Plans in for 2,000 homes at Stratford Cross - the final piece of the Olympic Park puzzle

The final major phase of Stratford Cross has reached Newham Council’s planning desk. Architects AHMM, working for Impact Partnership - a joint venture between Lendlease and The Crown Estate - have submitted detailed and outline plans for around 2,000 homes in five towers, alongside a new public park and improved connections linking Stratford station to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. For E20 residents, this is the scheme that completes the neighbourhood that has been taking shape on the eastern edge of the park since the post-Olympics build-out began.

What’s proposed

The application covers two plots and is split between a detailed element and an outline element.

The detailed application covers Plots S3 and S10, proposing 782 homes across four residential blocks connected by podiums. The towers reach up to 41 storeys at their tallest. The mix includes affordable, private and co-living homes, though the precise affordable housing proportions remain subject to the planning process.

The outline application covers Plot S2, proposing approximately 57,000m² of student accommodation across two buildings. The detailed design of the student element would be fixed at a later stage, subject to further planning approval.

Across the full scheme, the five towers together account for around 2,000 homes and student beds in total.

What else the scheme includes

Beyond the homes, the proposals include a new public park serving both the new development and the wider neighbourhood. Active ground-floor uses - retail, food and drink, and other commercial space - are proposed along key frontages to animate the streets.

The scheme also promises improved walking and cycling connections between Stratford station, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and the surrounding neighbourhoods, addressing one of the longstanding criticisms of the area’s permeability.

During community engagement held between January and March 2026, residents called for more green and publicly accessible space. The applicant says the scheme has been revised to address this feedback, though how that plays out in practice will be tested through the planning process.

Where this fits in the Stratford Cross story

Stratford Cross was originally masterplanned by RSHP as an 11-building neighbourhood on land between Stratford station and the Olympic Park. Construction has been phased over many years.

Buildings already completed on the site include RSHP’s own Redman Place residential tower, a pavilion by Acme, and the 22-storey Turing building designed by AFK.

The northern phase of the site - Plots N20 to N23 - received planning approval from Newham Council in October 2024. That consent covers 672 homes and 909 student beds.

This latest application for the southern plots is the last significant piece of the masterplan to enter the planning system.

What happens next

Newham Council has not yet set a decision date. Subject to planning approval, the applicant expects construction to begin in 2028. The final phase is expected to take approximately three years to build out, with completion targeted around 2031. Both the start date and the completion timeline are contingent on planning permission being granted.

Residents can follow the application - and submit comments - through the Newham Council planning portal at planning.newham.gov.uk. Search for the application by site address or applicant name to find the full documents and track its progress.