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Comment: ‘The council is busy greenwashing while our streets stay polluted’

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Leytonstone resident Michelle Morgan says there is a mismatch between how Waltham Forest Council presents itself and what living in the borough is actually like

Photo by Sam van Bussel on Unsplash

Waltham Forest Council often presents itself as a progressive, environmentally conscious borough – championing cycling, increasing low traffic neighbourhoods, reducing residential parking, and implementing green infrastructure projects. But for residents living between Leytonstone and Forest Gate, particularly near Wanstead Flats and Epping Forest (London and Essex’s largest green space), the lived reality and experience is quite different.

In less than a one-mile stretch, there are approximately 60 vehicle repair garages operating – many within close proximity to homes, schools, and protected green spaces. On and just off Harrow Road alone – which leads directly into Dames Road – there are an estimated ten to 15 garages, creating a hotspot of industrial polluting activity in what should be a quiet residential area.

While small businesses should be encouraged, there are simply too many garages in what is clearly a residential zone, and the impact is now impossible to ignore.

The aim of low traffic neighbourhoods was to improve quality of life, make quieter streets, reduce air pollution and ultimately creating residential streets more pleasant to live in. However this is all negated by the presence of the garages.

The constant emission of harmful gases and pollutants most likely has a detrimental impact on air quality. This directly contradicts Waltham Forest’s public-facing green agenda. How can the council claim leadership on climate action while enabling the very activities that degrade public health and the local environment?

The issue extends beyond air quality. Streets that should compliment the beauty of Wanstead Flats have a number of illegally parked vehicles on daily basis, many abandoned or awaiting repair. Pavements are broken, road signs knocked down, and public spaces littered – not just with food wrappers and garage waste, but with discarded tyres and even urine-filled bottles left by garage customers. It paints a picture of neglect and poses real health risks.

In response, the council has introduced traffic wardens, but this is not a sustainable solution; number plates are often removed so cars car owners cannot be identified. This makes enforcement ineffective and undermines any sense of regulation or fairness — especially when residents and their visitors are being penalised for minor parking issues while commercial businesses face no real consequences.

The atmosphere in the area has shifted. What was once a calm, green, community-focused neighbourhood now feels cluttered, industrial, and poorly maintained. This is not just about aesthetics – it affects mental wellbeing, health and safety, and the overall liveability of the area.

Waltham Forest’s failure to act proactively and decisively is more than a missed opportunity – it’s a betrayal of the borough’s supposed environmental values. Instead of focusing on symbolic gestures like removing resident parking or painting bike lanes, the council should be tackling the actual causes of pollution and street degradation.

The most practical step is to support and encourage the relocation of these garages to proper industrial areas, where they can operate without harming residential life or the surrounding environment. Doing nothing continues to erode public trust and allows serious environmental and social damage to continue.

Our part of East London has the potential to be a model of how cities balance green space with urban living, but that potential is being buried – under fumes, rubbish, and council inaction.


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