Geography CP: Stratford Case Study

Question 1

Location of Stratford

Answer 1

The London Borough of Newham is situated in East London and North of the River Thames. Newham is found in the inner part of London with neighbouring boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Redbridges. Newham is around 5 miles from the London City centre.

Stratford is located in the Borough of Newham in the north east. Stratford & Newtown borders Forest Gate N., Forest Gate S., West Ham, Canning Town N. Charing Cross is located 6 miles northeast from Stratford and the River Thames is situated 2 miles north. Stratford is also located north of Central London separated by around 7 miles.

Question 2

Locale of Stratford

Answer 2

Stratford is a well-known area for its historical influence and as a popular tourist spot. Stratford is well known for being the location of the 2012 London Olympics which attracted and still attracts many people to the area. Stratford has a vast industrial past as the location of ‘one of the first factories in the country to produce porcelain made from a soft-paste.’ This was under the Bow porcelain factory. In the 19th century, Stratfords industrialisation had significantly grown with a large range of manufactures based here.

Question 3

Sense of place of Stratford for insiders and outsiders

Answer 3

Can appear as dirty and unkept to those who don’t live there and have not expectancies that type of environment.

To people that life it can still be perceived as unkept and full of crime however it is also a place that they call home and have seen grow and develop over the years into a better place than it was.

Question 4

Give an example of change in Stratford’s economic characteristics. What factors have affected this?

Question 4

What was the latest IMD score for Stratford? Explain what this means

Question 5

Describe your perception of Stratford as an outsider

Answer 5

Unkept and crime filled

Question 6

What is the most significant endogenous factor affecting the character of Stratford?

Answer 6

Population growth e.g. age of people that live there

Question 7

What is the most significant exogenous factor affecting the character of Stratford?

Answer 7

Olympic Park 2012

Question 8

Give two agents of change in Stratford and explain how they have impacted Stratford’s place identity

Answer 8

Olympic Park - generated large amounts of wealth for the are (wealthier that was used effectively can be argued)

Regeneration 1981 - introduction of a new shopping centre, entertainment hub and Central retail which attracts 50 million visitors annually

Question 9

Give an example of globalisation in Stratford

Answer 9

Olympic Games

Question 10

Give an example of localisation in Stratford

Answer 10

Pie shops - NOTED EEL & PIE HOUSE since 1926 ‘all our pies are still handmade daily using our traditional family recipe which dates back four generations’

Question 11

People’s lives experiences of Stratford

Social - Positive impact

Answer 11

~ Docklands line railway - connects east london to the centre of Stratford
~ Youngest and most diverse community in the UK
~ 41% people under 24 and highest proportion of one parent families
~ Planned to add Straford into the new International Eurostar station
~ New construction college was built for young people to encourage the escape from poverty
~ Transition into construction course

Question 12

People’s lives experiences of Stratford

Social - Negative impact

Answer 12

~ Lack of affordable houses
~ 250 business some local ones are demolished to make way for new Olympic Park
~ Rehousing was done insensitively and put 450 people out of homes. Can find affordable housing
~ Locals believe people it may not be beneficial

Question 13

People’s lives experiences of Stratford

Economic - Positive impact

Answer 13

~ Attracting new investors and creating jobs
~ Planned new shopping centre
~ Hope to create 50,000 new jobs

Question 14

People’s lives experiences of Stratford

Economic - Negative impact

Answer 14

~ Average salary of people who live in Newham is just over 20,000 making it the second poorest borough in london
~ Land prices increased

Question 15

People’s lives experiences of Stratford

Environmental - Positive impact

Answer 15

~ Promised by the 2012 commity to: clean up the land, regenerate brownfield sites and create a sustainable legacy
~ The green way an area of green space used for walking and increase mental health
~ Planning to create a new lock to create a permanent water way
~ Dismantled not eye pleasing power pylons for underground networks
~ Raised awareness about environment
~ Aim to reuse 90% of material

Question 16

People’s lives experiences of Stratford

Environmental - Negative impact

Answer 16

~ Newham’s industrial past left a lot of environmental problems
~ Large areas of brownfield land left after the factories, contaminated with metal, oil and toxic substances
~ Rivers were used as dumping grounds for waste making them polluted and unattractive
~ Destroyed some green spaces

Question 17

Newham and Stratford’s Changing Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

Demographic: Population total

Answer 17

Present (include year): 15,700 from the 2021 census

Historic data (include year): 12,403 form the 1801 census

QN

Strength: Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques

Limitation:
Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 18

Newham and Stratford’s Changing Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

Demographic: Population growth

Answer 18

Present (include year): There has been a decrease in population since 1821 from 17,659 to 15,700 in 2021. This is a decrease by 1,959.

