London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 04, 2025

London's best and worst connected neighbourhood have been named

London's best and worst connected neighbourhood have been named

Shadwell is the best connected place in the country - unlike part of Biggin Hill in Bromley which is the worst in the capital

London is home to the best connected community in England, according to a MyLondon analysis.

People living in a particular neighbourhood in Shadwell - between Watney Market and St Mary’s Cable Street - have the best access to schools, public transport, their GPs, hospitals and airports in all of England.

People living in that part of Shadwell are just minutes from schools - on average four minutes to a primary and five minutes to a secondary on foot or by public transport, and six and seven minutes respectively by car.

Getting to their GP will take three minutes on average by walking or public transport or six minutes by car and bike, while it’s 12 minutes to hospital by foot or public transport or nine minutes in a car.

For those planning to head further afield, London City airport is 35 minutes away by public transport or 21 minutes in the car, while the nearest hub station London Fenchurch Street is 19 and 12 minutes travel respectively.


So how does your neighbourhood rank?

But those living in the Melody Road area of Biggin Hill in Bromley are the capital’s worst connected.

By foot or public transport, it’s an average 16 minute journey to a primary school and 28 minutes to a secondary school. By car, that’s cut to 10 minutes and 13 minutes respectively.

A GP is 14 minutes away by walking or public transport, 10 minutes on a bike or nine minutes in a car, while it takes 40 minutes to get to hospital on public transport.

It is likely to take 85 minutes to Gatwick airport and 46 minutes to Bromley South on public transport, although in the car you could be at the airport in 41 minutes and Sevenoaks station in 29 minutes.

These analyses are gleaned from a study based on official figures, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The study ranks every one of 32,844 neighbourhoods in England based on how long the ONS says it takes an average person to reach primary and secondary schools, GP surgeries and food shops, plus major railway stations and major airports.

At the other end of the 'connectedness' scale is a sparsely-populated neighbourhood in Teignbridge, Devon – running from the villages of Poundsgate in the south to Moretonhampstead in the north.

According to the ONS data, the average resident of that area is 51 minutes away (on foot or on public transport) from the nearest primary school and nearly two hours from the nearest secondary school.

The nearest hospital takes at least two hours by public transport, and the nearest major airport or rail station (Bristol and Bristol Parkway respectively) are more than two hours away. By car you’re looking at over two hours to the airport, or 145 minutes to the station.


How does it work?

The ONS data breaks down England into neighbourhoods, or 'lower super output areas', which contain roughly the same number of people (around 1,500 in all).

That means neighbourhoods in densely-populated cities and towns tend to be much smaller, and average travel times to key services tend to be shorter.

Lightly-populated neighbourhoods are bigger and tend to fare much worse in the rankings.

The travel times show the average time it takes to get to key services for all people living in a particular neighbourhood.

'Major' airports are those with at least one per cent of UK air traffic, while 'major' rail stations are those which are considered, for official purposes, to be national or regional hubs.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
×