EVENTS 2023

LEYTON MILLS and SPITALFIELDS Walkabout 

LEYTON MILLS SPD  (Leyton Mills Supplementary Planning Document)

 Waltham Forest Civic Society has arranged a walkabout of the potential development area for SUNDAY DAY 29th OCTOBER 2023 - meet at 11am at the bus stop opposite Leyton Station by the staircase to Leyton Mills shopping centre. This is not a history walk, but one to explain the issues this development raises and the political way forward. 

The City of London, who own Spitalfields, are planning to move the market to Dagenham, but no firm date is available. Once that happens LBWF intend to redevelop the site for housing, including the Leyton Mills site. Now is the time to campaign for low rise development to stop the views from the Lee Valley Park and marshes being spoilt. As the Spitalfields site is in the Lea Valley flood plain should it be reverted back to open space? These are the arguments to be fought over for the next 10 years. 

LOCAL MODIFIED PLAN 

Our main activity has been fighting the LOCAL PLAN .  A Public Inquiry was held in March and we were represented by our member Dr. Robert Gay. Despite his best efforts we don't seem to have won any concessions from the Inspectors. In particular we were hoping to change the Council's target of 1,800pa new homes to the GLA's target of 1,264 pa for the next 15 years, but the modified plan still shows 1,800 which equates to 27,000 new flats over the next 15 years in Waltham Forest. With at least 10,000 new homes starting to be built by Enfield Council at Meridian Water (redundant Lea Valley land) this is likely to cause congestion of the transport links and other services .