Waltham Forest Green Council Removes Modal Filter in Chingford Mount 2026

Key Points

• Waltham Forest Council has officially removed a experimental modal filter between Cherrydown Avenue and Albert Crescent in Chingford Mount.
• The traffic restriction was initially introduced in June 2025 under an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) by the previous Labour administration.
• Following the May local elections, the Green Party took control of the north-east London borough council, taking over from Labour.
• Council officials cited strong opposition from local residents, businesses, and councillors as primary reasons for removing the scheme.
• Feedback from local traders indicated operational issues regarding deliveries, customer access, and staff parking, although collected council data showed no adverse commercial impact.
• Transport for London (TfL) was unable to reconfigure local bus stops and services within the project’s budget and timeframe, contributing to the scheme’s cancellation.
• Member of Parliament Sir Iain Duncan Smith welcomed the reopening, stating the scheme caused business disruption and increased journey times.
• Cycling advocates, including the London Cycling Campaign, expressed strong concern, calling the decision a worrying start for the new administration’s active travel policy.
• Council spokespersons confirmed there are no plans to remove any other modal filters within the borough.

Waltham Forest Council (East London Times) October 15, 2026 – Waltham Forest Council has taken the decision to remove a key modal filter in Chingford Mount following widespread opposition from local residents, business owners, and elected representatives, marking a notable policy shift for the newly elected administration.

Why Has Waltham Forest’s Green Council Decision Taken Down the Chingford Mount Traffic Restriction?

The Green-run Waltham Forest Council confirmed the removal of the motor vehicle restriction situated between Cherrydown Avenue and Albert Crescent. The modal filter was originally installed in June 2025 by the borough’s former Labour administration through an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO). At the time of its installation, municipal authorities stated that the trial was intended to address ongoing community concerns regarding traffic volume, vehicle speeds, and local environmental impacts, while encouraging walking, cycling, and public transport usage across Chingford Mount.

However, clarifying the original purpose of the trial, a council spokesperson stated that the experimental restriction was not implemented in response to specific safety concerns, explaining that the experiment was one part of a wider piece of work in the area that will create new planting areas, landscaping, signage, and seating to benefit residents and visitors.

When addressing questions regarding potential traffic displacement caused by the barrier, the spokesperson noted that municipal monitoring recorded only minor changes to traffic flows in the immediate Cherrydown Avenue vicinity and surrounding road networks.

What Impact Did the Experimental Traffic Order Have on Local Businesses and Residents?

Despite official monitoring indicating minimal traffic displacement, feedback gathered from the local community presented a starkly different perspective. Council representatives acknowledged that feedback from residents and local businesses reported increases in traffic congestion and accessibility in the ETO area and in surrounding streets.

While official data gathered by local authorities during the trial period did not demonstrate adverse impacts on local businesses, operational challenges were frequently cited by the commercial sector. A council spokesperson acknowledged that several local businesses reported operational impacts on their deliveries and on customer and staff parking.

In addition to local community feedback, structural and logistical challenges involving public transport infrastructure contributed significantly to the decision to dismantle the restriction. According to municipal officials, for the ETO to succeed it would be necessary for Transport for London to reconfigure some stops and services. Unfortunately, a solution to achieve this could not be arranged within the programme budget and timeframe, and so a decision was made to remove the ETO and focus resources on the rest of the environmental upgrades.

Council officials confirmed that pedestrian and cycling counts were regularly monitored in the trial area throughout the experiment, though specific statistical findings from these counts were not made public. Officials stressed that the council is not planning to remove any other modal filters in the borough.

How Have Local Politicians and Campaigners Reacted to the Removal?

The decision to reopen Cherrydown Avenue to through traffic has drawn strong, contrasting reactions from political figures and transport campaigners.

