Leyton News

Council set to approve 380 new homes around Lea Bridge Station

The proposals, developed by the council and London Square, will see two new high-rise towers built in the south of the borough, comprising 387 homes, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

Credit: London Square

Plans for more than 380 new homes around Lea Bridge Station have been recommended for approval by Waltham Forest Council.

The proposals, developed by the council and London Square, will see two new high-rise towers built in the south of the borough, comprising 387 homes.

The flats will be spread across a 26-storey tower and a 29-storey tower off Argall Way. The plans also include eight commercial units in a courtyard between the two buildings.

Though the heights have been controversial with residents, the council has historically said it is desperate for new housing to tackle a “significant” housing crisis.

After it was revealed the town hall had spent £20m on temporary accommodation for at-risk residents since 2021, deputy leader Ahsan Khan said the “grim reality” was that there were not enough available homes in London.

Each new flat will be available through ‘affordable’ housing schemes, including London affordable rent, social rent, and shared ownership.

‘Affordable’ housing applies to publicly-owned properties aimed at people who cannot afford a full mortgage or rent. Tenants tend to enter into agreements with local authorities to pay for 80% of the home, while the council subsidises and owns the remaining 20%.

The vast majority of the flats will be built as one-bedroom-two-person and two-bedroom-three-person family homes.

The scale of the proposals has grown since they were approved initially in 2023. The number of flats has increased from 342, and the towers by Argall Way have risen in height by three storeys each.

After publicising the plans in December, the council says it received eight formal objections to the plans for residents.

Some residents branded the heights “monstrous” and the towers an “eye-sore,” and said the increased heights would “exacerbate the already significant impact” on the skylines.

Others worried the new flats could put “undue strain” on local infrastructure, including schools, healthcare facilities and public transport.

In a lengthy document, published this week, the council said the heights were “considered acceptable” as the land had been identified as “suitable” in its own long-term plan for the borough.

The proposals are considered an “exemplar design,” and the town hall anticipates that infrastructure pressures will be alleviated by money levied from the developers.

They will be asked to contribute £211,980 towards healthcare and £118,000 for schools. A further £401,875 will be spent on a new playground.

The new towers will form a key part of the council’s draft local plan, which lays out early proposals for 27,000 new homes in the borough. Once approved, it will guide development in the borough until 2035.

Some 128 sites across Waltham Forest have been earmarked for development as part of the Local Plan.

They include Lea Bridge gasworks, where plans for 643 new homes were greenlit last July, and industrial zones in Lammas Road, Orient Way, and Montague Road – all areas the council says are suitable for tall buildings.

Plans to make Lea Bridge station step-free and build a new ticket hall were first drawn up in 2019, but work has been delayed.

It was expected to start this summer but “detailed design work” had not been completed, Transport for London said last September. Under the initial projections, the project would have been completed in 2026.

The proposals for the new towers are expected to be approved at a council planning committee meeting next week.


No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month.  £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.

Donate now with Pay Pal

More information on supporting us monthly or annually 

More Information about donations

Our newspaper and website are made possible by the support of readers and by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider helping us to continue to bring you news by disabling your ad blocker or supporting us with a small regular payment.