Cycle parking

We want to encourage cycling, and that means giving people safe and convenient places to store their bikes. Cycle Parking infrastructure in the Borough consists of:

• Bike Hangars: Designed for everyday cycle parking on residential streets.
• Station Cycle Hubs: Designed to enable secure cycle parking at Tube stations, National Rail and Overground stations.
• Cycle Stands: Located throughout the borough in areas of high footfall, including high streets.  Designed for short and medium length stay cycle parking.

If you live in a house or flat with limited space, cycle storage can be a challenge. To help, we've installed over 750 hangars, giving over 4,500 residents an accessible and secure place to store their cycles.

One Bike Hangar takes up only half a car parking space and can store up to 6 standard bikes. This makes them an extremely efficient and cost effective alternative to parking a car. Bike Hangar membership costs £37.50 per year.

How spaces are allocated

We allocate Bike Hangar spaces using a priority scoring system which is designed to prioritise residents in most need of a space. 

Locations for new Bike Hangars are chosen primarily based on the level of local demand.  Registering your interest in a Bike Hangar space enables us to build a better picture of demand in your area. This allows us to choose new Bike Hangar locations which work for everybody.

Read our Bikehangar FAQs

You can register your interest in a Bike Hangar space via the online form below. Once registered, you'll be placed on a waiting list until a suitable space becomes available.

Demand for Bike Hangar spaces is high and waiting times are unpredictable as they are based on the rate of membership turnover and the level of local demand. When spaces become available, we allocate them to residents on the waiting list. In addition, we are continuously working to install new Bike Hangars to meet demand. 

If you have a disability or specific accessibility requirement please contact the Bikehangar team directly at bikehangars@walthamforest.gov.uk with further details and they will include these requirements in your application.

If you have a place in one of our hangars and need to:

• request a new key
• or report an issue with a Bike Hangar

Please let us know.

For an annual fee of £37.50 Cycle Hubs are a convenient and secure option for storing your bike while using rail services.  A great solution to help you build cycling into the commute or weekend day out.

All of our Station Cycle Hubs have:

• CCTV
• Key fob entry
• Help points
• Enhanced lighting
• Two-tiered user-friendly assisted cycle parking racks
• Cycle pumps

If you’d like to buy membership for our Station Cycle Hubs, see the new membership link below.

We have over 2,000 cycle stands in Waltham Forest. To request or suggest a new location for a cycle stand, please email cycling@walthamforest.gov.uk  

What is a Bikehangar?

A Bikehangar is a secure cycle storage unit that provides a solution for bike parking. Each hangar provides space for six bikes and measures 2.5 meters x 2 meters. This is equivalent to half a car parking space.

Membership

How much does it cost?

The Bikehangars can be rented for £39.00 per year per bike, with a £25 key deposit, which is returned when the key is returned.

How do I register my interest in a Bikehangar space?

Apply for a Bikehangar space. 

This form will not only add you to the waiting list for space but also give you the option to include if you would like to be a ‘host’ for a hangar outside your home, this allows us to map potential locations for future hangars.

Once you have submitted your application form you will receive a message saying ‘Case closed’, this indicates we have received your application and an email will be sent to you confirming this. The next time we will contact you is when a suitable space becomes available.

Please note that despite running one of the most intensive delivery programmes in the country, the Bikehangar programme is oversubscribed and as a result, you may wait a period of time before a space becomes available.

How do I pay for my membership?

You will receive an email from the Council advising when you have been successful in receiving a hangar space and will be provided with a link to make your membership payment (https://portal.walthamforest.gov.uk/service/Bike_Hangar_Payments). Please note, you have two weeks to make the payment, before your space is reallocated. 

Please be aware that this email may go to your spam folder.

How do I cancel my membership?

We rely on residents to let us know when they are no longer using the Bikehangar or moving out of the area. 

Please log into your Waltham Forest account or contact us at Bikehangars@walthamforest.gov.uk to cancel your membership, once the cancellation has been processed you will receive further instructions on how to return your key.

Please note passing your keys onto another resident is a violation of the Council’s Terms and Conditions. This damages the fair waiting list system as well as putting the safety of other users at risk. Failure to comply with this rule will result in immediate cancellation of the subscription as well as a lifetime ban from using the service.

Allocations and Allocated Spaces

How are bike spaces allocated? Will I get a space if I respond first?

