Mini-Holland making Waltham Forest a better place, says Loakes

The London Borough of Waltham Forest has "changed for the better" thanks to Mini-Holland funding, creating improved public spaces and designated space for cycling, according to Clyde Loakes, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for environment.

He says the £27m grant has laid the foundations for better connected town centres and is preventing rat-running in residential areas while encouraging more people to get out and about by bike or on foot.

Waltham Forest was one of three London boroughs to be win Mini-Holland funding from the then Mayor of London Boris Johnson. Kingston upon Thames and Enfield were both awarded around £30m.

"The scheme has not been without its challenges, and it’s fair to say that it’s generated heated debate in our community, " says Loakes. "The scale of the changes we’re making is huge, so we understand that people need time to adjust and things can take a while to get used to. This is a long term vision for us, not something we can put in place overnight."

Loakes insists the council does seriously consider feedback it receives about the changes. "We fully consult with local communities and stakeholders like the emergency services before any new scheme is introduced about what they want to see in their area and what will work for them, " he explains. 

"We have put a huge amount of work into ensuring that everyone gets the chance to have their say when a scheme affects them. Where residents have told us they are not happy with a proposal we have made changes where we can and where we haven’t been able to we have explained why, and we will continue with this approach.

"I’m incredibly proud of what we have delivered so far and the long term benefits it will bring for our residents. With air quality continuing to be a huge concern across London and our residential roads becoming more and more congested and noisy, we have to think of the future and take action now to transform our streets and encourage people to change the way they travel."

Clyde Loakes will be offering an update on Mini-Holland developments at Transforming London Streets. 

"I am really looking forward to speaking at this year’s Transforming London Streets, especially after the success of last year’s event which we hosted in Waltham Forest, " he says.