There are two London neighbourhoods which have been named in the top 10 as areas undergoing the most rapid gentrification in the UK. Olympic Park and Mill Meads in Newham is the area undergoing the most rapid gentrification in London, followed by Woodberry Down and Manor House in Hackney.
A data driven study of neighbourhoods across the UK, taking into consideration signifiers of gentrification like education level, income, house prices and local amenities was collated by the Telegraph. It found that Olympic Park and Mill Meads was the fourth most rapidly gentrified neighbourhood in the UK and Woodberry Down and Manor House was the fifth.
While there are obvious markers of gentrification seen on high streets, like a Starbucks moving into an old cafe spot or a Gail’s Bakery appearing on the corner, there are plenty of statistics that help paint the picture behind the scenes. The study compares data across 10 years to see where has changed the most.
The areas being gentrified even faster than these London spots are:
- Cromwell Road and Broad Street in Salford
- New Islington and Miles Platting in Manchester
- Temple Hill and Marches in Dartford
Olympic Park and Mill Meads
Olympic Park and Mill Meads are two neighbourhoods right next to each other in Newham, East London. The area has undergone significant transformation over the past two decades following the London 2012 Olympic Games. This trend has clearly carried on as the data shows identification signifiers continue up to the 2024 data. The Olympic Park is the centrepiece of Stratford’s urban regeneration with new housing and jobs being created in the area.
Mill Meads is just south of the Olympic Park and has historically seen fewer regenerative projects in the area, but this is now changing. It is home to the iconic Abbey Mills Pumping Station, often called the Cathedral of Sewage, a striking piece of Victorian engineering. It has industrial estates but also green spaces as well as being next to Stratford High Street and Pudding Mill Lane DLR station which are undergoing redevelopment.
The first stat that is a significant marker of gentrification is the share of the population who hold degrees. In 2011, 50% of people had degrees in the area; now that is up to 74%.
House prices are always a great indicator of the general wealth in an area, and the neighbourhoods have seen a huge increase over the last decade. In 2014, house prices averaged £281,538 to £493,265, a 75% increase.
Incomes are also important to look at, and a similar story emerges. Incomes in the neighbourhoods in 2011/12 averaged £32,760 and in 2019/20, this figure stood at £60,500, nearly double.
The store also included stats on what it called speciality stores, meaning swanky cafes that replace greasy spoons and the like. In 2015 there were 50 speciality store employees in the neighbourhoods, but this actually dropped to 45 employees in 2023.
Woodberry Down and Manor House
Woodberry Down and Manor House are adjacent neighbourhoods in Hackney, also in East London. Woodberry Down is currently undergoing one of the largest regeneration projects in Europe with thousands of new homes being built since the early 2000s. New build flats overlooking the Woodberry Wetlands have become popular with professionals and young families.
Manor House was historically a working-class area, but is becoming more and more gentrified with improved housing stock, a top location due to the Piccadilly line Tube station.
The study also shows clear signs of gentrification. In 2011, 37% of residents had degrees in the area, but in 2021, 68% of them did.
House prices have also gone up substantially in the area, though not quite as sharply as in Olympic Park and Mill Meads. Here, house prices averaged £450,160 in 2014 but were £562,084 in 2024, a 25% increase.
Incomes have also hugely in the area. In 2011/12, they sat at £28,600, but in 2024, they were £53,200, again nearly double.
There were no specialist store employees in 2015 or 2023 in the areas.
Get the top stories from across London directly to your inbox. Sign up for MyLondon’s Daily Newsletter HERE to get the biggest stories every day
