New Stratford towers underway beside International station

Work has begun on two new blocks located beside Stratford International DLR station.

For my money this proposal is a cut above the vast majority of blocks so far constructed in the area and will offer a welcome relief from many of the drab and dull buildings seen rise over the past 15 years.

Telford Homes are behind the project which tops out at 26-floors in height. The site features two blocks and a podium garden with arches lining International Way.

Active frontages are shown at street level. A total of 380 flats will be included.

The area around Stratford International station has gradually changed from featureless roads with fenced off derelict plots into one befitting such a location.

Of course the name Stratford International is a misnomer given no Eurostar trains to the continent ever have and probably never will stop here.

The site of the tower cements that change given it was once intended to serve international arrivals and departures.

There were plans for a major bus and coach station serving the proposed international station. A buzz of activity for international travellers never came. In the end it became a very minor turn around point.

With Ebbsfleet also no longer seeing international trains, those early dreams of a network linking various stations in the UK to various stations across Europe has truncated into a far more limited service.