Sutherland Road Improvements Scheme

Between 23 June and 21 July 2023 the local community were invited to take part in the public consultation for the Sutherland Road public realm improvements scheme. Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation and shared their thoughts on the proposals.

Click here to read the consultation update leaflet sent to residents on 30 October 2023.

Consultation results and next steps

A breakdown of sentiment towards the proposals is shown below, with 62.5% of all responses showing a positive sentiment and 22.2% negative. This is reflected by those who live within the consultation area, showing a 59.3% positive and 22.0% negative sentiment among those respondents.

The Sutherland Road public realm improvement scheme design will now be finalised. Following this, Statutory Notices for the new traffic calming features will be advertised, which will include posting relevant information on lamp columns along the road with details on how to provide any further comments.

Construction is expected to start towards the end of 2023 and we will notify all addresses located near to the construction sites before work begins.

Residents living within the proposed CPZ scheme area will be written to separately with information on the next steps and any further statutory processes for any potential changes to parking, waiting and loading restrictions.

Background

Waltham Forest Council is working to deliver public realm improvements that will transform Sutherland Road, making it a more enjoyable place for residents, businesses and visitors.

Sutherland Road has an important role in the industrial heritage of the Upper Lea Valley and having undergone a large redevelopment in recent years is now part of a new mixed neighbourhood of residential developments and growing businesses. Sutherland Road is also part of the recently Greater London Authority (GLA) accredited Blackhorse Lane Creative Enterprise Zone called the Blackhorse Collective.

Now that most of the residential development work is complete we’ve developed proposals, supported by funding from the GLA’s Housing Zone programme to improve the overall look and feel of the area, encourage walking and cycling, and improve access for people with mobility aids and pushchairs.

The proposals aim to meet the following objectives:

• Implementing a new and improved public realm
• Increasing the number of trips made by active travel and public transport and improving local connections
• Reducing car dominance and increasing the active use of streets and public spaces
• Creating safer neighbourhood environments, including increasing road safety and improving personal security
• Improving the efficiency and safety of freight movement• Improving air quality and green infrastructure to create more attractive neighbourhoods for people
• Improving the quality and climate resilience of the public realm
• Ensuring neighbourhoods have good connections to public transport
• Creating vibrant streets that help local businesses to thrive and providing places for the community to come together.

In spring 2023 we held a series of engagement events with residents and key stakeholders to help us understand key concerns and aspirations for the area to help us develop the initial scheme design. The events included:

• Council Ward Forum - 11 March 2023 with local residents and stakeholders
• Community Walkabout - 22 March 2023 with local residents and stakeholders
• Business Forum - 29 March 2023 with local businesses and stakeholders
• Accessibility Forum - 3 April 2023 with local organisations and stakeholders.

Overall, feedback on the proposals was positive and the main points raised by the local community included concerns with parking, traffic flow, the condition of the carriageway, difficulties with moving around on foot or by bicycle, the lack of green space and trees, and issues with the interfaces between industrial and residential spaces. The engagement report for the events can be viewed by clicking here.