The report says perceptions of Zone 3 as “suburban, distant and undesirable” risk deterring both home buyers and businesses from moving into the area and that including Stratford in Zone 2 would better reflect its proximity to central London.
It would also help tackle perceptions that the Olympic Park is ‘too far away’, boosting visitor numbers.
The rezoning is suggested by David Leam in Go East: Unlocking the Potential of the Thames Estuary, a collection of essays edited by Labour Peer Andrew Adonis and set to be published next week.
Leam said: “The Olympics brought massive investment into east London’s transport links, bringing Stratford significantly closer to central London. The Tube map now needs to catch up with this new reality, by redrawing the boundary of zone 2 to bring Stratford within its orbit”
Collection editor Andrew Adonis said: “During the Olympics many people were surprised to learn just how quick and easy it is to get to East London. By including Stratford in Zone 2 the Mayor would help many Londoners realise just how close the east of the city really is. We would see a huge boost to the area in terms of business and custom at very little cost.”
