Leyton Sports Ground

Waltham Forest Council is working on proposals for refurbishing the Grade II Listed Cricket Pavilion and the Tin Hut building at Leyton Sports Ground, alongside potential improvements to the public space around these buildings. 

The Council has been exploring ways to bring the buildings back into active use and opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s restoration by securing a long-term occupier that will complement the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground. 

Take a look at the project FAQs for more information on how the preferred operator has been identified and the uses that they are proposing (please note once the lease has been agreed following Council procedures, we will announce the operator). 

What has happened since the first stage of engagement? 

We held our first stage of public engagement in summer 2023 and asked for feedback on early design proposals. This feedback will be used to help develop the designs in the future. 

Initial analysis of the feedback has highlighted the importance of further involving young people in the engagement and exploring an offer for teenagers as well as younger children.  

We listened to this feedback and held a series of workshops with local young people earlier this year on how Leyton Sports Ground could be better used in the future.    

The young people’s ideas helped to inform a strategy as part of the Greater London Authority’s Civic Partnership Programme (CPP). More information on the CPP can be found in the project FAQs.  

The council are currently focusing on strengthening the funding strategy for the project, including the incorporation of some of the young people’s ideas, before progressing with further engagement and design development. 

Contact us 

The deadline for providing feedback as a part of the first stage of public engagement was in summer 2023. There will be future opportunities to have your say on designs once these have been developed. 

If you have any questions about this project, you can contact us by emailing regeneration@walthamforest.gov.uk

The frequently asked questions below provide more details on the project. 

Frequently asked questions

 What is happening at the Leyton Sports Ground? 

Waltham Forest Council has made significant investment in Leyton Sports Ground in recent years, including: 

• Working with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to deliver the £1.7m Urban Cricket Hub in 2019. 
• Repurposing the George Mitchell Arts Block to deliver multifunctional community space in 2020; and 
• Entering a five-year agreement with McGuigan Gyms for the Boxing Gym in 2021 

Leyton Cricket Pavilion is a much-loved Grade II listed heritage asset. However, the building needs restoration, with Historic England recently including it on its Heritage At Risk Register. 

The Council has made initial investment in the building, undertaking urgent repairs during 2021. The Council has since been exploring opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s full restoration to its former glory by securing a long-term viable occupier to bring it back into active use, complementing the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground.  

What we’re doing

The Council has been exploring ways to bring the buildings back into active use and opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s restoration by securing a long-term occupier that will complement the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground. 

The Council is working with a potential operator whose proposals align with the Council’s core objectives for the site, and who can bring private investment and safeguard the buildings’ long-term future. 

What are the Council’s objectives for the buildings? 

The Council’s objectives for the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut buildings are to: 

• Create a community focal point at the heart of the Leyton community 
• Create a destination space complementing and contributing to the Sports Ground’s year-round programme of recreation, sport, wellbeing, food and culture 
• Provide a space for independent business, supporting local skills, training and jobs 
• Respond to the climate emergency by being a standout example of adaptive and efficient reuse of existing buildings, activated by partners who share the same environmental values 
• Safeguard the long-term future of the heritage asset through investment and delivery of a viable long-term business plan 

 What has happened since the engagement in summer 2023? 

We held our first stage of public engagement in summer 2023 and asked for feedback on early design proposals. This feedback will be used to help develop these ideas in the future.  

Initial analysis of the feedback has highlighted the importance of further involving young people in the engagement and exploring an offer for teenagers as well as younger children.  

We listened to this feedback and held a series of workshops with local young people earlier this year on how Leyton Sports Ground could be better used in the future.   

The young people’s ideas helped to inform a strategy as part of the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Civic Partnership Programme (CPP) that supported a funding application to the GLA.  Following a review of our submission and decision by the GLA, the funding application was unsuccessful in this instance.  

The Council are currently focusing on strengthening the funding strategy for the project, including incorporation of some of the young people’s ideas, before progressing with further engagement and design development.   

