This area is known locally as Stonebridge and is situated in the north western London Borough of Brent. The area has recently undergone major development and refurbishment that has led to a large area of social housing being gradually rebuilt. The development’s 1960s tower blocks have been demolished and replaced with lower-rise houses and blocks of flats. The neighbourhood also boasts Victorian terrace houses, twenties terraces, and thirties semis in the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is filled with long-established Irish and Caribbean communities as well as newer arrivals from Brazil, Portugal and Somalia, making it one of the most diverse suburbs in London. The area has numerous primary schools, all of which have Ofsted ratings of good to outstanding. Beyond all of this, residents report that there is a sense of community in the area, making this is a great family friendly option.

The name of Stonebridge derives, unsurprisingly, from a stone bridge that was built in 1745 to carry Harrow Road over the River Brent. This small stone bridge was significant because, at that time, most bridges were made out of wood. Until the end of the 19th century, this was the site of Stonebridge Farm. During the 1950s, the council planned a massive redevelopment that ended up covering almost 100 acres of Stonebridge and brought more than 2,000 units to the area. Despite the council’s good intentions, the Stonebridge estate soon proved flawed in its design and execution. As a result, the Stonebridge Housing Action Trust took over management of the estate in 1994. Since then, the trust has done its best to make improvements, replacing some of the blocks with less austere terraced housing as part of a multi- million-pound effort to enhance the area’s quality of life.

In 1995, this neighbourhood became the home of the biggest Hindu temple outside India: The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. The temple was built out of 2,000 tons of Italian marble and 3,000 tons of Bulgarian limestone that were all shipped to India to be carved and then brought back to England to be assembled in 26,000 pieces.

One of this neighbourhood’s downsides is that the crime rate is 3.22, which is a little bit higher than the London overall rate of 2.16. Violence against a person the highest reported crime, but luckily the number of crimes has been steadily decreasing.

In Summer 2022, plans were submitted to Brent Council by Canada Israel and Avanton for a development composed of three buildings with 515 new homes of mixed tenure, and including 1,200 sq ft of commercial space, a boxing gym with public café, landscaped gardens, pedestrian boulevards and new water features. Not too far from this neighbourhood, to the east, Harlesden is set to be transformed by a million-pound regeneration project after Brent Council successfully secured funds for a Harlesden Gateway High Streets Heritage Action Zone in 2021. The funding will help deliver public realm improvements to the high street, as well as enhancements and refurbishments to existing buildings and shopfronts. Brent Council has also begun works to develop new council homes f0r Church End, with an aim to deliver 99 new homes and an improved Market Square for the local community. It is expected that works will end in 2025.

A bit further south, Old Oak Common has been designated a new super-hub set to be the best-connected and largest new railway station ever built in the UK. Development prospects around the station, which is expected to become one of the country’s busiest following the completion of HS2-related works for the station, are anticipated to have high returns and an area immediately to the southwest of the proposed station has already been identified for commercial development. Residents of this neighbourhood area can expect to see more improvements in this area in the next few years. Stonebridge Place, the name by which this development in known, will have 35% of its units allocated for affordable housing comprised of 57 shared ownership and 117 affordable rent homes.