London's 'sugar mile': shared-ownership flats in city's new buzzing district at heart of £3.5bn Docklands regeneration from £120k

Once dominated by London's factories, Silvertown's regeneration will bring thousands of new homes and businesses to this area.

David Spittles3 December 2019

Refined? Perhaps not, but gritty Silvertown in east London used to be known as “Sugar Mile”.

The brooding bulk of the vast Tate & Lyle sugar refinery — Europe’s largest — still dominates the river’s edge, but long gone are the factories that produced Keiller’s Marmalade, Trebor Mints and numerous biscuit brands.

Bounded by Canary Wharf and London City airport, Silvertown is at the heart of a £3.5 billion regeneration programme that’s set to transform the melancholy post-industrial landscape into a pulsating new district, a glittering hub for design and innovation companies plus thousands of new homes.

A new bridge across Royal Docks will link with Custom House station and Crossrail, while a tunnel under the Thames will connect with Greenwich.

All that is to come. “Cappuccino culture” has yet to arrive in this part of the capital and for the moment, home buyers are sacrificing convenience and glamour for affordability.

Young Londoners can buy into this promising area for £120,750 via shared ownership.

This is for a one-bedroom apartment at The Refinery, a new development in E16 by Southern Housing Group, moments from a Docklands Light Railway station and Thames Barrier Park.

Two-bedroom flats start at £157,500 for the minimum 35 per cent share of a home with a full price of £450,000. Call 0300 555 2171 for more information.