A planning application has been submitted to the council for the first phase of works, reports Marco Marcelline

An illustration showing what the
new entrance could look like, Credit: TfL

Plans for a new station entrance at Walthamstow Central appear to have been revived, according to a fresh planning application submitted to Waltham Forest Council.

A letter sent by HTA Design LLP on behalf of Tide Construction outlines the company’s intention to begin the first phase of construction on the entrance.

These initial works include the construction of a portion of the “station box”, which is an underground concrete box-like structure which the new entrance will be encased in.

Effectively a slab of concrete, this first portion of the “station box” will be supported by a series of “temporary piles” that will act as plunge columns, the letter adds.

Tide Construction says the plan, if approved, will “safeguard” future works on the ‘station box’ and the ultimate completion of the entrance.

Transport for London (TfL) has said there is a planning permission deadline of “mid 2025” for these works. The Walthamstow Central upgrade project has faced significant funding troubles since it was first announced as part of the redevelopment of The Mall.

In 2018, TfL said funding it had committed towards the new entrance was no longer available “due to budget constraints and other factors”.

Then, in 2021, the government rejected the council’s request for £20million to “enable construction” on the project, though the council has since stated it is hopeful it can secure funding through “future capital funding settlements from the government”.

In 2020, the council estimated the full cost of constructing a new station entrance would come to £41.5m. For its part, the council has raised £5.3m towards the ticket hall and committed a further £3.9m “backstop” if alternative funding cannot be found.

Capital and Regional (C&R), which won planning permission for the The Mall redevelopment before it was bought by Long Harbour in 2021, has put £1.5m towards the station entrance.

A planning condition attached to the redevelopment states that construction of the new entrance must begin before work on the second phase of The Mall, which includes new retail space, is completed.

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