We are delighted that our Labour council has secured £8.4 million from the government for Chingford.

This money has been won to deliver our plans for a Child-Friendly Chingford. When faced with £120 million of budget cuts we have been innovative and used every tool at our disposal to secure investment for our residents. We are as ambitious for residents in Chingford, as the rest of the borough. Our three winning bids for Leyton, Walthamstow and Chingford total £40 million.

To make these projects even more successful, we have added £1.9 million to these projects, making the total amount for Chingford £10.3 million.

I am really pleased that the council did not abandon all hope when our bid was initially rejected and officers were persistent in securing this money for our residents. We are also delighted that even Sir Iain Duncan Smith praised the plans and provided a letter of support for our bid. We will now work with residents and local stakeholders to make this a success using our new 15-minute neighbourhoods’ approach.

The money will be used to bring new facilities to Memorial Park including a community café, public toilets, and a large climbing net. Additionally, Memorial Park, Chase Lane Park and Rolls Park will see new sports facilities for residents.

Chingford Mount town centre will benefit from more greenery and public art to make the area safer and more inclusive for children and young people. The design process will be interactive and engage residents to ensure they are valued and heard.

Higham’s Park will see fantastic new retail spaces for start-ups and small businesses. The area will see works to repave the high street, new rain gardens to reduce the risk from flooding, and more street-lighting to help people feel safe. A new raised crossing will make it easier to access the Town centre from the nearby Aldriche Estate.

We believe that a 15 min neighbourhoods vision, working with residents to shape and improve their local areas, is the right one. We are pleased that the government agrees that this is the best approach for Chingford and has awarded us money to work with residents to improve Chingford Mount, Highams Park and South Chingford’s local parks.