Waltham Forest Council's new Civic building work begins

Above: Waltham Forest Town Hall remodelled, and with new water fountains (Courtesy Hawkins Brown)

Waltham Forest Council's work has begun on the new Civic building, aimed at completing the original masterplan around the Town Hall which was built during World War II. The original masterplan was for a trio of buildings originally designed by architect Phillip Hepworth but had to be scaled back.

The Civic building on the site of the former Magistrates Court will provide a ground floor restaurant and café opening onto Fellowship Square with civic office space above. It will be located directly opposite Walthamstow Assembly Hall. With a sympathetic design, the Civic building is a modern interpretation of the Stripped Classicism style of the Town Hall and Assembly Hall that were completed in 1942.

Completion of the civic office space will enable council staff to co-locate from office accommodation elsewhere in the borough, releasing these sites for redevelopment and to deliver new affordable homes for local people. The build is part of Phase 2 of the Fellowship Square development, which commenced in 2022 and will complete by the end of 2026. This follows the successful award-winning restoration of the historic Grade II listed Town Hall, and the creation of its state-of-the-art fountains, as part of Phase 1 of the programme.

The Civic building will sit adjacent to new residential buildings in the Hepworth Place development, which is delivering 433 high-quality homes prioritised for local people, with fifty per cent of them being affordable.

The Leader of Waltham Forest Council, Councillor Grace Williams, states:

'The start of the Civic building paves the way for Fellowship Square to feel truly complete for visitors. It is a huge construction milestone in the programme which is creating more jobs and a destination where everyone is welcome. Seeing our new neighbourhood come to life is a joy, construction is moving quickly and I can’t wait to welcome the first residents to their new homes soon.'

Kevin Delve, Managing Director of Vistry East London, commented:

'The start of construction on the new Civic building is another significant milestone in our transformation of the Waltham Forest Town Hall campus in partnership with the council. Not only are we delivering high-quality new offices that complete Philip Hepworth’s original vision for the site, but construction has been moving swiftly on the new homes at Hepworth Place, where the first residents will move in this August.'

Earlier this year, the car park at the back of the Town Hall was transformed into a haven for wildlife as well as a place for calm and reflection with the creation of The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden and Sensory Garden. Both gardens provide tranquil spaces, which include a selection of Her Late Majesty’s favourite plants and over 60 new trees planted in the immediate area. These works form part of the public improvements funded through the development partnership.

There is also now step-free access from Fellowship Square to Chestnuts Field, providing improved pedestrian and cycle routes to encourage residents, staff, and visitors to actively travel to and from the square. Visitor numbers at the hugely successful Fellowship Square have increased since it opened in 2021 with over 149,000 people visiting last year.

The remaining construction works at Fellowship Square will see more affordable homes, a new nursery and a new commercial space for residents to look forward to. 

The redevelopment of Fellowship Square has allowed for the loan of The Arch by Henry Moore, which is finding its home in Waltham Forest for the next four years. The prestigious sculpture sits next to the new gardens and Sustainable Urban Drainage Wetlands in Chestnuts Field, which mitigates flooding across Fellowship Square whilst increasing biodiversity.

The London Borough of Waltham Forest was the first Mayor of London's 'Borough of culture' and Jonathan Martin, Head of Inward Investment at the Waltham Forest Council described to Future Cities Forum how important culture has been for redevelopment and creating opportunities for residents:

'We have embraced culture and it has given us the momentum behind Soho Theatre. Our cultural-led strategy has really enabled a buy-in from local businesses and communities have been able to say what they perceive to be their culture and then seek funding for their own projects. We had to buy the EMD cinema from the previous owner but it has been an important investment and meant that we could attract the University of Portsmouth to establish a base here. It's a win for the University too to be sited next to a cultural quarter which attracts young people as well as footfall for the local economy. These places have to be fun to be around and the University is benefitting from the cultural offer.

'We want to use a hub and spoke approach and embrace culture for our town centre and improve place-making. We also want active travel and for people to enjoy Waltham Forest through cycling and on foot, which will improve the air quality and was a major concern for us. We are asking how we bring our high streets back into play and culture could be the answer and seems to be something that most people will support.

'We need to guard our heritage and the theatre is an example of that and ask what does it mean to local residents. Story-telling sessions from people who know the area are very important. We have a commitment in the leadership at the council who are working well with residents to create this successful regeneration.'

Image below courtesy of Pilbrow and Partners, showing CGI of proposed design for the Granada EMD Cinema in Walthamstow