Policy information sourced from the Waltham Forest Local Plan

35 Promoting Culture and Creativity

Arts, culture, creativity and entertainment will be supported by the Council, especially where this boosts the economy and enhances quality of life in the borough. Development proposals should:

A. Protect and enhance cultural venues. Development proposals involving the loss of arts, culture and/or entertainment facilities will be resisted where a continuing demonstrable need exists, unless the facility is re-provided in accordance with other policy requirements in the Plan (see Policy 46 ‘Social and Community Infrastructure’);

B. Encourage and direct new cultural venues in the following ways:

  1. Major development of arts, culture, entertainment and visitor facilities should be directed to Walthamstow Town Centre, other designated Town Centres and other locations accessible by public transport (See Policy 39 ‘New Retail, Office and Leisure Developments’);
  2. Smaller scale proposals will be supported in areas that are accessible by public transport, walking and cycling routes and in locations that are accessible to those who are likely to use the facility;Whe
  3. re appropriate (in accordance with other policies of the Plan), new and existing social and community infrastructure will be encouraged to include space for art and cultural events;

C. Support temporary, meanwhile cultural uses in vacant buildings, parks and open spaces in highly accessible locations and in designated Centres, particularly where these meet community requirements, including for performance and creative work;

D. Encourage the use of outdoor spaces and the public realm for art, culture, sports and entertainment uses in designated centres;

E. Mitigate impacts from noise and other nuisance-generating activities in line with the Agent of Change principle;

F. Promote the early integration of public art within development proposals, particularly in the Strategic Locations; and

G. Secure Section 106 contributions, as set out in the Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), towards the provision of public art and cultural activity including the funding, management, development, implementation and maintenance of public art projects which are part of major development sites. All major development proposals involving mixed use/commercial space should contribute to cultural enhancement projects in the local area, subject to viability considerations.

For more information please see the Waltham Forest Local Plan