Spaces are regularly reviewed and any vacancies that become available are allocated using an equitable and balanced priority process that considers the answers submitted at the time of application, length of tenure on the waiting list and proximity of the unit to the applicant. This allows for those most in need to be considered first.

We also as a general rule look to evenly distribute spaces across multiple properties to ensure that the facility benefits the wider community. Please note we do not make any decisions on assigning spaces in new hangars until after a unit has been installed. This allows anyone on the street to apply during the consultation period and have their application considered. Thereafter should any vacancies become available, we review this on a monthly basis and use the same priority scoring process.

How many spaces can I hire?

Due to the success of our Bikehangar programme demand is extremely high and we have a large volume of residents on our waiting list waiting to be allocated a space so we usually are only able to offer one space per household except in special circumstances or areas where space demand is low.

Any available vacancies will be allocated using an equitable and balanced priority process that considers the answers submitted at the time of application, length of tenure on the waiting list and proximity of the unit to the applicant. This allows for those most in need to be considered first.

However, we do consider applications from households who already have one space so please register for another space.

We will be in contact if a space becomes available.

What happens if someone is in my space?

If there is someone in your space, please contact us immediately via your Waltham Forest account or by email at Bikehangars@walthamforest.gov.uk. Please do not store your bike in someone else’s space as this will exacerbate the issue.

Once you have informed us of a user incorrectly using your space we will look into this and contact all members in the Bikehangar to gently remind them bikes should only be stored in the users' allocated space (A being on the far left and F on the far right). If after a week the bike has not been moved we can issue a removal notice on the incorrectly parked bike and proceed after a period of time to have the bike removed.

When will I be allocated a space?

It’s really difficult to predict how long you may be waiting for a space as there are a number of factors that come into play including membership turnover, newly installed Bikehangars, and the amount of people on the waiting list in your area.

Although currently there may be no available Bikehangar spaces in close proximity to your address we are regularly assessing and consulting on new batches of Bikehangars. Waltham Forest Council has secured funding to install up to another 500 Bikehangar over the next few years so we hope to be able to offer many more residents secure residential cycle parking in the near future.

Spaces are allocated using a priority allocation process to ensure those most in need can be considered first.

It looks like the Bikehangar I am interested in isn’t being well used?

The Bikehangar team operates a membership system through which checks are made regularly for vacant spaces within all hangars and offers them to those who are at the top of the waiting list, to minimise the time spaces are vacant. 

Beyond making sure all hangar spaces are occupied, we don’t impose any requirements on how frequently a space or bike is used as find there are various reasons why a bike might not be in a hangar for a while.

Quarterly emails are sent to Bikehangar members reminding them of their responsibilities and encouraging them to get in touch if they are no longer in need of their space. 

Access and Security

What happens if I lose my key?

To order a replacement Bikehangar key, please log into your My Waltham Forest account and follow these steps:

1. Select ‘Services’ at the top of the screen
2. Scroll down to ‘B’ Bikehangars 
3. Select ‘Bike Hangar manage membership’
4. Select ‘Order a new key'

Replacement keys cost £25 which must be paid for in advance. Replacement keys have a lead time of three working weeks, and you will receive them at the postal address on your account (please ensure this is kept up to date).

How secure are they?

Whilst the safety record of the Bikehangar programme is extremely good, we do still record instances of theft on occasion. This is often opportunistic; where a member hasn’t closed a unit properly but can also be through brute force and so we encourage users to be vigilante. We continue to work with our partners to improve the security of units and always recommend using at least one gold standard D-Lock. 

Please note your bike is left at your own risk and the Council is not responsible for the loss, damage and theft of bikes, locks or other items stored in the units, as per the Terms and Conditions you agree to when you become a member.

I think my bike has been stolen from the Bikehangar what should I do?

Firstly, contact the Council via your Waltham Forest account or contact us at Bikehangars@walthamforest.gov.uk.

We would urge you to contact the Metropolitan Police to report the theft as they will then issue you a crime reference number which can be used if you choose to claim on your insurance policy. 

If you have registered your bike with BikeRegister do also report your bike stolen on their website as they may be able to track your bike and it will make it harder to be sold or passed on.

If you require a bike for transport the Council has a fleet of standard two-wheeler bikes you can hire for up to one month, if this would be of interest please visit our website.

Locations 

How does the Council select the streets to propose a Bikehangar?