Welcoming the reopening of the road, Chingford and Woodford Green Member of Parliament Sir Iain Duncan Smith publicly praised the council’s reversal. Speaking on social media, Sir Iain Duncan Smith stated that after months of campaigning against this revenue-driven Traffic Management Order, he was pleased that the council had finally listened to concerns and reopened Cherrydown Avenue to traffic. The former Conservative Party leader further commented that the temporary closure of Cherrydown Avenue from Albert Crescent led to longer journey times, reduced footfall for businesses on the Mount, and significant disruption across the wider community, adding that it was clear the scheme did not work and that reopening the avenue will help ease congestion, improve access for residents, and support local businesses.

Conversely, active travel advocacy groups expressed deep concern over the removal of the infrastructure. As reported by local transport correspondents, Simon Munk, Head of Campaigns and Community Development at the London Cycling Campaign, stated that while it is early days for the new council in Waltham Forest, this is a worrying start for action on motor vehicle use, road danger, active travel and climate emissions.

Elaborating on the broader implications for the borough, Simon Munk stated that the scheme was clearly aimed to reduce cut-through traffic between two main roads in an area where far too little has been done on these issues for decades. He noted that the scheme was far too small and timid, but even then was attacked by some local politicians, traders and residents, which would make it harder for the council to deliver any bolder schemes in Chingford going forward despite a clear need for them.

Background to the Chingford Mount Traffic Infrastructure Development

Waltham Forest has long been recognised as a pioneering local authority in low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) infrastructure and active travel schemes across North East London. Under the previous Labour administration, which governed the borough for many years, Waltham Forest rolled out extensive modal filters, cycle tracks, and pedestrianisation schemes—most notably through its flagship “Enjoy Waltham Forest” (originally Mini-Holland) initiative. These programmes aimed to drastically cut motor vehicle journeys, lower urban carbon emissions, and reduce road casualties.

However, political dynamics in the borough shifted significantly during the May local elections, when the Green Party won control of Waltham Forest Council, ending years of Labour governance. Environmental advocates initially expected the incoming Green administration to preserve and accelerate active travel infrastructure across all parts of the borough.

The modal filter on Cherrydown Avenue had been introduced during the final year of Labour rule in June 2025 under an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO), a statutory mechanism permitting local authorities to test traffic management schemes in real-time conditions before deciding whether to make them permanent. The scheme formed part of a broader regeneration initiative funded via the Local Regeneration Fund (formerly known as the Levelling Up Fund), intended to enhance town centre environments in Chingford Mount.

Prediction: How This Development May Affect Local Residents, Businesses, and Transport Policy

The removal of the Cherrydown Avenue modal filter is likely to have immediate and long-term implications for various groups across Waltham Forest:

• Local Businesses and Traders: Business owners in Chingford Mount can expect an immediate restoration of standard delivery access and customer parking arrangements. The reopening may ease short-term delivery logistics and alleviate fears of declining footfall, though overall high street retail performance will remain dependent on broader economic conditions and planned town centre upgrades.
• Motorists and Local Residents: Drivers using Cherrydown Avenue and Albert Crescent will experience direct through-route access, reducing journey times for short vehicular trips across Chingford Mount. However, the return of motor traffic may reintroduce higher vehicle volumes and localized congestion onto residential streets that had briefly seen reduced cut-through traffic.
• Pedestrians and Cyclists: Active travel users in Chingford Mount will face a return to mixed-traffic conditions on Cherrydown Avenue. The absence of a physical modal filter means cyclists must once again negotiate through-traffic, potentially discouraging less confident cyclists, children, and elderly residents from using active travel options in the area.
• Borough-Wide Active Travel Policy: This decision establishes a pragmatic precedent for the Green-led administration, demonstrating a willingness to adjust or dismantle active travel measures when confronted with strong local pushback or budgetary constraints with external partners like Transport for London. While the council maintains that no other modal filters are slated for removal, future active travel proposals in outer-borough areas like Chingford may encounter altered public expectations and increased scrutiny from both pro-cycling groups and motoring advocates.