From October to December last year Waltham Forest Council spearheaded an innovative partnership, working alongside the Metropolitan Police to reduce the level of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour (ASB), targeting Walthamstow’s High Street and St James Street ward, called Operation Langdale.
Initial evidence suggests that Operation Langdale and St James Street pilot helped to achieve a reduction in serious violence. In the four months from October 2018 to January 2019, there was a reduction of 60 per cent in GBH and Wounding (in contrast for the same offences, as seen in previous years).
After peaking in 2018, there is also now a reduction in the number of knife crime offences across the borough. In the last six months (September to February) there were 33 fewer knife crimes with injury compared to the same period in the previous year – a decrease of 38 per cent.
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The Anti-Social Behavoiur (ASB) Team is continuing to carry out joint patrols with the police at this location tackling street based ASB and nuisance.
The Neighbourhoods Team has done some successful work in St James Street, particularly getting Network Rail to clear severe littering and overgrown vegetation on their land in an alleyway used by residents as a short cut and to get to a GP surgery.
Waltham Forest Council’s Housing Team has done maintenance work on some trees in the gardens of some of their properties, so that the CCTV camera and lighting is no longer blocked.
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You may have noticed that works to prepare the former car park site for Crate St James have started.
The custom-built crates are being prepared off site ready to be lifted into place. The first crates will be lifted into place on Tuesday 2 April and then deliveries will be made each Wednesday until all 32 work spaces are in place.
It is expected that trading will start in June.
Local brewery Pillars has now been granted a licence and will be operating a small bar from one of the new crate units, with first floor terrace space.
Applications for businesses wishing to occupy one of the 32 work spaces available closed on Sunday 31 March 2019 and there have been more than 500 enquiries from businesses.
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In January 2019, Waltham Forest Council's Cabinet approved a programme to identify a preferred option for redevelopment of the St James’ Quarter.
Work on options will be taking place during the spring and summer with the aim of presenting an options analysis and a recommended preferred option report to Cabinet in the autumn.
The Council is continuing to have discussions about re-providing the existing St James Surgery in a new, purpose-built Health and Care Hub.
When further information on the preferred option is available, this will be shared with local residents and businesses.
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