Sales at Stratford‘s Westfield shopping centre are set to receive a boost after it was announced that Stratford train station is to become a part of train zone 2.
Boris Johnson has moved to catapult the “Olympic Park area right into the centre of London‘s economic activity”. Extending the map of London in this way will no doubt be music to the ears of retailers at Westfield who now find themselves right in the economic capital.
The idea behind the rezone is that it will make Stratford seem closer to the centre of the city and allow many to get there at a cheaper rate, thus attracting visitors as well as investment whilst creating homes and jobs.
Transport for London will lose out on £7m annually from commuters travelling from Stratford into the city, but believe the boost in the renovation of the area will heavily outweigh this loss.
The change, which comes during the anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic games, coincides with Johnson‘s push to further continue his plan for an educational and cultural sector of the area dubbed ‘Olympicopolis‘.
The future looks bright for the shopping centre, which boasts approximately 300 stores and 70 restaurants, as these attractions, as well as the imminent arrival of Premier League football club West Ham United in 2016, all suggest people will have more reason to come to the area which Westfield undoubtedly dominates.
