The Highams Park Planning Group is currently preparing a plan for the area. This process has involved extensive consultations with local residents and there is a strong desire in the area for a more vibrant and diverse shopping centre in Highams Park. We believe that a few carefully chosen strategic interventions would greatly improve the feel of the area.

We have seen the positive benefits that targeted investment has given to other shopping centres in the borough and our aim is to attract similar investment to Highams Park to facilitate regeneration.

We are preparing a business strategy as a supplementary document to the community plan which will include short, medium and long term goals that will aim to meet the aspirations of local people. The purpose of this application is to raise funding for some of the short-term goals that we have already identified and which we believe will assist us in achieving our longer term objectives for the area.

What we'll deliver:

• Build a HIGHAMSPark website to spread awareness of of Highams Park as a shopping and leisure destination.
• Highams Park branding – logo , livery, etc.
• "Buy from Small and Local” Highams Park bags to be designed by local artists and locally made if possible.
• Organise our own Buy It Small & Local Event for Highams Park.
• Strategically placed “decorative lighting” all year round to improve the ambience at night.
• Way-finding and signage and "Welcome to Highams Park" signs as you arrive at the station and major gateways to area.
• Finger Posts or artistic way-finding to Highams Park Lake and the forest..
• Business advice and support for retailers including visual merchandising and social media training.
• Business advice and support for retailers including visual merchandising and social media training.
• Establish a Chamber of Commerce so as to help the businesses work together towards common goals.

Why it's a great idea:

Situated on the edge of London Highams Park is the place where the City meets the forest. The shopping centre is five minute walk from the forest yet sits around a bustling train station where its position around a level crossing gives it a village feel. There is a large and attractively designed TESCO adorned with patterns by that famous local artist William Morris. Clustered nearby are a number of schools including a secondary school of over 1600 hundred pupils. The proximity of these amenities drives large footfall into Highams Park and the aim of this project is to capture this footfall better for the benefit of local businesses.

Highams Park has the potential to become a thriving, bustling Edwardian shopping village along the lines of Highgate Village in North London or Stoke Newington Church St. There is huge community will to revitalize the shopping centre. There is a real sense that Highams Park should be ‘put on the map ’ both at a local level and at a wider London level.

Steps to get it done:

• The planning group has 40 business members and we aim to create a Chamber of Commerce to bring the businesses together.
• Purchase a web domain and a locally based web-designer has agreed to assist in building the website.
• Appoint consultants to assist in, designing and, procuring installing signage and lighting.
• We have branding experts in HPPG who will design "HIGHAMSPark" bags for production in Waltham Forest (if possible).