Forest Road update

You may have wondered what’s been happening at several prominent buildings and sites along Forest Road and we’re here to give you the lowdown on each project – part of our plan to create a fantastic place for residents and businesses to enjoy.

Some buildings and land around Forest Road are council-owned, and others are private developments. As a council, we have a role in helping private developers plan for good growth and to deliver more affordable homes to get the best outcomes for our residents. 

We’re sorry that some of the sites are still looking tired and have been an eye-sore for residents. We’re working hard to move developments along as quick as we can, but we’re sure you can appreciate it takes time. 

As we face many challenges in the UK, particularly in the housebuilding industry, we are doing everything as a council to and keep the local economy moving to deliver the homes and infrastructure that everyone needs.

The works to the award-winning Fellowship Square development are in full swing and work has just begun on a new Civic building on the site of the former Magistrates Court which will provide a ground floor restaurant and café opening onto Fellowship Square with civic office space above. 

The Civic building will sit adjacent to new residential buildings in the Hepworth Place development, which is delivering 433 high-quality homes prioritised for local people, with fifty per cent of them being affordable. The first residents will be moving into the development this summer too!

Earlier this year, the car park at the back of the Town Hall was transformed into a haven for wildlife as well as a place for calm and reflection with the creation of The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden and Sensory Garden. These works form part of the public improvements funded through the development partnership with Countryside Partnerships (part of Vistry Group).

The redevelopment of Fellowship Square has allowed for the loan of The Arch by Henry Moore, which is finding its home in Waltham Forest for the next four years. The prestigious sculpture sits next to the new gardens and Sustainable Urban Drainage Wetlands in Chestnuts Field, which mitigates flooding across Fellowship Square whilst increasing biodiversity. A new all-weather path from the Feel Good Centre to the Town Hall has also completed, allowing a better connection to Fellowship Square.

Find out more about Fellowship Square.

You’ll have seen this building is in the construction stage, owned by L&Q – the development will provide a part two, part three storey building and lower ground level of 12 homes along with some nice landscaping. Work will resume on the site again soon and we’ll have more to announce! Watch this space.

Planning permission for this scheme was secured earlier this year and the site will become a new mixed-use building ranging from three to five storeys to provide 39 new homes and commercial space on the ground floor. 

Although owned by the NHS, we are helping to secure a development partner for the vacant site that’s currently out to market. This would include converting the listed building into a community or cultural use, with new homes to the rear. 

As part of its site allocation featured in the Local Plan Part 2, we expect around 100 new homes and 1000 sqm of workspace, community and/or cultural uses, to be delivered on site alongside new public space and accessible, biodiverse green open spaces. It also includes site specific guidance relating to the restoration of the Grade II listed Thorpe Coombe Hospital Building, protected and mature trees on site, and how design can improve community safety and local connectivity. 

Situated on the site of the former Wood Street library, on the corner of Wood Street and Forest Road, it will be an appointment-based service centre for the local community alongside much-needed affordable homes for Waltham Forest residents. 

The building will provide 67 affordable new homes (29 for social rent and 38 for shared ownership) and on the ground floor and first floor, a facility for residents to access an innovative space to host some of the Council’s most important customer facing families and housing services. The development will deliver  a commercial unit for a small shop or café which will provide job opportunities for local people.

Soon to be known as Precision House for the residential, and Sunflower House for the hub, both will be fantastic spaces for residents to benefit from. The homes are completing this autumn and the hub set to complete in early 2025.

The council has been working over the past year to bring this forward with the private owners of the site after the previous builder went into administration. We are also pleased to be working with the Greater London Authority (GLA) as we continue to progress our strategic sites programme, including this site, to deliver more affordable housing across Waltham Forest.

The mixed-use development will provide up to 583 homes (of which 228 will be affordable) and commercial units (flexible retail, community and leisure uses), as well as new routes and extra open spaces too. We’ll have more to share on the progress of this site soon, watch this space!

Forest Road is a busy route used by up to 17,000 vehicles daily and is home to around 3,600 residents and 340 businesses. It’s a key route in Waltham Forest connecting Woodford New Road to Ferry Lane and is already an important walking and cycling route that helps people get to key places like the William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Walthamstow Wetlands, and other local facilities. 

To make this road safer for all road users we’ve made significant improvements to the full route since 2016, including upgrading all major junctions, new pedestrian and cycle crossings, new bus facilities, blended crossings, segregated cycle lanes and new public spaces.

In July 2023, we carried out a public consultation with the local community on our plans for Forest Road between Hoe Street and Woodford New Road. The plans aim to build upon the temporary scheme introduced in 2020 and connect with previously completed sections of Forest Road, transforming it into a route that helps people walk, cycle, access public transport and feel better connected to the surrounding community, amenities, and services.

Find out more about the Forest Road improvements.

We are currently consulting on Part 2 of the Local Plan which includes several sites on Forest Road. 

Site allocations are the sites across the whole borough where we expect the new homes, jobs, social infrastructure and other uses that the borough needs will be developed by 2035 and sets out guidance for their development. 

Other proposed site allocations as part of the Local Plan Part 2 (Site Allocations) along Forest Road include Cedar Wood House, Hurst Road Medical Centre, Willow House, Sterling House and Patchworks, Fellowship Square (Walthamstow Town Hall), the Garages at St Davids Court and the Former Texaco Filling Station. 

Visit the Local Plan Part 2 Let’s Talk page to have your say.