Climate change

2030 Vision: The safe streets and great pedestrian and cycling infrastructure mean that most resident journeys are made by walking, cycling or taking zero emissions public transport. Waltham Forest is a great place to live, with less traffic, less noise, and less pollution. Creating places for people rather than cars will support and strengthen the communities that need it the most. 

Overview  

Key target: At least 80% of journeys in Waltham Forest are made by walking, cycling or other public transport modes 

Key Disruption for Climate Justice: Break free from our dependence on the private car. We will help residents who can move away from expensive car ownership by expanding access to car sharing. car sharing would be a solution for when they really need access to a car. Private car ownership rises steadily with household income, whilst poorer households and those from a diverse backgrounds are more likely to suffer the consequences of air pollution. We will promote, and expand but also subsidise where necessary, access to car sharing. We will do this through schemes such as car clubs, peer to peer lending), and encourage new developments to include shared transport options like cargo bikes. 

• Action 1: Develop 15-minute neighbourhoods to ensure the needs of residents and businesses can be met locally. By further expanding the ability to move around through active travel. This includes more dedicated cycle paths across the borough, and expanding the 'Enjoy Waltham Forest' programme.  

• Action 2: End the waiting list for cycle hangar spaces. Not having a safe space to store a bike can discourage cycling. We want to increase cycle storage spaces, particularly for priority residents (those with no garage or shed space) across the borough to promote cycling.  

• Action 3: Reclaim streets for people. Pedestrianising the town centre or high-street roads on Sundays promotes walking and active travel. It also opens up the potential to use this space for other social and creative activities.  

• Action 4: Repurpose borough car parks for other uses. The nine car parks across Waltham Forest owned by the council will be repurposed and transformed into alternative uses. This includes affordable housing and new parks to create new spaces for people to enjoy the borough. 

• Action 5: Expand EV charging across the borough. Make it possible for all residents to charge electric vehicles. Providing enough public chargers within a short walk of their homes, and making it easier for residents to use off-street or home charging points.  

Like most businesses, our employees who use fossil fuel vehicles to commute on a daily basis generate carbon emissions. We also have our own fleet that we use to provide services across the borough. We want to make the Council a place that is for people and not cars.  

• Council Leadership: Halve commuting emissions of Waltham Forest employees. We will introduce car-free days (unless car-pooling), an EV salary sacrifice scheme, car-sharing schemes, and reducing the number of parking spaces available.  

• Council Leadership: All Council's fleet (including leased vehicles) to be fully electric by 2030. We will replace all of our fleet vehicles with EVs and make the most of cargo deliveries where possible like the ZED courier service.