Connecting and improving the St James Quarter

In January 2023, the government announced that a £17.2m bid submitted by the Council to improve Walthamstow was successful. The funds will be used for projects that unlock Walthamstow’s potential as an inclusive, safe, and welcoming cultural destination, as part of the ‘Walthamstow: Culture for All’ programme.

Part of the government funding will be used to upgrade public spaces on the High Street, Hoe Street, and St James Street. Residents will see an increase in walking space, new signage, street lighting, public art, additional greenery, and street furniture.

In St James, the funding will be used to improve public spaces, making them better connected and enhance its cultural and heritage assets. Scroll down to find out more or visit the Let's Talk Walthamstow website.

This public artwork by Albert Clegg from Bud Studio’s sits on St James Path which links Brunner Road and Courtenay Place.

The mural is inspired by Walthamstow High Street, the market and the people who live in the area. It’s opposite the new Jazz Yard development and is the beginning of a programme of works to create safer and more welcoming gateways to the town centre.

Opportunities for new artwork involving the local community are also under review in Courtenay Place.

Waltham Forest Council are seeking to transform the public spaces at Courtenay Place and St James Path. Our goal is to enhance the area, making it safer, more inclusive, more active, and greener for the local community, as well as improving the experience for bus passengers and users of the St James Station.

Improvement works to St James Path will include new paving, lighting, and planting.

Courtenay Place will be reimagined to create a new public space with connections to St James Overground, St James Path, and High Street through the site. Proposals include new paving, lighting, seating, and planting to improve the appearance, safety, inclusivity, and accessibility of the space, to make the space more pedestrian friendly.

Site works to improve St James Path started in early 2025, with works at Courtenay Place to start later in the year.
 

Indicative artist impression of the proposed improvement works at St James Overground. Image credit: Feix & Merlin

A strategic review of railway arches is currently being undertaken to explore opportunities in the borough to create spaces for local businesses and revitalise these heritage assets. This includes an ongoing feasibility study to highlight opportunities to open and improve the railway arches at Courtenay Place.

As part of this, a planning application was submitted and approved at planning committee in March 2025 for the conversion of 16 arches which sit beneath the St James Overground Station for town centre uses such as offices, workshops, shops, small food and drink establishments and other small-scale business use.

The number and extent of improvement works to the arches is dependent on the results of ongoing surveys, discussions with rail providers and landowners, and availability of funding. If possible, works to the arches will occur in phases following the landscaping upgrades, and start with a small number of arches.