Carpenters Estate

Carpenters Estate is a council housing estate in Stratford, London which the Mayor of Newham has earmarked for demolition and redevelopment. It is adjacent to the main site for the 2012 Olympics.

Carpenters Estate is located in the northwest corner of the London Borough of Newham. The estate's name originates from The Worshipful Company of Carpenters, an ancient London livery company, which in the late 19th century bought what was farmland in West Ham for industrial development. Many of London’s factories were built on the canals of the River Lea, the railroads, 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 made efforts to improve the lives of the area’s employees and residents, including the creation of a school and a social club.

However, during the Second World War, Stratford was a frequent target for air raids, and by the end of the war, much of the Carpenters Estate housing had been destroyed or was badly damaged. A lack of funds and landlord neglect in the 1950s led to worsening physical condition, though the estate's residents' sense of community has remained strong.

Several different plans for redevelopment have been rejected by local residents since 2007. All plans would allow London Borough of Newham to compulsory purchase the properties, and sell the land to developers at a profit (and no obligation to rehouse current residents on the newly built development) This happened to Deptford Market and the Victorian houses on the Carpenters Estate. Residents of the estate believe that this is covert social cleansing plan, instigated by London Borough of Newham council.

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