Waltham Forest Council's Executive Decision committee approved the first stage of the Forest Road Improvement Scheme. This decision allows the council to begin detailed design and consultation on the scheme.

Forest Road Improvement Scheme Section 1

The committee discussed the Forest Road Improvement Scheme, which seeks to make improvements to Forest Road.

The scheme intends to address several issues identified in the Waltham Forest Movement Strategy including:

the severance caused by the A503, with few safe crossing points for people walking and cycling

The scheme will run in four sections along the length of Forest Road. Section 1 will focus on the junction of Forest Road and Blackhorse Road, at the southern end of the scheme. This junction is part of the Blackhorse Road corridor, which the council's movement strategy identifies as a key route for buses. The scheme aims to:

• reduce congestion and improve journey times for buses
• improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists
• improve air quality along the corridor.

The proposals for Section 1 include:

• widening the road to provide a dedicated bus lane
• new traffic signals at the junction
• new pedestrian crossings
• improvements to the public realm, including new trees and planting

The total cost of the project is estimated to be £11 million.

A number of options were considered for the scheme, and they are described in the Executive Decision Report - Forest Road Improvement Scheme Section 1. These included doing nothing, and a range of options with increasingly significant interventions in the road layout.

The report considered the potential equality impacts of the scheme. It found that the scheme was not likely to have a significant adverse impact on any particular group. However, the report acknowledged that some groups, such as people with disabilities and older people, may be more affected by the construction works.

The committee voted to approve the Full Business Case for Section 1 of the scheme. This will allow the council to begin detailed design and consultation on the scheme. The council will now need to secure funding for the scheme before it can proceed to construction.