Newham has bright future, says Stephen Timms

People occupying flats to rent in Newham are to see a positive transformation in the coming months and years as a result of local investments and improvement projects, according to MP Stephen Timms.

In an interview with Wharf, the Labour minister for East Ham has predicted that a number of positive changes are due to benefit the area as a result of the planned expansion of Tech City east of Shoreditch.

The district, which has been set up as the UK's answer to Silicon Valley, is expanding across Newham in a way that will help to create new jobs in cutting-edge industries, which Mr Timms believe will be ideally suited to the multicultural workforce in the area.

"I hope Tech City comes all the way through to the enterprise zone ... The fact that a lot of people like that feel very at home here means we are very well connected for the future and that will be a very significant asset," he said.

In the last three years, Tech City has grown from being home to around 15 companies to more than 300, from small start-up organisations to multinational powerhouses such as Cisco, Vodafone, Google, Facebook and Intel.

Mr Timms also highlighted the boost that the Olympics will give to the area, observing that transport links in Newham have already been dramatically improved in order to cope with the demands of the Games.

It is now one of the best connected areas in the capital in terms of public transport, which will help to support the growing workforce resulting from the Tech City expansion, while presenting the best possible impression to international visitors.

"It will be a fabulous time for Newham. We're all very excited. It's starting to change the way people think in the area," said the minister.

Posted by Martyn Glynn

Published 11th November, 2011

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