Historic data (include year): In the following year of 1811 the population increased to 15,532 and then further to 17,659 in 1821. Meaning of the course of 20 year the population increased by 42.38%

QN

Strength:
The data collected from the census data is accurate as it takes into consideration the whole population of stratford / newham meaning it has a large range of results to gather a conclusion from.

Limitation:
Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 19

Newham and Stratford’s Changing Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

Demographic: Population structure

Answer 19

Present (include year): Population structure
Census 2021
Aged 15 years and under - 16.9%
Aged 16 to 64 years - 76.4%
Aged 65 years and over - 6.7%

Historic data (include year): In 1860 37% of the population was aged under 15. This increased to over 40% in 1880. 1860 58% aged under 15-64 and 4% aged over 65 this decreased to 3% in 1880.

QN

Strength:
Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques

Limitation:
Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 19

Newham and Stratford’s Changing Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

Demographic: Population density

Answer 19

Present (include year): The population density of Stratford according to the 2021 census data is 12,599 persons per square kilometre

Historic data (include year): In 1800 there were 4 people per Hectare, this increased to 5 people per hectare in 1820.

QN

Strength:
Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques

Limitation:
Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 20

Newham and Stratford’s Changing Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

Demographic: Ethnic diversity

Answer 20

Present (include year): There has been a +1.3pp increase in Asian population but a -0.7pp decrease in Black population. There has been a +0.4pp increase in mixed ethnic groups and a -2.6pp decrease in white population.

Historic data (include year): There is little information about the ethnicity of the Stratford in the 1800s however we can see the population that went to church (13,261) suggesting a large catholic population

QN

Strength:
Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques

Limitation:
Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 21

Newham and Stratford’s Changing Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

Demographic: Education and training

Answer 21

Present (include year): There has been a -4.6pp decrease in Students and a +4.6pp in no students

Historic data (include year): In 1951 only 674 people graduated whereas 98,209 did not. This number increased all the way till 2011 where 71,771 people graduated however 166,319 did not graduate.

QN

Strength:
Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques

Limitation:
Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 22

Newham and Stratford’s Changing Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

Demographic: Employment rates

Answer 22

Present (include year): From the 2021 census data there has been a -0.4pp decrease in economically active: employed people (this includes full-time students). There has been a -2.2pp decrease in unemployment. There has been an increase in economically inactive by +2.6pp.

Historic data (include year): In 1931 135,179 males in newham were employed and 60,124 females were employed. There were 20,171 males unemployed and 4,483 females unemployed.

QN

Strength:
Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques

Limitation:
Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 23

Newham and Starford’s Economic Changes and Social Inequality Economic Change: Work

Answer 23

Work: The number of people living in Stratford working full time has decreased by -2.3pp since 2011 Census 2021 Strength: Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques Limitation: Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 24

Newham and Starford’s Economic Changes and Social Inequality Economic Change: Education

Answer 24

Education: The GCSE attainment achieved better in Stratford than the average in England. In the highest qualification levels obtained for the working-age population by the London borough, Newham scored 14 out of 23. Trust for England Strength: Thisdata source is highly trusted with the public as it has links to government data Limitation: Trust for England only uses a sample technique meaning it may only be representative of a certain area.

Question 25

Newham and Starford’s Economic Changes and Social Inequality Economic Change: Crime

Answer 25

Crime: The most commonly reported crimes during FEb 2025 in Stratford were 65 shoplifting cases and 58 Violence and sexual offences. 358 crimes were reported in Feb 2025. Police.UK Strength: This data is open to the public and is collected via strict collection guidelines meaning there is little inaccuracy due to human error. Limitation: This data is only representative of crimes that have been reported. Does not take into consideration the dark figure of crime.

Question 26

Newham and Starford’s Economic Changes and Social Inequality Economic Change: Deprivation

Answer 26

Deprivation: Stratford and New Town ranked 8,775 out of 32,844 in England with 11 being the most deprived. Overall this area is better than 26% of places in England. UK Local Area Strength: It gives the researcher insight details that are not seen in other wide data. It is specific. Limitation: There are challenges with the UK Local Area as some data (especially in smaller areas) may be less accurate meaning the data is not as valid.

Question 27

Newham and Starford’s Economic Changes and Social Inequality Economic Change: Health and Well-being

Answer 27

Health and Well-being: Overall the overall health of the area has improved with an increase of +5.3pp in very good health and a decrease in very bad health by -0.8pp. Census 2021 Strength: Accurate source of data as census data as it includes the whole population of an area and uses standardised collection techniques Limitation: Does not give you data that is from the perspective of the person

Question 28

Demographic Change: Total Population

Answer 28

6,743 in 2001, 11.594 in 2011 and 15,741 in 2021. The most significant change in total population was between 1920 and 1980. The population in Newham declined from 470,000 to just over 200,000 due to Deindustrialisation. It has increased due to immigration.

