Find out more about our updated proposals and the submitted planning application.
Find out more about our updated proposals and the submitted planning application.
The proposals have been shaped to respond to the changing character of the area and to sit comfortably within the wider regeneration of Blackhorse Lane, connecting with existing development to the south and emerging neighbourhoods to the north.
A Stage 2B masterplan is now being progressed for the Southern Sub Area in collaboration with the London Borough of Waltham Forest and the GLA which will supplement the Stage 2A work.
Fusion Group is a leading UK developer and operator of student accommodation, with a strong track record of delivering high-quality homes and vibrant student communities in cities across the country.
Founded in 2013, the company has completed 17 sites across the UK, delivering over 8,000 homes for students., with other major schemes in London including Brent Cross Town, Wood Green and Canada Water.
Fusion is driven by a focus on high-quality design and long-term management, creating well-run places that support strong communities. For Blackhorse Lane, Fusion is working with an experienced team of architects, planners and technical consultants to bring forward a high-quality mixed-use development for Waltham Forest.
The proposals we have now submitted are the product of an extensive, two year programme of engagement with the London Borough of Waltham Forest, the Greater London Authority, local stakeholders and the community. We are grateful to everyone who has taken part.
Since pre-application discussions began in December 2024, the team has worked with the Council, design review panels and the local community. This has helped refine the balance of uses across the site, as well as the approach to public realm, servicing, building heights and massing, ensuring the proposals respond to the emerging Stage 2B masterplan for the wider area.
The submitted proposals will deliver:
758 homes for students
62 social rent homes
963 sqm of flexible affordable workspace.
The workspace has been designed to support the Blackhorse Collective: Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ), providing space for local makers, designers, artists, small manufacturers and creative businesses, with clearer entrances, improved servicing and stronger connections to the surrounding public spaces.
Since we shared our designs at the public consultation in March, we have continued to evolve our designs. Key changes are as follows:
The layout has also been refined to improve the relationship with existing homes on Champness Close. The affordable workspace was repositioned between the affordable housing and student accommodation buildings, increasing separation from neighbouring homes and helping to address privacy and overlooking while creating a more active frontage.
The final proposals include more than 3,600 sqm of publicly accessible open space (equivalent to over 13 tennis courts) with new planting, play, seating and improved walking and cycling connections.
The Central Green Spine will create a new route between Priestley Way and Canal Walk, while Maker’s Way will combine a dedicated Maker’s Yard with a new Pocket Park. Along the western edge, a new landscaped route alongside Dagenham Brook will open up a previously inaccessible part of the site and strengthen connections with the Wetlands.
The scale and form of the buildings have been refined through detailed testing and two Design Review Panel sessions. This included introducing a clearer gap between the buildings facing the Wetlands and refining the tower to create a more balanced and coherent composition.
The architecture uses red and light-grey brickwork, bronze-toned detailing and sawtooth roof forms, drawing on the site’s industrial past and the history of the former Empire Works and Micanite works.
We have also upgraded our proposals for the social rent homes which are now proposed as all-electric, with no gas connection and heating and hot water provided through air-source heat pumps. The scheme also follows a fabric-first approach, alongside new planting, sustainable drainage and biodiversity improvements across the site.
All application documents, including the Design and Access Statement, plans and supporting reports, can be viewed on the London Borough of Waltham Forest’s planning portal.
Access the documents and planning application here.
If you have any questions about the proposals, please get in touch with the project team using the contact details below.
Thank you to everyone who attended our webinar and took the time to join the discussion. Please find below the presentation that was shared during the webinar, which provides an update on the submitted proposals and how the scheme has evolved. You can view the presentation below.
We’re pleased to confirm that Fusion Group’s planning application for the redevelopment of Unit 10–12 Forest Trading Estate, Priestley Way, has now been submitted and validated by the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Application reference: 262056
You can view the full application, including all supporting documents, plans and reports, and follow its progress on the Council’s planning portal using the link below.
Access the documents and planning application here
Thank you to everyone who attended our public exhibition, completed our survey or got in touch with the project team, your feedback has helped shape the proposals now submitted.
