Area 1: Hoe Street - Theatre Promenade

We are improving public spaces along Hoe Street by enhancing some of the area’s cultural assets to unlock Walthamstow's potential as an inclusive, safe, and welcoming cultural destination.

The improvements on Hoe Street include spaces around Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Hatherley Mews, and making key walking routes and open spaces in the area more welcoming, well-connected, and vibrant.

The Hoe Street improvements will act as a pilot and the first phase of this programme of investments as part of the Walthamstow Culture for All Levelling Up Fund programme(External link). This project started in 2021 and works are currently underway. Scroll down to find out about how we’re improving Walthamstow.

CAIRO PLACE
We’re making improvements to Cairo Road, E17 to create a space close to Soho Theatre Walthamstow that will be a social community space for people, along with improved routes for walking and cycling and a more tranquil area closer to the residential street. This includes more planting and biodiversity, and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The scheme also responds to local concerns regarding anti-social behaviour and aspirations for a greener and safer space following local engagement that happened last year.

SOHO THEATRE WALTHAMSTOW FRONTAGE

In 2019, the Council acquired the former Granada/ EMD Cinema on Hoe Street to ensure that it remained an entertainment venue and cultural hub for community use. The refurbished venue, which will be re-branded as the Soho Theatre Walthamstow, will be complemented by new paving to highlight the entrance and an improved pedestrian crossing for those making their way to the theatre.

This will open up Hatherley Mews as an intimate space that could be used for community and cultural events, helping to support the vibrant mix of businesses based there.  

Gobo projections inspired by theatrical spotlights, wayfinding banners and landmark artworks have been proposed to help navigation on Hoe Street, creating a visually unified language of wayfinding clues at night but also offering opportunities to people to immerse themselves in the light and be “in the spotlight".

The architectural details of the Listed Central Parade will be highlighted and the clock tower lighting will be refurbished.

We are improving public spaces along Hoe Street by enhancing some of the area’s cultural assets to unlock Walthamstow's potential as an inclusive, safe, and welcoming cultural destination.

The improvements on Hoe Street include spaces around Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Hatherley Mews, and making key walking routes and open spaces in the area more welcoming, well-connected, and vibrant.

The Hoe Street improvements will act as a pilot and the first phase of this programme of investments as part of the Walthamstow Culture for All Levelling Up Fund programme(External link). This project started in 2021 and works are currently underway. Scroll down to find out about how we’re improving Walthamstow.

CAIRO PLACE
We’re making improvements to Cairo Road, E17 to create a space close to Soho Theatre Walthamstow that will be a social community space for people, along with improved routes for walking and cycling and a more tranquil area closer to the residential street. This includes more planting and biodiversity, and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The scheme also responds to local concerns regarding anti-social behaviour and aspirations for a greener and safer space following local engagement that happened last year.

SOHO THEATRE WALTHAMSTOW FRONTAGE

In 2019, the Council acquired the former Granada/ EMD Cinema on Hoe Street to ensure that it remained an entertainment venue and cultural hub for community use. The refurbished venue, which will be re-branded as the Soho Theatre Walthamstow, will be complemented by new paving to highlight the entrance and an improved pedestrian crossing for those making their way to the theatre.

This will open up Hatherley Mews as an intimate space that could be used for community and cultural events, helping to support the vibrant mix of businesses based there.  

Gobo projections inspired by theatrical spotlights, wayfinding banners and landmark artworks have been proposed to help navigation on Hoe Street, creating a visually unified language of wayfinding clues at night but also offering opportunities to people to immerse themselves in the light and be “in the spotlight".

The architectural details of the Listed Central Parade will be highlighted and the clock tower lighting will be refurbished.

  • Cairo Place Community Planting Day

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    The Cairo Road entrance in front of Soho Theatre Walthamstow has been transformed into a social community space with an improved cycling and walking route for the area.

    Thank you to our amazing gardening volunteers who came to the Cairo Road Community Planting Day on Saturday 11 November. Over 20 residents and Cllr Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, braved the cold weather to plant bulbs and plants ready for spring next year!



  • Illuminating journeys(External link)

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    This summer, we've been working with local creative organisations Greenaway and Greenaway(External link) and Wood Street Walls(External link) on an engagement programme with the Walthamstow community to shape mural artworks and lighting projections on Hoe Street as part of the 'Illuminating Journeys' project.

    The creative project builds on previous engagement, including last year's research on creativity and culture in Walthamstow and sessions at Cairo Place.

    During the summer we met with around 70 participants of different ages, abilities and backgrounds for creative workshops, reaching out to members of the community in care homes, holidays clubs, refugees and asylum seeker communities.

    We also held a session focussing on women and girls, giving space to those who sometimes feel unsafe or harassed on the streets, and a dedicated workshop for businesses in Hatherley Mews for a mural that will help attract more visitors.

    Find more about how we engaged with Walthamstow community to help shape public art on Hoe Street(External link) and take a look at the results of the creative workshops(External link).