Beckton is a suburban neighbourhood nestled just above East London’s famous former Docklands, and is considered by some to be a slice of Eastern Europe in the Capital. Home to many residents originally from Poland and Lithuania, the area offers locals a modest but tight knit community away from the hustle and bustle of Central London. The neighbourhood can feel quiet at times, with its large population of elderly residents and many small winding roads that weave through the post-war housing estates. However, due to the neighbourhood’s wonderful transport connections including two separate DLR stations, as well as the affordable housing prices and access to Beckton Park, young professionals have recently begun to move in. While the area’s main roads have little beyond large chain stores, the increased attention from developers gives locals reason to believe that change is on the way.

This eastern end of this neighbourhood, near the Royal Albert Dock, is known by some as Cyprus. This dates back to 1878 when Britain had leased the actual island of Cyprus from Turkey. They found similarities between this neighbourhood and the island because it was seen as a tiny settlement with a self-supporting community. The area sprang up in order to provide homes for workers at the local gasworks as well as the Royal Docks. Unfortunately, though, the conditions in public spaces and homes weren’t great. It wasn’t until the destruction caused by the Second World War that the local government was forced to improve the area’s housing quality. Today, the neighbourhood has many modest brick terraced houses that fill estates in the area.

This neighbourhood is the site of the first housing project led by the London Docklands Development Corporation. Following this, many more housing developments were built in the area throughout the 1980s.

Unfortunately, the crime rates reported for the area have been slightly higher than those in the rest of London. Still, most of these are non-violent crimes, such as shoplifting, and do not make residents feel unsafe in their small community-oriented neighbourhood. The most common complaint among locals is rather the noise from London City Airport, which makes up this area’s southern border.

With the area’s abundance of space and affordable pricing, it’s no surprise that the neighbourhood has become a potential site for redevelopment. Newham Council, in search of ways to provide much needed housing to its residents, has released plans to repurpose large portions of the area near the riverside. While specific building plans have not been finalised, the council has been clear that the area should be used to provide the borough with more homes, office spaces, and commercial opportunities. The recently completed Beckton Parkside development can be seen as one example of this, providing an abundance of affordable one, two and three bed homes. The opening of an Elizabeth Line station at nearby Custom house is also a huge asset to the area as it sits just 5 minutes away on the DLR meaning the city is accessible in less than 30 minutes.