Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In January 2023 the council successfully secured 17.2 million pounds of UK Government funding to support the delivery of the ‘Walthamstow: Culture for All’ project (formerly known as the Levelling Up Fund). 

The funding will unlock Walthamstow’s potential as an inclusive, safe and welcoming cultural destination and will see enhancements to its cultural spaces [give example here] and hubs. 

This includes the delivery of public space and greenspace improvements to support venues with better pedestrian connections, including at Walthamstow High Street, Hoe Street and St James. The projects will also include new lighting, improved surfacing, signage, additional planting, to make the area greener and improve our biodiversity, and opportunities for street art. 

The improvements to public spaces are being delivered alongside investment in Council-owned heritage buildings across the Town Centre including at Vestry House Museum, Chestnuts House and Hatherley Mews, designed to preserve and enhance their historic character and make them more accessible to the community, making Waltham Forest a great place to live and age well. The investment draws on extensive engagement conducted with residents, businesses, and stakeholders to develop Walthamstow’s cultural offer as a legacy from Waltham Forest being London’s first Borough of Culture in 2019, including findings from our research on Creativity and Culture in Walthamstow.

Further information about the Culture for All Programme in Walthamstow can be found here.

A series of phased, permanent improvement works will transform key spaces along Walthamstow High Street, creating a vibrant, accessible, healthy High Street that is easier to walk around. 

The Scene (eastern end of Walthamstow High Street between the Library and Hoe Street), Cleveland Park Avenue and Rosebank Villas form the first phase of these improvement works.

The works will focus on improving the pedestrian experience to recognise feedback the council has received through previous focus groups with residents, businesses, market traders and other stakeholders. 

The priority interventions and objectives are: 

1. Better layout - Defining clearer zones for pedestrians and vehicle spaces at ‘The Scene’ to improve safety, and provide better support for cultural, hospitality and residential uses. 
2. Greener environment - Enhancing green spaces and biodiversity by introducing new planting, trees and flowers, which will in turn ensure the area is more resilient to climate change, leading the way for a net-zero borough by 2030. 
3. Upgraded street lighting - More energy efficient street lighting, improving its brightness and softness to enhance visibility and make the area feel safer. 
4. Clearer signage – Helping visitors find transport links, cultural attractions and local heritage such as Soho Theatre Walthamstow, William Morris Gallery etc.
5. New seating & cycle parking - Provide new street furniture including outdoor seating to support food and drink businesses, as well as more bicycle parking. 
6. Improve community safety - By ensuring the design provides a friendly and inviting environment, addressing current concerns around antisocial behaviour and traffic movement in the area. 
7. Dedicated delivery bays - Spaces for motorcycle delivery riders with short-stay restrictions to reduce congestion.  

The investment will help create safe, inclusive, welcoming, and attractive connections and public spaces, establishing a Culture and Arts quarter in Walthamstow Town Centre focused around the newly refurbished Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Forest Cinema, University of Portsmouth campus, and the variety of independent businesses and unique attractions. 

This enhanced centre supports the council’s mission to build a borough that provides equal opportunities for all, creating safe and green neighbourhoods where everyone can thrive. 

The improvements will drive a further boost in footfall through the day and the evening to support the town centre economy and local hospitality businesses. The project also aims to address concerns around community safety and cohesion, helping to establish Walthamstow as an inclusive and welcoming destination for culture by visitors from around London and beyond. 

In turn, this investment will generate opportunities for wider and more diversified participation in cultural activities for local residents, including creative enterprise and pathways into employment and training.

The High Street will remain a restricted zone, with no loading or waiting at any time except in marked bays. Works at The Scene (Eastern end of High Street) will not remove its existing parking spaces.. An additional market traders bay will be installed, as well as dedicated short-stay motorcycle only bays. 

Cleveland Park Avenue, South of the planters/traffic filter: 

• One disabled badge parking place (maximum stay three hours) 
• Five market traders only parking places (Monday to Sunday 8am to 5pm, No waiting outside these hours)

 High Street, East of Walthamstow Town Square/start of Walthamstow Market): 

• Two loading only parking places (10am to 4pm, maximum stay 30 mins)
• Two solo motorcycle only parking places (At all times, maximum stay 20 mins)

During design stages the public told us they were concerned about the increased use of motorcycles, mopeds, and e-bikes for courier and food delivery services in the area. Local residents and businesses have also raised concerns around noise and other associated nuisances including anti-social behaviour. 

In recognition of the challenges faced by all users of the space, the council collected the views of local groups, including hospitality businesses, gig-economy providers and the riders themselves, to find solutions that work for all. A careful balance has been struck in the proposals to ensure all types of service vehicles who require dedicated loading space are catered for, including businesses, traders and motorcycles. 

The current shared surface features a lack of clear restrictions and clear parking areas. During peak operational hours, this can lead to an excess of motorcycles in the area, often illegally parked or obstructing footways and pedestrian areas. 