Streets are primarily chosen based on where there is the most demand however some Bikehangars have been installed on roads with less interest to evenly distribute cycle parking across the borough, raise awareness of the Bikehangar scheme, and encourage more people to cycle.

How is a Bikehangar location chosen?

Our aim is to make cycle parking as easy and accessible as it is to park a car. This gives peace of mind to members regarding their own safety and their possessions.

We assess several aspects to ensure we select safe and secure locations:

• Proximity to requests
• The proposed location should be overlooked from both sides of the street wherever possible.
• Install units within the normal run of parked cars. The flow of parked cars softens the visual impact that the facility has on the street.
• Avoid siting hangars at the ends of roads and junctions. This is to avoid the unit being struck by turning vehicles and so as not to pose a hazard to pedestrians crossing by obscuring driver sight lines.

Once a potential site has been selected, we contact the resident who made the request to let them know of our intention to consult on this location. We distribute approximately 50 letters to the immediate area surrounding the proposed site. Comments are reviewed and we only progress on locations that have support within the local community.

Do I have to own the house to volunteer to have the Bikehangar outside where I live?

No. As the Highway Authority, we do not require permission from the property owner to install a Bikehangar in the carriageway. However, we do take into consideration the views of those living in adjacent properties and strongly encourage potential hosts to discuss proposals with landlords and neighbours prior to volunteering a potential location outside of their dwelling.

I have a suggestion for a new Bikehangar location.

Complete our register for a Bikehangar space form.

You will then need to complete the application form. Once you have completed the form you will see a screen saying ‘case closed’ which indicates we have received your application and you will receive an email confirming this. The next time that we get in touch, we will offer you a place. It is difficult for us to offer an accurate timeframe for when this may be, but we will offer you a space in a Bikehangar as soon as we can.

When completing this application please tick the box to state you would be happy to 'host' a Bikehangar outside your property.

Maintenance 

When are Bikehangars cleaned and maintained?

The Bikehangars are cleansed twice a year by the Council. Members also have a responsibility to make sure that the Bikehangars are clean and pleasant to use for other members.

Should there be an issue with the Bikehangar, such as a faulty lock, please report it to us as soon as possible. A Council Officer will then visit and assess the hangar and will then book a maintenance visit if required. Everyone in the hangar will receive an email updating them on the condition of the Bikehangar and if it is safe for them to continue using. Should maintenance be required the work will normally be carried out in one to three working days. In instances where locks must be replaced, new keys will be sent out the same day that our supplier hands them over to us and you should receive them in one to two working days.

In instances where your bike has become stuck in the Bikehangar due to a faulty lock or if you did not remove your bike when you were advised to, you can contact cyclehire@walthamforest.gov.uk  and arrange for a bike loan whilst you do not have access to your bike.

Are they noisy?

No, the hinge mechanism helps lift the door and close the door so there are no loud bangs. We also send out a welcome pack which advises members to be considerate of their neighbours when using the Bikehangar.

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for?

If you are already a member please log into your Waltham Forest account or for members and non-members please contact us by emailing  Bikehangars@walthamforest.gov.uk

I have a question about a Station Cycle Hub. Who do I contact?

Station Cycle Hub enquiries should be sent to cyclehubinfo@walthamforest.gov.uk

Here are a few tips to help you keep your cycle safe:

• Always lock your cycle when you leave it
• Try to avoid leaving your cycle in isolated places. Leave it where people can see it but avoid leaving it on display for long periods, even if locked properly
• Use a Cycle Stand, Cycle Hub or Bike Hangar where possible
• Lock your cycle through the frame using two good locks
• Secure or remove wheels: Secure removable parts; lock both wheels and the frame together. Remove smaller parts and accessories that can't be secured
• Lock your cycle to an immovable object, like a bike rack or ground anchors. Determined thieves can remove drainpipes and lift bikes over signposts
• Make the lock and cycle hard to move when parked. Stop thieves smashing it open by keeping the lock away from the ground. Keep the gap between the cycle and lock small
• Insure your cycle, either by extending your home contents insurance or by getting a separate policy. Cycling organisations like the London Cycling Campaign and Cycling uk, and many bike shops offer specialist cover
• Make a note of the serial number, make and model of your cycle. Keep a photograph of your cycle
• Have the frame security marked. Visit the Bike Register website to find out how to mark and protect your cycle