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Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in South Leytonstone, Maryland and Forest Gate

Background

Since 2018, Waltham Forest has been working with the London Borough of Newham to improve the Forest Gate, Maryland and South Leytonstone areas.

In 2018 and 2019, a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) was developed based on feedback gathered from the community and was included in joint-borough TfL Liveable Neighbourhoods bids, however due to the Covid-19 pandemic TfL suspended and redirected funding towards emergency interventions to support social distancing.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an even more urgent need to improve London’s streets for walking and cycling, to reduce pressure on our road and public transport networks. With London’s public transport capacity currently significantly reduced, millions of journeys a day need to be completed by other modes of transport. If these are replaced by car journeys, streets will become heavily congested, air quality will reduce, and road danger will increase. In some places we are already seeing traffic levels increase above pre Covid-19 levels.

To prevent this from happening, in August 2020 both boroughs allocated funding towards an experimental Low Traffic Neighbourhood as part of our commitment to delivering better streets for walking and cycling in the Forest Gate, Maryland and South Leytonstone areas. This area is referred to as Area 1 and Area 2 and is bounded by Crownfield Road, Cann Hall Road, Dames Road, Woodgrange Road, Forest Lane, Leytonstone Road and Leyton Road. In October 2020 the scheme was extended further into South Leytonstone to the areas bounded by Ferndale Road, Montague Road, Harrow Road, Cann Hall Road, Crownfield Road, High Road Leyton, the A12 and Cathall Road (which is referred to as Area 3 and Area 4).

Scheme analysis 

The LTN was implemented via Experimental Traffic Management Orders, in line with guidance from central Government. This process included consultation with key stakeholders, such as emergency services, prior to implementation. While some early community engagement took place in 2018 and 2019, as part of several funding bids to Transport for London (TfL) for a major Liveable Neighbourhoods project, we do of course appreciate that under normal circumstances we would have done more community engagement prior to the implementation of a new scheme.

Instead, following the experimental implementation of the LTNs, we have been collecting feedback from residents, schools, businesses and other stakeholders, enabling the community to share their experiences of the live scheme. We want to thank you for providing your thoughts and suggestions by e-mail, post and online. This feedback has helped us to adapt the scheme and consider additional measures which will deliver further improvements to your area.

Summary of the data collected to date is shown below:

Following extensive collection and analysis of a range of monitoring data and the feedback provided by members of the public since the schemes were introduced Waltham Forest Council has approved the LTN schemes in Area 2, 3 and 4 and will make the schemes permanent.

On 7 January 2022, a letter was delivered to residents living in the scheme areas making them aware of the decision and the next steps. You can view the letters by clicking the links below and in the useful document list on the right.

 

More information

More information on the schemes can be found on our Commonplace engagement platforms (see links below).

You can also contact us using the following details:

  • Email: enjoy@walthamforest.gov.uk
  • Write to: Enjoy Waltham Forest Team, Low Hall Depot, Argall Avenue, Leyton, E10 7AS.