Gateways to London
PROPERTY prices are soaring in many towns and cities benefitting from regeneration scheme investment, putting once-accessible areas out of reach of some buyers. But look at homes a few miles out of town, perhaps in outlying villages or smaller towns, and there are opportunities to save thousands of pounds.
Take Bromley, for instance. Once an historic market town on the coaching route from rural Kent to London, Bromley is on the crest of a regeneration wave that centres on a new urban lifestyle quarter in St Mark’s Square. New apartments, a hotel and landscaped public plaza with restaurants, cafes and a multiplex cinema are at the heart of the renewal of the town that is the administrative centre for the borough of Bromley in south east London.
It is London’s biggest borough and, unlike most others, it is attracting new residents thanks to a buoyant jobs market and being less than 10 miles from Charing Cross.
As a result average property prices in Bromley town are expected to reach £500,000 by 2020, which makes the outlying town of Orpington seem all the more attractive. According to online agency Rightmove, during the past year the average terraced house in Bromley cost £439,677 compared with £364,475 in Orpington, while semi-detached houses cost £532,076 and £460,532 respectively – even though only 5.4 miles separate them.
Both towns have good rail links to the capital, Bromley to London Victoria but also via Thameslink and Orpington to London Waterloo East and Charing Cross, but Sharon Baldwin, executive director at Orpington First, says: “Orpington is fast becoming known as the gateway of London and Kent. It offers exceptional transport links looking north towards the capital and south into ‘the garden of England’. The railway station is a transport hub five minutes’ walk from the bustling high street, with a journey time to central London of just 16 minutes.”
Baldwin adds: “Orpington is recognised as one of the best places to raise a family in London. The area is undergoing huge redevelopment which will offer residents, businesses and investors real opportunities.
“It is also home to one of the country’s few Grade II listed green spaces, the beautiful Priory Gardens. Surrounding the Grade II listed priory building, the area has recently been leased to arts group V22.”
Most new building developments in the area are small-scale projects, such as London Square’s gated development of 32 one and two-bedroom apartments and 58 three and four-bedroom houses, within the grounds of the locally-listed historic building Bassetts House, which has been restored and transformed into new homes.
Rebecca Littler, sales and marketing director at London Square, says: “Following the sales success at London Square Bassetts House, we are delighted to be launching this new collection of homes in the historic grounds of this property.
“London Square Orpington will be a true community, which we expect to prove popular with young professionals impressed by the commute time to the capital, as well as families keen to take advantage of the green spaces and excellent schooling.”
One-bedroom apartments start at £310,000, with three-bedroom houses at £625,000 and £670,000 for a four-bedroom
Restored
house (01895 627300; londonsquare.co.uk).
Another new development near Orpington is Water’s Edge at Keston Ponds, where Millgate has created 13 new one and two-bedroom apartments in restored period buildings set in two acres of landscaped grounds. It was built in the 1830s by the Earl of Dartmouth for his daughter.
Prices start from £550,000 (01189 343344; millgatehomes.co.uk) and the apartments are described as: “Ideal for the downsizer market, a perfect combination of heritage architecture and modern luxury interiors.”
Wherever you want to move in the UK, there are always better value options like Orpington. It’s just a question of looking.