Leyton Sports Ground

What is planned?

Waltham Forest Council has commissioned a design team to put together proposals for refurbishing the Grade II Listed Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut buildings at Leyton Sports Ground. 

The Council is exploring opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s full restoration. Following a two-stage marketing process, the Council is in discussions with a potential long-term operator to bring the buildings back into active use, bring investment into the site, and secure a long-term sustainable use of the buildings. This will complement the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground and support The Council’s 15-minute neighbourhood approach.

What has happened so far?

Phase 1:

• The Council joined forces with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Essex County Cricket Club to transform Leyton Sports Ground into a world-class cricket hub, following £1.7m investment into the new indoor cricket hub, hosting professional matches as well as providing local residents with even more opportunities to get involved with sport.
• The first phase of the Urban Cricket Hub opened on Wednesday 26 June 2019. The new facility includes Indoor Cricket nets, changing rooms and toilets.  

Phase 2:

• In July 2020 following additional investment from the ECB and Sport England, work was completed on the old George Mitchell Arts Block, connecting to the indoor cricket hub, to provide more indoor community space including:
  • A new club room
  • A classroom
  • Dance studio
  • Multi-purpose area
  • Changing rooms for referees and people with disabilities
  • New toilets
  • Kitchen
  • Offices
  • Additionally, new changing rooms were created for the Boxing Gym and Outdoor Cricket areas.
• In 2019, following engagement with the local community, plans were produced to refurbish the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut buildings into a food destination space, including a training kitchen (the “Real Food Hub”). A funding application made to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2019 to help pay for the cost of this work was not successful. 

Phase 3:

• In early 2021 contractors were commissioned to carry out the urgent repair works to the Grade II Listed  Cricket Pavilion building. Works included  new cast iron guttering, works to remedy water penetration, specialist internal painting of ceilings, replacement of broken tiles and damaged timber boards and beams, as well as fixing the clock.
• A number of repairs were also completed on the Tin Hut building prior to converting the building into a Covid-19 testing site in 2020.
• In 2021 the Council’s Sport and Leisure department  secured a 5-year agreement with McGuigan Gyms. This is for the daytime use of the Boxing Gym at Leyton Sports Ground, to      train world-class fighters. As part of the agreement, a new boxing ring, flooring, and equipment were installed.

Phase 4:

• The Council completed a two-stage marketing exercise to find a potential new operator for the building. The preferred operator is seeking to provide a mix of uses across the two buildings which complement and do not compete with existing uses on the site. Once the lease has been agreed following Council procedures, we will announce the operator.
• In early 2023 the Council commissioned a design team to put together proposals for refurbishing the Grade II Listed Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut buildings at Leyton Sports Ground – this work is ongoing. 

What will happen next?

We held our first stage of public engagement in summer 2023 and asked for feedback on early design proposals. This feedback will be used to help develop these ideas in the future. 

Initial analysis of the feedback has highlighted the importance of further involving young people in the engagement and exploring an offer for teenagers as well as younger children.

Since the summer, the Council have been focusing on strengthening the funding strategy for the project before progressing with further engagement and design development. 

The Council are developing a strategy as part of the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Civic Partnership Programme (CPP) that focusses on coming up with potential sitewide improvements and programming opportunities particularly for teenagers. We will be holding a series of workshops with local young people over the next few weeks to help develop these ideas, which will also be informed by the engagement carried out with the community to date. 

The strategy is required to support a funding application to the Civic Partnership Programme later in 2024. The funding that could be secured through this programme, subject to a full submission and decision by GLA, is part of the funding strategy to deliver the refurbishment of the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut building. 

The frequently asked questions below provide more details on the project. 

Frequently asked questions

GLA Civic Partnership Programme

What is the Civic Partnership Programme and how is it linked to Leyton Sports Ground?

The Civic Partnership Programme (CPP) is the Mayor of London’s new regeneration funding programme.

The Council are developing a strategy as part of the Civic Partnership Programme that focusses on coming up with potential sitewide improvements and programming opportunities, particularly for teenagers. 

We will be holding a series of workshops with local young people to help us develop these ideas, which will also be informed by the engagement carried out with the community to date. 

Will there be funding for the ideas included in the strategy?

Although funding will not be immediately available to support all the ideas in the strategy, the feedback from the young people will help us explore funding opportunities from external funding sources in the future.

The strategy is a requirement to support a funding application to the Civic Partnership Programme later in 2024. The funding that could be secured through this programme, subject to a full submission and decision by GLA, is part of the funding strategy to deliver the refurbishment of the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut buildings.

Who are you engaging with to inform the strategy?

Initial analysis of the feedback from the first stage of public engagement on the refurbishment of the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut has emphasised the need to involve young people in the engagement process and the importance of an offer for teenagers as well as younger children. 

We will be holding a series of workshops with local young people to help us develop the ideas for the strategy, which will also be informed by the engagement carried out with the community to date. 

We have been meeting with people who use the site and community groups to get their input too. 

How can I find out more?

We will provide an update on the workshops held with young people as part of the Civic Partnership Programme later this year.

If you have any questions, or run a local youth group that might be interested in taking part in the workshops contact us by emailing regeneration@walthamforest.gov.uk

You can also sign up to the mailing list for this project for the latest information when it is available. 

Refurbishing Leyton Cricket Pavilion and the Tin Hut building

What is happening at the Leyton Sports Ground?

Waltham Forest Council has made significant investment in Leyton Sports Ground in recent years, including:

• Working with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to deliver the £1.7m Urban Cricket Hub in 2019.
• Repurposing the George Mitchell Arts Block to deliver multifunctional community space in 2020; and
• Entering a five-year agreement with McGuigan Gyms for the Boxing Gym in 2021

Leyton Cricket Pavilion is a much-loved Grade II listed heritage asset. However, the building is in need of restoration, with Historic England recently including it on its Heritage At Risk Register.

