The neighbourhood of Gants Hill is located in the eastern London Borough of Redbridge. There is a mix of newer and older properties that include terraced and semi-detached houses, flats and apartments, as well as some larger detached houses. This area has a well-stocked local library and is right next to Valentines Park, a beautiful and open space to relax and play in. On the high street, next to the Gants Hill Tube, there are numerous restaurants and a variety of cuisines, including Indian, Thai, Chinese, Turkish, and Eastern European. The neighbourhood is populated with professional couples and families looking for good schools and a diverse urban area while still being removed from cramped Central London.

It is speculated that Gants Hill’s name relates to the medieval landowners - the Le Gant family. They originated from the Belgian city of Ghent. The area was purely agricultural up until after WWI, when the British government offered subsidies for new buildings. As a result, the Corporation of London took advantage of this opportunity and began to build 2,000 cottages in the area. In 1921, the government had second thoughts about the whole scheme and withdrew its subsidies, prompting the Corporation to halt the project when only 220 homes had been built. The land reverted to the farmers, even though foundations had already been laid for many more properties. Other organisations quickly took advantage of this opportunity and the neighbourhood area was rapidly built up.

Gants Hill station is famous for having a large arched area between the platforms which is similar to some stations on the Moscow metro. This is because the architect, Charles Holden, was an advisor to the Moscow metro at the time and ended up influencing his designs in London.

This neighbourhood’s aesthetics can be seen as a bit drab by some. Additionally, the area is reported to be fairly quiet and residential. There are regeneration projects occurring and new builds being constructed that will help give the area a facelift. Also, the quiet and residential aspect could be quite positive for some.

With the 2022 arrival of the Elizabeth line at nearby Ilford and Seven Kings stations, Redbridge Council is in the process of developing this area into a thriving district centre, while maintaining its architectural heritage. The Council aims to develop and improve the centre’s retail shops, adding vitality and viability to the daytime economy. There are also plans to build taller and higher density housing while redeveloping existing vacant and underused low-grade office spaces. In recent years, a number of residential developments have completed in the area, including Invito and The Point, which together have added almost 230 new residential units with varying numbers of bedrooms, as well as The Valentine, that boasts 321 student accommodation units. Further still, the Kalyvides Partnership are in the planning stages of a 29,000sqm mixed-use development in Gants Hill that will include 167 residential units and a 2,800sqm food store. All in all Redbridge Council wish to bring 500 new homes, 8,000sqm of new retail space, and 2,600sqm of employment space to Gants Hill to accommodate 600 new jobs.