Support a School Street on Handsworth Avenue!

Dear fellow neighbour,

We are a local action group made up of parents and residents in Highams Park. We are becoming increasingly concerned about the traffic issues on Handsworth Avenue that our children navigate their way through every day.

Thanks to recent pressure and campaigning from the community, Waltham Forest Council are now running a consultation with a view to introducing a ‘School Street’ on Handsworth Avenue. Crucially, they have changed their policy and a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) is no longer required.

Read on to find out more…

The problem

Every morning and afternoon, school drop-offs and pick-ups turn the area into a stressful and dangerous place. Handsworth Avenue becomes clogged with cars, leading to risky driving and aggressive behavior that we and our children have witnessed. The high number of vehicles also worsens air quality, creating long-term health risks, especially for young lungs. This situation makes the environment unsafe for both our children and ourselves. With over 1,900 children attending two schools and a nursery, we need positive change.

Imagine a street free of traffic, where children can walk to school safely without cars and pollution!

  • “We strongly believe that implementing a School Street is a crucial step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of our children and creating a more sustainable and child-friendly community. We welcome that it can be done without the need for a CPZ. ”

    Claire Nairne – Headteacher Handsworth Primary School

  • “I dread turning onto Handsworth Avenue in the mornings with my kids. They shouldn’t have to put up with the volume of traffic we’re experiencing.”

    Bright Horizons nursery parent

  • “In the morning and afternoon this road is a nightmare, blocked most of the time due to the traffic. It makes the pedestrian crossing dangerous when taking the kids to school”

    Handsworth Avenue resident

What can be done?

A ‘School Street’ briefly closes the street to traffic at the start and end of the school day (8:00am - 9:00am and 2:40pm - 3:40pm) during term time, Monday to Friday, creating a safer, healthier, calmer environment for all residents and users of the street.

FIND OUT MORE

How do we get a School Street?

School Streets are put in place through a local consultation which is now live. Residents and parents should have received a document from the council outlining the School Street plan. Please complete the questionnaire and return it before Sunday 15 March 2026, or email your support to schoolstreets@walthamforest.gov.uk, including your name, address, and whether you are a parent of a child in the nursery, primary, or secondary school. Thank you!

Alternatively, click on the button below for a pre-written email ready to go. Just fill in your name and address at the bottom of the message before hitting send.

Email your support