The council aims to turn Courtenay Place, which connects St James Street Station and the bus stand with Walthamstow High Street, into a commercial zone with green space
Residents are being invited to find out more about what Waltham Forest Council is planning to do to regenerate Courtenay Place and the immediate area around St James Street Station.
Council officers will be on hand to chat to residents at The Mill community centre in Coppermill Lane, Walthamstow on Wednesday 11th February from 5.15pm to 7pm.
The project is part of a wider £17million Levelling Up Funding programme of investment given to the council to regenerate parts of Walthamstow.
The council aims to turn Courtenay Place, which connects St James Street Station and the bus stand with Walthamstow High Street, into a “green link” between St James Street and Walthamstow High Street, with a new pocket park, and the “activation” or opening of existing railway arches, as well as other improvements to public spaces.
The improvement scheme also includes new lighting, signage, art projects, and landscape design, as well as the refurbishing of arches so that businesses can move in and open up shop.
The plan additionally involves the removal of physical barriers and “unfriendly” security fencing, overgrown shrubs, and soil (some of which could be reused in new planting).
Council deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and regeneration Ahsan Khan previously said: “Making Waltham Forest a better place for residents is at the heart of everything we do. We are creating a thriving and welcoming cultural destination in the St James Quarter, and we are pleased that architects Feix&Merlin and Extended Studio can come with us on this journey to help us deliver our vision through the Levelling Up programme that will provide more green spaces and attract more visitors to the town centre, bringing an important boost for the local economy.”
The council held a public consultation in 2024 and received three objections to the plans.
One resident said it would block their view, though the council argues the structure will remain “largely the same” and there would be no adverse impact.
Others said they wanted to know more about the types of business that would move in, but no specific shops have been identified.
Julia Feix and Tarek Merlin, from architecture firm Feix&Merlin, previously said: “We love to work on this kind of community regeneration project, and we saw a strong and pioneering vision from the council team at Waltham Forest.
“A shared aim to take what is a slightly forgotten backland space and transform this into a new exciting and activated place, forging connections back into the lively high street and St James Street Station.”
Find out more about the event here
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