Question 29

Demographic Change: Age structure

Answer 29

Working age has always been the majority age group due to economic opportunities. People aged 15-64 accounted for 60-65% in the 20th century, and in 2021 people aged 20-39 accounted for 52% in 2021

Question 30

Demographic Change: Sex structure

Answer 30

In 1861, the sec structure was more equally split between male and female, but in 2021 there was nearly 3% more males than females. These could be economic migrants.

Question 31

Demographic Change: Ethnicity

Answer 31

In 2021, the White British population is nearly half that of national average (42.8% in Stratford compared to 81% nationally.) Only 44% of the population were born in the UK and nearly 40% hold a non-British passport. Home countries of migrants include Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Question 32

Demographic Change: Religion

Answer 32

The percentage of the population worshipping Christianity is 10% lower than Muslim were all above national average in 2021.

Question 33

Cultural Change: Sport

Answer 33

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opened for the London 2012 Olympics. The area now has access to a wide range of sports with state-of-the facilities, including the new West Ham United stadium. I now attracts over 20 million visitors a year.

Question 34

Cultural Change: Creative Arts

Answer 34

Stratford has always been and still is a thriving cultural location. It was a filming location for a Beatles music video, and it is now home to ABBA Voyage, an immersive ABBA experience. It is also home to the Theatre Royal Stratford East and Stratford Circus.

Question 35

Cultural Change: Ethnicity and religion

Answer 35

Ethnic and religious diversity in Stratford has led to increased multiculturalism evident in the built environment and land use e.g. a greater range of religious buildings such as mosques and a change in retailers such as Asian supermarkets and clothing stores.

Question 36

Cultural Change: Traditions

Answer 36

Due to mass emigration White British people to Essex, known as 'White Flight', East End Cockney culture has experienced a decline e.g. pie shops and the East Ham Working Men's Club.

Question 37

Social Inequality: Deprivation

Answer 37

In the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation (MD) Stratford was ranked 8,775 out of 32,844 in England, where 1 the most deprived and 32,844 the least. Ilkley is ranked in the top 10% least deprived in the UK. Newham was selected as a Host Borough for the Olympics in the hope that it's deprivation score would 'converge' with the rest of London

Question 37

Social Inequality: Education

Answer 37

GCSE attainment has improved. At Stratford School Academy, 80% of students gained a grade 4 in both English and Maths and over 57% gained strong passed in both subjects. 57% of the population hold level 4 qualifications and above, compared to only 34% nationally.

Question 37

Social Inequality: Housing

Answer 37

The Olympic Village is now home to young, wealthy professionals commuting to Central London, but locals on the Carpenters Estate were only compensated £8,500 to relocate. It was promised that 50% of the Olympic Village would be affordable housing, but it 2013 only 20% was. In 2021, most people in Stratford rented rather than owned. The amount of people owning their house outright is around 5 times less than national average. Nearly 27% of people live in social rented accommodation.

Question 37

Social Inequality: Health

Answer 37

55% of the population deem themselves to have very good health in 2021. However, Newham has the third lowest male life expectancy of all London boroughs at 77.8 years which is nearly 5 years younger than the highest life expectancy.

Question 38

Social Inequality: Crime

Answer 38

The top 3 crimes in January 2025 were Shoplifting, violent and sexual assaults and anti-social behaviour, mainly around the Broadway shopping centre area.

Question 39

Economic Change: Employment

Answer 39

In 1839, when Stratford got its railway station, it become a vital employment hub with over 20,000 working residents. The London Docklands offered employment opportunities to most of the population, but between 1961 and 1971, 83,000 jobs were lost due to Deindustrialisation. 23.5% of the working population earned under London Living Wage in 2024, this increased from 19.5% in 2023.

Question 40

Economic Change: Occupation

Answer 40

Historically, most people worked in the secondary sector in the food and textiles industry, for example in the Tate and Lyle sugar factory. Following deindustrialisation, most of the population now work in the device sector in professional occupations (32% in 2021, compared to 20% nationally).

Question 40

Economic Change: Regeneration

Answer 40

Stratford was first regenerated in 1981 (LDDC invested £10 billion). The same ground where Stratford Works once lay now proudly holds up the Westfield Shopping Centre, a central retail and entertainment hub which attracts 50 million visitors annually. Other aspects of the £9 billion redevelopment of Stratford for the 2012 Summer Olympics are modern landmarks like the London Stadium and the ArcelorMittal Orbit.

Question 41

Economic Change: House prices

Answer 41

House prices in Stratford have an overall average of £494,696 over the average price of £451,620. Terraced properties sold for an average of £555,522, with semi-detached properties fetching £557,500. Overall, the historical sold prices in Stratford over the last year were 6% up on the previous year.