Policy information sourced from The Waltham Forest Local Plan Core Strategy

CS14 - Attractive and Vibrant Town Centres

The Council will promote successful and vibrant centres throughout the Borough to serve the needs of residents, workers, visitors by:

A) ensuring that new proposals for town centre uses including retail, leisure, office, entertainment, hotel, community, cultural and service uses etc are directed to the designated centres through the ‘sequential test’ (85), whilst also ensuring that the scale of development proposed in a centre is appropriate to the role and character of the centre and its catchment;

B) promoting the dominant position of Walthamstow Town Centre as the main destination for comparison goods shopping in accordance with its role as a Major Centre in the London Plan. The majority of additional growth in retail and other town centre uses will be located in this centre.

C) consolidating the role of the District Centres of North Chingford, South Chingford, Highams Park, Wood Street, Bakers Arms, Leyton and Leytonstone as complimentary centres to Walthamstow Town Centre. Having regard to the level of capacity available in these centres, the provision of main and bulk convenience food shopping and a reasonable range of comparison shopping facilities and other services will be encouraged in these centres;

D) supporting the role of neighbourhood centres including Sewardstone Road, Chingford Hatch, Chingford Road, Forest Road, Markhouse Corner, Francis Road, Thatched House and Blackhorse Road as local activity hubs for retail and other town centre uses;

E) creating a sustainable pattern/distribution of town centre uses by:

  • consolidating retail activities within compact retail core areas of the designated centres and local retail parades;
  • managing the proliferation of particular uses where their location and or grouping would be contrary to the Council’s aspirations and priorities;
  • encouraging and managing the development of clusters of complementary evening and night-time economy uses in town centres avoiding concentrations of uses likely to lead to an increase in crime and disorder;

F) creating distinctive town centres by encouraging the development of complimentary roles, differentiation and specialisation between centres with regard to their ‘offer’ and place setting;

G) encouraging housing in and around town centres as part of mixed use developments on the upper floors of commercial buildings and on sites where a high quality living environment offering good levels of residential amenity, low noise levels, safe streets, personal security etc, can be created without impeding the development of primary town centre uses such as retail and other commercial uses, particularly in the key growth areas of Blackhorse Lane, Northern Olympic Fringe, Walthamstow Town Centre and Wood Street and other site opportunity locations identified in the Site Specific Allocations Document;

H) promoting the rejuvenation of town centre areas through the redevelopment of under used sites and premises; and

I) supporting the establishment and operation of Business Improvement Districts to create an improved environment for business and secure improvements in town centre performance.

For more information please see the Local Plan Core Strategy