Stansted Airport TOWN CENTRE STRATEGY 32mins by road CHINGFORD & DELIVERY PLANS Chingford CHINGFORD MOUNT HIGHAMS PARK 2016–2020 Highams Park Major road links M11, A12, M25 6mins WOOD STREET Blackhorse Road WALTHAMSTOW Wood Street To Walthamstow Central Tottenham Hale St James Street 3mins by tube Walthamstow Walthamstow Queens Road BAKERS ARMS LEYTONSTONE Leytonstone Central London Lea Leyton Midland 15mins by tube Bridge Road Leytonstone High Road LEYTON Leyton To the Olympic Park 6mins by road Canary Wharf 15mins by road Eton Manor London City Airport THE CREATIVE CHOICE 19mins by road Waltham Forest | east London TOWN CENTRE STRATEGY & DELIVERY PLANS 2016–2020 CONTENTS TOWN CENTRE INSERTS 1. FOREWORD 5. RECENT INVESTMENT Walthamstow from Cllr Coghill, Lead IN TOWN CENTRES .........................6 Member for Economic LEYTONSTONE Growth and High Streets ..........2 6. OBJECTIVES: what we LEYTON want to achieve ..........................7 2. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT ........3 CHINGFORD 7. INVOLVING LOCAL RESIDENTS, 3. ECONOMIC GROWTH STRATEGY – BUSINESSES AND OTHER CHINGFORD MOUNT our vision for economic STAKEHOLDERS .............................9 growth in Waltham Forest ......4 BAKERS ARMS 8. THE COUNCIL’S ROLE ....................10 4. SNAPSHOT – how are the Wood STREET borough’s town centres performing? ..............................5 9. TOWN CENTRE DELIVERY PLANS .....11 HIGHAMS PARK MORE INFORMATION 1. FOREWORD FROM CLLR COGHILL, LEAD MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND HIGH STREETS Our borough has transformed over the past six years and is continuing to experience unprecedented levels of growth. With this change we have seen significant increases in the number of jobs and businesses in the borough and thriving arts and creative industries which have contributed to our unique cultural identity and the transformation of our town centres. he Council has ambitious plans to expect. From setting up business networks The Council has also set out ambitious Tbuild on this success and deliver and improving shop fronts in Leyton and plans to see 12,000 affordable homes built further economic growth for the borough, Bakers Arms to facilitating the creation of in the borough by 2020, while ensuring which is set out in the Council’s Economic new workspaces in Blackhorse Lane, we are that the infrastructure is provided to give Growth Strategy 2016–2020. working with our town centres to deliver all residents access to the services they new and cultural hubs such as the Central need such as schools, GP services and The Town Centre Strategy document forms Parade creative space, bakery and café in good public transport. We are also clear one of the five themes in the Economic Walthamstow. about our ambition to put residents at the Growth Strategy. It sets out how we plan heart of decision making about investment to achieve growth in our eight largest town Many exciting developments around the in town centres and will develop ways to centres to make them even better places to public realm have launched in the last few engage local people in our plans. live, work and have fun. Our town centres years such as The Scene and the Heritage are fantastic, vibrant and distinct places Lottery Fund historic building conservation We are confident that our strategy will and the individual delivery plans describe project in St James Street. Several others are enable Waltham Forest to be resilient the set of actions we propose to address in the pipeline, for example, re-opening the and continue to progress and deliver our the unique issues and opportunities each EMD theatre in Walthamstow, delivering new ambitious plans growth in our town centres. centre faces over the next few years. and cultural spaces in Leytonstone, investing These are exciting times for Waltham in our vibrant street markets and evening Forest and we look forward to working We will continue to work closely with leisure offer and creating more public and closely with our partners and residents to businesses in our town centres to give green spaces in town centres. The Council deliver on our vision. them the support they need to prosper. We has been working on the development of are committed to promoting and investing major sites in Blackhorse Lane and master in our town centres to keep wealth in the planning for Leyton and Lea Bridge which Cllr Clare Coghill borough and give residents access to high will result in the emergence of two new town Cabinet Lead Portfolio Member – quality employment and the quality and centres in the borough. Economic Growth and High Streets mix of shopping and services that they 2. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT This document sets out the Council’s vision for the borough’s town centres and describes the actions the Council will take with its partners to support investment and growth in these locations. Our aim is to support and promote retail, business, cultural, leisure and residential investment in the borough’s town centres that recognises their unique identities and invests in their futures. his is intended to be a practical, The strategy cannot be delivered by the The strategy and delivery plans build on Tdelivery-focused document which Council alone and is dependent on close the Economic Growth Strategy 2016–2020 will result in visible improvements to the collaboration with key partners such as which was approved by the Council’s borough’s eight largest town centres. the Greater London Authority (GLA) Cabinet in June 2016 and is available on the and Transport for London (TfL). It also Council’s website. The we will use are: measures of success requires local business, where appropriate, 1. reduction in retail vacancy rates to contribute to improvements in their 2. improvement in business satisfaction premises, business practices and in the surveys wider town centre environment. 3. increased resident use of town centres The vision and overall town centre and improved satisfaction surveys strategy is described, followed by individual standalone Delivery Plans, which 4. increased business survival rate address the specific opportunities and 5. increased average pay of jobs in challenges in each town centre. Waltham Forest 2016–2020 3 WALTHAM FOREST TOWN CENTRE STRATEGY & DELIVERY PLANS 3. ECONOMIC GROWTH STRATEGY – OUR VISION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN WALTHAM FOREST The Economic Growth strategy outlines how the Council will use its powers and influence to guide economic growth and how the Council will work together with partners to realise the economic opportunities for the borough to ensure prosperity and a good quality of life for residents and businesses. he Economic Growth Strategy Tsets out the Council’s vision for Business – we will “keep, seed and grow” businesses in the economic growth: borough to ensure Waltham Forest’s economy thrives and 1 overall productivity increases We will maximise the opportunity “ Town Centres – we will support and promote retail, business, of Waltham Forest’s unique place in cultural, leisure and residential investment in our town London to help our economy grow 2 centres that recognises their unique identities and invests in and thrive, enabling residents to enjoy their future sustainable prosperity and an improved Homes – we will aim to build 12,000 new homes by 2020, quality of life” 3 including 50% affordable homes, creating great places to live The Strategy sets out the Council’s role in supporting growth under five key Employment and skills – we will make sure local people themes which are fundamental to have the skills and ability to access high-quality employment delivering economic growth in the 4 in the borough and across London borough: Infrastructure – we will ensure that growth supports the 5 delivery of new facilities and infrastructure across the borough 4. SNAPSHOT – HOW ARE THE BOROUGH’S TOWN CENTRES PERFORMING? Recent business and retail studies (Waltham Forest Business Survey, 2015 and Retail Needs Study, 2016) have shown that none of the borough’s main town centres are particularly struggling, with all centres meeting day-to-day convenience and local shopping needs for their residents. he studies identified that there plans focus on Walthamstow, alongside Tis significant capacity for more the borough’s seven District Centres: convenience (day-to-day shopping) and Leytonstone, Leyton, Chingford, Chingford comparison (more expensive, infrequent Mount, Bakers Arms, Wood Street, and purchases), predominantly in the south of Highams Park. the borough. There are several important smaller centres Waltham Forest’s town centres in total and neighbourhood shopping parades in account for 22% of borough wide the borough, including: employment and accommodate 18% of the • South Leytonstone High Road borough’s businesses. Town centres contain • Francis Road, Leyton around 1,200 businesses and 13,700 jobs. • South Chingford (Old Church Road) The largest of these is Walthamstow with • Markhouse Corner, Lea Bridge Road 380 businesses and around 3,070 jobs. • Billet Road, Higham Hill Waltham Forest’s town centres are growing 2016–2020 The Council will assess where specific employment hubs and residents continue action and investment plans are required 5 to demand more of our town centres for these smaller centres and parades in terms of choice and quality of retail with the greatest need alongside the town provision and a broader cultural and centres covered in this strategy. leisure offer. Walthamstow is the major town centre in the borough in terms of economic performance, floorspace and number of retail units. The