats).
Developers: Telford Homes
Completed: 2009

Leamore Court

Leamore Court, Meath Crescent, is on the western side of the Regent's Canal and Mile End Park, East London.
Leamore Court, Meath Crescent, is on the western side of the Regent’s Canal and Mile End Park

Site: Meath Gardens, Globe Town, East London
Residential units: about 300
Developers: Laing O’Rourke / Countryside Properties
Architects: FBB Architects
Completion: 2007

Donnybrook Estate

Aerial view of Donnybrook Estate in Bow, East London.
The white cubes of the Donnybrook Estate, corner of Parnell Road and Old Ford Road.

Site: corner of Old Ford Road and Parnell Road, Bow, East London
Developer: Centra (commercial arm of Circle Housing)
Contractor:
Architects: Peter Barber architects
Completion: 2006

Heart of Bow

CGI of Heart of Bow development , at the corner of Tredegar Road and Parnell Road.
Heart of Bow replaces the council estate known as Lefevre Walk, at the corner of Tredegar Road and Parnell Road.

Site: Tredegar Road/Parnell Road
Residential units: 279
Developer: Lovell
History: created from the redevelopment of a council estate called Lefevre Walk
Completion: in phases, completing 2007

EastSide

New housing on the EastSide development, Bow, East London.
EastSide lies along and just off Tredegar Road, East London.

Site: Tredegar Road
Residential units: 200
Developer: Widacre Homes (Pershore) Limited
Housing mix: 32 private units (20 x studios, 64 x 1 bed flats, 48 x 2 bed flats), 84 x 2 bed social rented flats and 13 social rented houses (9 x 2 bed houses, 9 x 3bed houses, 8 x 4 bed houses and 8 x 5 bed houses)
Retail: 1,399 sq ft of retail space
Car parking spaces: 134
Completed: 2006

Connaught Works and Albany Works

Connaught Works converted East End warehouses on Old Ford Road in Bow.
Connaught Works on Old Ford Road are held up as great examples of high quality conversions of East End warehouses. Photo by © Social Streets CIC

Site: Old Ford Road, E3
Residential units: 85
Connaught Works housing mix: 62 apartments (22 x 1-bed, 40 x 2-bed);
Albany Works housing mix: 23 (20 flats and 3 houses)
Plannin applications: PA/02/00582 (Albany Works) and PA/01/01030 (Connaught Works)
Parking spaces: 9
Developer: Hampstead Homes
Completion: 2004

Bow Quarter

The pond at Bow Quarter, the converted Bryant and May match factory in Bow, East London.
Originally the Bryant and May match factory, Bow Quarter now offers luxury accommodation with a gym and swimming pool, on Fairfield Road. Photo by © Social Streets CIC

Site: Fairfield Road
Residential units: 72
Developer: Ballymore Properties
Complete: 1995

Empire Wharf

View of Empire Wharf on the Hertford Union Canal in East London.
Canal side development Empire Wharf overlooking the Hertford Union Canal and Victoria Park.

Site: 219-235 Old Ford Road
Residential units: 52
Mix: 1-bed and 2-bed apartments only
Developers: Hampstead Homes
Completion: 1994


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Tabitha Stapely is the founder of Social Streets C.I.C, a not-for-profit media company using journalism to strengthen communities, particularly those in disadvantaged or neglected areas. Prior, Stapely was a writer and editor for national titles including The Telegraph Saturday Magazine, Elle and Red magazines.

One thought on “Residential housing developments in Bow

  • Just wondering why other fairly significant developments have not been listed: eg Minton Court on Fairfield Rd (40 flats with some shared ownership, plus around 6 houses), Then just up from that, another medium size development about 40 flats. And then there is the gap in between these two developments – not sure where the planning permission is on that one.

    Reply

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