Why are you refurbishing the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut? 

We are restoring an important piece of Leyton’s heritage. Both buildings need repair and alterations to enable them to be opened to public and new operator to move in. This investment is part of our wider plans to improve Council-owned properties and bring them back into use by the local community as well as improving the carbon footprint of our buildings as part of Council’s commitment to respond to the climate emergency. 

 What has been done already to improve Leyton Sports Ground? 

Urgent works have been completed over last couple of years, including replacement of defective cast iron guttering and measures to stop water coming into the building; repairing damaged ceilings; replacement of broken roof tiles, damaged timber boards and beams. 

We’ve utilised investment from Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to install heat pumps, LED lighting, insulation and secondary glazing in The Pavilion. We’ve also carried out initial surveys to understand the condition of the building and completed an options appraisal for the Pavilion and Tin Hut to inform options for the buildings. 

We have progressed a two-stage marketing process to identify a preferred operator. 

 Will any of the buildings on site be out of bounds at any stage during the project, including during the refurbishment and construction works? 

We do not anticipate at this stage that access to any of the other buildings on Leyton Sports Ground (apart from the Tin Hut and Pavilion) will be affected by the refurbishment project. 

The contractor will consider people who use the site when establishing their construction management plan. This will also be reviewed through the planning application process. 

 What improvement works will you be undertaking? 

The extent of the improvement works is still to be confirmed and subject to planning and listed building consent. We anticipate the works will consist of: 

• General repairs to the building 
• Making the building more accessible 
• Energy efficiency improvements 
• Mix of internal layout changes and small extensions to both buildings to accommodate a new use 
• Landscaping improvements to the space surrounding the buildings to increase biodiversity and improve resilience to climate change 
• Measures to improve signage, access, and active travel to the site 
• Measures to improve the heritage value of the buildings, by restoring the original elements and removing later additions to the Pavilion 

 What will the new use be/ who will the new operator be? 

Following a two-stage marketing process the Council are in ongoing negotiations with a preferred operator - a creative management, production and technology company focused on youth and family audiences. The preferred operator is seeking to provide a mix of uses across the two buildings which complement and do not compete with existing uses on the site. The proposals include: 

• A Kids Club in the Tin Hut, providing secure outdoor play space, indoor soft and adventure play, alongside craft and other activities, available as a subscription-based service. This will be a local provider rather than a franchise facility.  
• A food and drink service, alongside independent and seasonal pop-up retailers and a youth focused offer in the Pavilion. 

Once the lease has been agreed following Council procedures, we will announce the operator. 

 What happened to the Real Food Hub project? 

A funding application made to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2019 to help pay for the cost of work to the Grade II Listed Building was not successful. 

Previous proposals for the Real Food Hub will not happen. 

The Council is now exploring opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s full restoration to its former glory and secure a long-term viable occupier to bring it back into active use, complementing the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground. 

 How did you select the new provider? 

The new provider was selected through a robust two-stage marketing process which took place in 2022 and was supported by AND London(External link). 

The opportunity was marketed on a dedicated website and hoardings. Nine organisations entered a bid for the opportunity. 

The new provider selected was considered the best final offer, meeting the Council’s key objectives and did not conflict with the current uses on site or within the immediate surroundings. 

 Are you selling the building? 

No. The Council will continue to retain the freehold of the buildings and Sports Ground. The Sports Ground is held as a charitable trust and its recreational and sports use will be maintained. 

 What’s happening to the other uses on the Sports Ground? 

The other existing uses will continue at the Sports Ground and the Council's proposed operator for the Pavilion and Tin Hut will complement existing activities and add to the site’s wider programme and offer. 

 How can I make comments on the proposals? 

The deadline for providing feedback as a part of the first stage of public engagement was in summer 2023. There will be future opportunities to have your say on more detailed designs once these have been developed.   

If you have any questions about this project, you can also contact us by emailing  regeneration@walthamforest.gov.uk.  

How to keep updated

Visit the Let’s Talk website for the latest project updates.