About Chingford Mount

Chingford Mount is a vibrant town centre in the north of Waltham Forest. The area benefits from wonderful nearby green spaces and heritage areas and is nearby to fantastic local services.

In 2021, we began engagement with residents on the draft Chingford Mount Area Framework, a 15-year vision for the area to promote regeneration and investment to ensure the long-term success of the town centre. 

The vision includes the improvement and pedestrianisation of Albert Crescent to better connect with the high street and make it a safe and welcoming place for everyone to enjoy.

In late 2022, we continued engagement on the Chingford Mount Area Framework to better understand residents’ needs, both at events in Chingford Mount and online with our engagement platform.

Look at the Chingford Mount Area Framework online engagement.

We received 821 contributions online from 319 people on the different proposed projects to improve the town centre, we also surveyed 53 young people and spoke to local primary and secondary schoolchildren.

We found that 77 per cent of residents surveyed supported the pedestrianisation of Albert Crescent and 67 per cent supported relocating the bus stands nearby. Key projects included improving Memorial Park with a refurbished café and toilet block, and Chase Lane Park to improve the skating facilities. 

Our research into child-friendly cities has been shortlisted for several awards for our pioneering ways of working in local authorities, including the Inspiring Future Generation Award for our engagement work in Chingford Mount.

(Above, Cllr Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest Council and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration and Cllr Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council with the draft Chingford Mount Area Framework in November 2022)

Resident feedback from the framework engagement helped us to bid for improvements to Chingford Mount and Highams Park through the Levelling Up Funding in 2022.

In March 2023, Waltham Forest Council was successful in securing £8.4m of funds to enhance high streets, town centres and open spaces in Chingford Mount and Highams Park, encouraging more footfall that will support businesses and boost the local economy, while improving health outcomes, community safety and cohesion.  On top of this, Waltham Forest has secured £1.9m that is being invested in associated projects, bringing the overall investment package to £10.3m. 

Over the next few years, we'll be working to make the following improvements to Chingford Mount:

• Work to make Memorial Park more appealing with a community café, public toilets and enhancements to the playground. The tennis courts will be resurfaced and new nets installed, with opportunities being explored to provide other sport and play facilities.
• New play areas in Chase Lane Park with investment in the skate park, a scooter play area and an outdoor gym.
• More greenery and public art at Chingford Mount to make the area safer and more inclusive for everyone. Improvements will include: repaving the high street, new trees, new attractive seating, rain gardens to mitigate flood risk, upgrading pedestrian crossings, and new high-quality lighting to make everyone feel safer.
• New fencing, car park resurfacing and new flood lights at Chingford Rugby Club.

In 2023, we have continued to work with residents to refine details of the improvements through engagement sessions and events in Chingford Mount. 

In spring 2023, we set up a working group of local councillors to get the best results for residents. (pictured below)

In September 2023, we hosted the Mount Festival to show residents how Albert Crescent can work as a successful pedestrian hotspot for the town centre. 

We invited residents to contribute their thoughts on the details of each project through our online engagement platform Commonplace in autumn 2023. 

Below: The Mount Festival in September 2023.

In October 2023, we hosted a skate day at Chase Lane Park with local organisation Everyone On Boards to understand how we can improve the skate park. 

Below: Everyone On Boards at Chase Lane Park.

We continue to support local groups and organisations in Chingford Mount, including events such as the Love South Chingford Christmas Event where we can speak to residents about improvements. (Pictured below: Council officers speaking to residents during the Christmas event)

So far, we have completed the installation of new fencing at Chingford Rugby Club with car park resurfacing planned for winter 2023 and the installation of LED flood lighting in early 2024.

Phased design development on all Chingford projects, including engagement will continue into spring and summer 2024​, we will apply for planning where this is required and following that, phased construction works will begin from autumn 2024.

In 2021, we renovated a derelict shop unit on the high street, the former iconic County Camera’s shop, 228 Chingford Mount High Street to use as a space for short term community lead projects. Now named '228' we run a programme of events giving local people and businesses the opportunity to 'take over' the unit to host workshops, pop ups, creative and community-based pop-ups and projects. We've engaged thousands of residents in the programme so far and we’re continuing to work with local groups to bring a range of activities to the space.

Pictured above: Love South Chingford group meet with Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council. 

We launched the Chingford Mount website to complement our high street projects such as the interactive heritage trail The Treasures of Chingford Mount, and other projects such as the We Are Chingford Mount - Summer Window Art Trail. 

Check out the Chingford Mount website for more information on events and activities coming up. 

We are also working to bring a mural to Chingford Mount on a Council-owned building that celebrates Chingford’s historical and local community. We will share designs in spring 2024.