Upton Lane Public Realm Scheme

The Upton Lane Public Realm Scheme is part of Newham Council’s ambitious Levelling Up projects, backed by nearly £40 million from the government. These projects are dedicated to transforming high streets into vibrant, healthy, and accessible spaces where residents can conveniently reach daily essentials within a 15-minute walk or cycle. The scheme also aligns with Newham’s 50 Steps to a Healthier Newham strategy, striving for a cleaner, greener, and safer community.

Key Improvements in Upton Lane

Disraeli Walk Enhancements

Partnering with Clapton Community Football Club, this project includes:

• 8 new trees and 95m2 of additional planting beds.
• Enhanced lighting and CCTV for safety.
• Improved footpaths and fencing.
• Removal of illegal parking outside The Old Spotted Dog pub.

These enhancements promote safer walking and cycling, reduce traffic, and improve air quality, contributing to Newham’s vision for sustainable travel and dynamic public spaces.

Supporting Local Businesses

Over the past year, we’ve collaborated closely with Upton Lane businesses to:

• Conduct a comprehensive parking review.
• Establish a business district forum.
• Create a business directory to showcase Upton Lane’s unique offerings.

Community Engagement Highlights

We have also undertaken community engagement activities, which have included:

• Door-to-door business visits and follow-up engagements.
• Workshops at The Gate Library.
• A public survey assessing matchday impacts of Clapton Football Club games.

This engagement led to clear calls for consistent parking regulations, improved enforcement, and new solutions for deliveries, EV charging, and local delivery services. In response, Newham Council has proposed changes to parking bay rules to better serve both visitors and residents. 

Proposed Parking Bay Review

The illustration below depicts proposed parking bay changes based on the objectives as follows:

• Consolidate a variety of differing short stay times to make it easier and clearer for visitors to park, by making all bays 1 hour stays.
• Define dedicated short stay parking nearer to businesses to reduce traffic on side roads.
• Define dedicated loading areas to support businesses with deliveries and the sale of larger goods items.
• Improve enforcement in the area with the introduction of pay by phone.
• Pay by phone also allows visitors and customers to stay longer if needed.
• Improve residential parking capacity on the side roads.

Proposed Parking Bay Changes

Fig. Proposed parking bay changes

Tracking Progress

To measure success, we will monitor:

• Increased public transport, walking, and cycling usage.
• Community satisfaction via pre- and post-project surveys.
• Pedestrian activity to identify popular routes and gathering spots.

In addition to gathering local views, the Council will also collect data through parking stress surveys, traffic counts, kerbside studies, and incident reviews to further inform and improve Upton Lane's accessibility and safety.

Get Involved

Your feedback is essential in shaping Upton Lane's future. If you have any questions, we are here to help. To find out more and share your feedback:

• Complete the survey below to share your thoughts.
• Attend the community drop-in events for residents and businesses to talk to our team about the proposals and ask any questions. Please do join us on:

DROP-IN 1: Saturday 16th November - 10am-1pm at the Emmanuel Parish Church, Romford Road, Newham, E7 8BD

DROP-IN 2: Tuesday 19th November - 3pm-7pm at the Ridley Christian Centre, 94 Upton Lane, Newham, E7 9LW

For more information on the Upton Lane Improvements contact us at: LUF.uptonlane@newham.gov.uk