The Council has made initial investment in the building, undertaking urgent repairs during 2021. The Council has since been exploring opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s full restoration to its former glory by securing a long-term viable occupier to bring it back into active use, complementing the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground and supporting The Council’s 15-minute neighbourhood approach.

Why are you doing this?

The Council has been exploring ways to bring the buildings back into active use and  opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s restoration by securing a long-term occupier that will complement the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground.

The Council is working with a potential operator whose proposals align with the Council’s core objectives for the site, and who can bring private investment and safeguard the buildings’ long-term future.

What has happened since the engagement in summer 2023?

We held our first stage of public engagement in summer 2023 and asked for feedback on early design proposals. This feedback will be used to help develop these ideas in the future. 

Since the summer, the Council have been focusing on strengthening the funding strategy for the project before progressing with further engagement and design development. 

What are the Council’s objectives for the buildings?

The Council’s objectives for the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut buildings are to:

• Create a community focal point at the heart of Leyton’s 15-minute neighbourhood
• Create a destination space complementing and contributing to the Sports Ground’s year-round programme of recreation, sport, wellbeing, food and culture
• Provide a space for independent business, supporting local skills, training and jobs
• Respond to the climate emergency by being a standout example of adaptive and efficient reuse of existing buildings, activated by partners who share the same environmental values
• Safeguard the long-term future of the heritage asset through investment and delivery of a viable long-term business plan

Why are you refurbishing the Cricket Pavilion and Tin Hut?

We are restoring an important piece of Leyton’s heritage. Both buildings need repair and alterations to enable them to be opened to public and new operator to move in. This investment is part of our wider plans to improve Council-owned properties and bring them back into use by the local community as well as improving the carbon footprint of our buildings as part of Council’s commitment to respond to the climate emergency.

What has been done already to improve Leyton Sports Ground?

Urgent works have been completed over last couple of years, including replacement of defective cast iron guttering and measures to stop water coming into the building; repairing damaged ceilings; replacement of broken roof tiles, damaged timber boards and beams.

We’ve utilised investment from Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to install heat pumps, LED lighting, insulation and secondary glazing in The Pavilion. We’ve also carried out initial surveys to understand the condition of the building and completed an options appraisal for the Pavilion and Tin Hut to inform options for the use of the buildings.

We have progressed a two-stage marketing process to identify a preferred operator.

Will any of the buildings on site be out of bounds at any stage during the project, including during the refurbishment and construction works?

We do not anticipate at this stage that access to any of the other buildings on Leyton Sports Ground (apart from the Tin Hut and Pavilion) will be affected by the refurbishment project.

The contractor will consider people who use the site when establishing their construction management plan. This will also be reviewed through the planning application process.

What improvement works will you be undertaking?

The extent of the improvement works is still to be confirmed and subject to planning and listed building consent. We anticipate the works will consist of:

• General repairs to the building
• Making the building more accessible
• Energy efficiency improvements
• Mix of internal layout changes and small extensions to both buildings to accommodate a new use
• Landscaping improvements to the space surrounding the buildings to increase biodiversity and improve resilience to climate change
• Measures to improve signage, access, and active travel to the site
• Measures to improve the heritage value of the buildings, by restoring the original elements and removing later additions to the Pavilion

What will the new use be/ who will the new operator be?

Following a two-stage marketing process the Council are in ongoing negotiations with a preferred operator - a creative management, production and technology company focused on youth and family audiences. The preferred operator is seeking to provide a mix of uses across the two buildings which complement and do not compete with existing uses on the site. The proposals include:

• A Kids Club in the Tin Hut, providing secure outdoor play space, indoor soft and adventure play, alongside craft and other activities, available as a subscription-based service. This will be a local provider rather than a franchise facility. 
• A food and drink service, alongside independent and seasonal pop-up retailers and an esports/ gaming café in the Pavilion.

Once the lease has been agreed following Council procedures, we will announce the operator.

What happened to the Real Food Hub project?

A funding application made to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2019 to help pay for the cost of work to the Grade II Listed Building was not successful.

Previous proposals for the Real Food Hub will not happen.

The Council is now exploring opportunities to fund the Pavilion’s full restoration to its former glory and secure a long-term viable occupier to bring it back into active use, complementing the wider recreational use of the Sports Ground, and support The Council’s 15-minute neighbourhood approach.

How did you select the new provider?

The new provider was selected through a robust two-stage marketing process which took place in 2022 and was supported by AND London.

The opportunity was marketed on a dedicated website and hoardings. Nine organisations entered a bid for the opportunity.

The new provider selected was considered the best final offer, meeting the Council’s key objectives and did not conflict with the current uses on site or within the immediate surroundings.

Are you selling the building?

No. The Council will continue to retain the freehold of the buildings and Sports Ground. The Sports Ground is held as a charitable trust and its recreational and sports use will be maintained.

What’s happening to the other uses on the Sports Ground?

The other existing uses will continue at the Sports Ground and the Council's proposed operator for the Pavilion and Tin Hut will complement existing activities and add to the site’s wider programme and offer. 

How can I make comments on the proposals?

The deadline for providing feedback as a part of the first stage of public engagement was in Summer 2023. There will be future opportunities to have your say on more detailed designs once these have been developed. 

We will provide an update on the workshops with young people as part of the Civic Partnership Programme later this year. 

If you have any questions about this project, you can also contact us by emailing regeneration@walthamforest.gov.uk

How can we keep updated?

Visit the Let’s Talk website for the latest project updates.