Low Hall

The redevelopment of Low Hall Depot is one of the most important large-scale projects taking place in the borough over the next five to ten years.

Low Hall is Waltham Forest’s main council depot and is currently home to council functions such as waste, recycling, transport and environmental services. The facilities are essential to the council’s core services but they are outdated and make inefficient use of a large area of land between St James Park in Walthamstow and the Argall industrial estate in Lea Bridge. The council has started a programme to comprehensively redevelop the site and will finance new, space-efficient depot facilities with a residential development of several hundred new homes. The target is that 50% of these properties will be affordable housing.

We have been working with the council and Hawkins/Brown architects since 2018 to develop proposals for around 75 genuinely affordable Community Land Trust homes and a multi-purpose community hub as part of the future Low Hall neighbourhood. Our vision is big and ambitious, but well within reach due to the rich skillset of our members. Forest CLT’s community hub will be the heart of the future Low Hall neighbourhood, bringing existing and new residents together – whether they live in CLT homes or mainstream homes on the wider site. The Hub comprises a local cultural venue hosting events, health and creative activities; a new café and toilets serving St James Park; community space for local organisations and one or two small business units supporting the creative and micro economy. The CLT homes will be a mix of low-cost rent and affordable home ownership, ranging from one-beds to four-beds. Each will have generous private balconies or terraces and there will be a shared landscape of gardens and yards. We also aim to include an innovative six-bed shared ‘cluster flat’ supporting youngsters transitioning into adulthood to live semi-independent lives – something that’s currently very challenging given soaring rents in the borough.

Low Hall is Forest CLT’s ultimate goal in the medium term: London’s largest Community Land Trust project that will set new standards for environmental sustainability, design quality and community participation in housing. Forest CLT’s involvement in Low Hall will create a truly sustainable neighbourhood that puts wellbeing, energy efficiency and life chances first. It will be a landmark project for the borough and for London.