FAQs

We’re proposing fully segregated, stepped cycle tracks on both sides of Chingford Road from Billet Roundabout to Farnan Avenue and improvements to the quiet way on Farnan Avenue.

These proposals aim to create safer and more intuitive north to south cycle routes, connecting the north of the borough with key destinations like Walthamstow Central, William Morris Gallery and central London.

This scheme is part of our wider ambition to redesign our streets and spaces for the community and make it easier and safer for people to choose more sustainable transport options like walking, cycling and using public transport. 

The proposals for Chingford Road will connect with the improvements currently being delivered on Forest Road. They will also complement the recent improvements made in the Lloyd Park and Higham Hill area, helping to create a joined-up network of streets, routes and spaces to help people get around.

Many people rely on buses to get where they need to go so we need to ensure services are on-time and reliable. 

Sometimes buses can get stuck behind vehicles parking and loading, so we want to reduce the chances of this happening by introducing bus priority measures.

These include the removal of parking between 9 and 31 Chingford Road, introducing no loading restrictions on Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm on double yellow lines and changing all existing single yellow lines to double yellow lines along Chingford Road from the Crooked Billet Roundabout to Farnan Avenue, and between 9 and 31 Chingford Road. 

To make space for the proposals, some parking bays on Chingford Road will be removed or relocated. The most significant changes are outside Sir George Monoux College, where 23 bays will be removed, and between 9 and 31 Chingford Road, where 10 bays will be removed. To help offset this, 12 new bays will be introduced opposite Sir George Monoux College.

The full list of affected bays includes:

• Removal of short-stay parking bay from outside 9–31 Chingford Road (10 bays)
• Removal of short-stay paid parking bays outside 220 (1 bay), 222 (1 bay), and 290 Chingford Road (2 bays)
• Reduction of short-stay paid parking bay outside 278 Chingford Road (from 5 to 4 bays)
• Reduction of short-stay parking bay on Cazenove Road (1 bay)
• Removal of permit holder parking (LPN) outside Sir George Monoux College (6 + 11 + 4 bays = 21 bays)
• Reduction of permit holder parking bays (LPE) on Farnan Avenue near the junction with Chingford Road (3 bays)

Parking stress surveys have been undertaken along Chingford Road and surrounding side streets to assess parking demand. The summary of these surveys can be found below.

These show that some nearby side roads have spare capacity within a 5-minute walk from Chingford Road. Additionally, the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) section on Chingford Road (between 215–283) typically operates below capacity, allowing displaced demand to be redistributed within this area, supported by the 12 new bays opposite Sir George Monoux College.

Parking Utilisation on Chingford Road

Nearby Side Road Parking Utilisation

While we aim to retain trees wherever possible, three trees (outside 203 and 271 Chingford Road, and at the junction of Chingford Road and Farnan Avenue) will need to be removed to make space for the improvements. However, we are proposing a large amount of planting in other areas, including at the corner of Farnan Avenue and Chingford Road so there will be a net gain in greening. 

Green spaces and planting can improve air quality, reduce temperatures, improve drainage, and support biodiversity, making the area healthier and more sustainable. They also make public spaces more beautiful, boost mental well-being and contribute to overall community quality of life. 

Continuous footways/blended crossings slow down vehicles entering or exiting side roads and encourage vehicles to give way to people crossing the road, reinforcing the rules of the Highway Code. They also provide a smooth and uninterrupted surface for people walking and cycling. 

These crossings are commonplace in mainland Europe and have been introduced extensively over the last 20-25 years, particularly in cities and countries which are considered the best places for walking and cycling, including Holland, Denmark and Germany. Over the last 10 years we have introduced over 200 continuous footways in Waltham Forest.

We’re proposing continuous footways at most side roads on Chingford Road to give priority to cyclists and pedestrians on the walking and cycling paths. Continuous footways slow down vehicles entering or exiting side roads and encourage vehicles to give way to pedestrians crossing the road, reinforcing the rules of the Highway Code. These crossings are commonplace in mainland Europe and have been introduced extensively over the last 20-25 years, particularly in cities and countries that are considered the best places for walking and cycling, including Holland, Denmark and Germany. Over the last 10 years we have introduced more than 200 continuous footways in Waltham Forest. 

We are proposing several types of pedestrian and cycle crossings to make it easier and safer for people to cross the road. These include:

• A toucan crossing near Penrhyn Crescent  - A toucan crossing is a signalised crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists. The crossing features a button on each side of the road that pedestrians/cyclists press when they want to cross the road.
• A parallel crossing near Chandos Avenue - A parallel crossing is similar to a standard zebra crossing but is combined with a dedicated cycle crossing. This is a place where vehicles must give way to crossing pedestrians and cyclists, who have separate lanes to cross in.
• Signalised parallel crossings near Cazenove Road and Eversham Road - A signalised parallel crossing functions in the same way as a parallel crossing, but includes traffic signals which displays a red light to stop oncoming traffic.

While we expect the scheme to have a minimal impact on businesses on Chingford Road, they may be affected by proposals to introduce no loading restrictions on Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm on double yellow lines and changing all single yellow lines to double yellow lines between Farnan Avenue and Billet Roundabout, and from 9 to 31 Chingford Road.

This would mean that any loading between Monday and Friday would need to occur before 7am and after 7pm on any of the double yellow lines. At weekends, loading restrictions would remain as normal.

We have spoken to impacted businesses along the route to ensure they can have their say on the plans. Once implemented, the improvements should increase the foot and cycle traffic for the businesses in the area. Research shows when streets are safer and more enjoyable to travel on, people are more inclined to spend time in their local areas, leading to more business. 

We offer plenty of initiatives to encourage residents to try walking and cycling. Residents can hire all types of cycles, undertake free cycling training, get free Dr Bike maintenance checks, join an All Ability Cycling Club and sign up for cycle awareness training for drivers. The borough has nine different walking and cycling routes to explore, and we run group guided Feel Good Walks each day. For more information on our walking and cycling initiatives, please visit: https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/walking-and-cycling/walking.