The council invited motorcycle riders and delivery companies including Deliveroo to a workshop, to share feedback and discuss the issues they experience. Dedicated shortstay motorcycle bays were suggested as a solution that works well in other London boroughs. Two individual bays are proposed in separate locations at The Scene to prevent riders congregating in large volumes. 

The council will be trialling dedicated bays on Walthamstow High Street through a new permanent traffic order. Council officers will continue to monitor motorcycle access and behaviour beyond the implementation phase of the proposed improvement works, escalating enforcement where necessary before considering more severe restrictions if required.

The construction works will take approximately seven to ten months and will be phased out in sections to minimise disruption and ensure access to surrounding business. The works are expected to commence on site in May 2025. Please note that this indicative programme may be subject to revision, and we will update you to keep you informed of any changes. 

Further information regarding the construction programme and timeline will be updated via the ‘Let’s Talk Walthamstow’ website.

Works to the High Street will include re-configuring and re-surfacing carriageways and footways to create an improved shared street space with clearly defined zones for pedestrians and vehicular movement. The carriageway will be re-shaped into a winding and bendy route to further aid pedestrian safety through traffic calming. The new route will create space along the High Street for new planters and trees, which will act as green and vibrant barriers to separate vehicle and pedestrian areas, as well as shelter for outdoor seating areas. 

At Cleveland Park Avenue, the existing planters will be replaced with new and improved planters, and new on-street parking places for market traders will be installed outside Popeyes. 

Works to re-pave Rosebank Villas and replace and upgrade lighting columns will follow, bringing a consistent look and feel to the area. Landscaping works will tidy up planting areas outside the crossing to the bus station. 

The council will provide regular updates on the programme of works via the Let’s Talk platform.

The contact details of the Area Regeneration Team are provided on this page, should you have any further queries regarding the works, or require support with any issues during the construction period.

The phasing of the works will ensure that pedestrian access is preserved in order to access all shop fronts. We will be in contact with business owners directly to notify them of any works that will cause major disruption to their shop specifically.

Access to properties and businesses on the High Street via Hoe Street will be permitted to authorised vehicles only throughout the construction period, including the emergency services and waste collection vehicles. 

A section of road will remain open to retain vehicular access to residences/businesses at Tower Mews via Hoe Street. 

All other traffic including deliveries will be temporarily re-diverted via Cleveland Park Avenue, where the existing planters and traffic filter will be temporarily removed during works at The Scene. This will involve the council implementing a temporary traffic order, which will be monitored to ensure adherence by vehicles. The traffic filter will be reinstated with brand new planters on completion of the works. 

Businesses and traders requiring restricted vehicular access to the High Street for loading and deliveries will need to use the temporary diversion via Cleveland Park Avenue. This includes residents, businesses and traders who use the parking areas to the rear of The Scene and Popeyes. 

As soon as the High Street can be re-opened, this will be prioritised to minimise traffic on Cleveland Park Avenue.  

If you live in a property with communal bin storage and collection, waste collections will continue as normal. 

If you usually present your bins on the High Street for collection, this will need to be deposited in designated areas outside of the works boundaries. 

For more information including any key updates on the works programme and bin collections, please visit Let's Talk platform.

We will inform you of the overall programme timelines and about impact to your business to give you as much notice as possible. 

The contact details of the council’s Area Regeneration Team can be located on this webpage. Please contact the team directly if you require any support or have further queries regarding the works.

Phased temporary suspension of parking bays on the High Street and on Cleveland Park Avenue will be required throughout the duration of the project to safely facilitate completion of the works. 

We are aware that recent utility works have already caused significant inconvenience in the area. Although these are outside the Council’s direct control, we are co-ordinating with our contractors to reduce further disruption wherever possible. We are hopeful that the full 9-month suspension will not be required, and we will continue to assess the situation throughout the project. Where possible, we aim to reopen parts of Cleveland Park Avenue and restore parking as each phase of work is completed.

While holding a resident parking permit does not guarantee a space directly outside one’s home or on a specific street, there should be sufficient capacity across the wider Controlled Parking Zone. However, to help during this period, we have agreed that WSC zone permit holders who are unable to find a space locally may also park in the neighbouring HST zone for the duration of the works. A map of all traffic orders in the borough, including Controlled Parking Zones can be found via: Waltham Forest Traffic Orders.

Thank you for bearing with the inconvenience during the works programme.

Market traders requiring loading/unloading access, and all delivery and service vehicles will be diverted via Cleveland Park Avenue during works to the High Street. As soon as the High Street can be re-opened, this will be prioritised to minimise traffic on Cleveland Park Avenue. 

To avoid disruption during Christmas periods, major High Street works have been planned to complete before Christmas 2025, and works at Rosebank Villas will be temporarily paused over the Christmas period.

The council will provide regular updates on the programme of works via the Let’s Talk platform.

Thank you for your cooperation during this period. If you have any questions on the project or upcoming works, please contact us via the details below: 

Waltham Forest Area Regeneration Team 

email: regeneration@walthamforest.gov.uk