About Waltham Forest
Borough Profile
Waltham Forest is a borough of contrasts. Edged by Epping Forest to the north, it boasts large open spaces with leafy, suburban, residential areas. In the south and central areas, Waltham Forest has a number of industrial and commercial premises, with residential property close by. Around 57,800 people work in the borough and it has a young population with just over 26% aged under 24. This is higher than the London average and is slowly increasing. London’s success in winning the 2012 Olympics means Waltham Forest will benefit from new business investment and opportunities for local people over the coming years with its close proximity to the main Olympic site in Stratford.
For the London Borough of Waltham Forest visit www.walthamforest.gov.uk
Key Statistics
|
Population (LB Waltham Forest) |
226,000 |
Employment (16-74 yrs) (ONS) |
67.8% |
|
Ethnicity - Non White (LB Waltham Forest) |
44% |
Unemployment (16-74 yrs) (ONS) |
7.8% |
|
No. of Businesses (ONS 2006) |
5,180 |
Average London Wage Rate (NOMIS) |
£580.90 |
|
Area in Hectares (Ordnance Survey) |
3,878 |
Waltham Forest Wage Rate (NOMIS) |
£469.40 |
Transport
Served by both the Victoria and Central Underground lines and numerous overground rail services, access into central London, the City and the rejuvenated Docklands area is fast and convenient. Reaching other parts of London and the UK is also easy with main routes passing through the borough including the A406 orbital and the A12, which links up with the M25. London's Stansted, Heathrow, Luton and City airports are also easily accessible.
Largest Employment Sectors
|
Employee Jobs by industry |
Jobs |
% |
|
Manufacturing |
4,700 |
8.1 |
|
Construction |
2,200 |
3.8 |
|
Services |
50,800 |
88.0 |
|
Distribution, hotels & restaurants |
15,100 |
26.2 |
|
Transport & communications |
1,800 |
3.1 |
|
Finance, IT, other business activities |
10,500 |
18.1 |
|
Public admin, education & health |
19,500 |
33.7 |
|
Other services |
4,000 |
7.0 |
|
Tourism-related |
4,500 |
7.8 |
Education
The Borough has 87 nursery, primary and secondary schools together with 3 colleges - Leyton Sixth Form College, Sir George Monoux Sixth Form and Waltham Forest College. There are training projects running in the area such as Communitas EU Limited, which is designed to help employees in the borough improve their skills and proficiency levels.
Housing
67% of housing in Waltham Forest is privately owned. There is a high proportion (41.5%) of terraced housing, with quite a high number of purpose built flats. It is the 5th most affordable borough in London in terms of house prices (Land Registry Q3 2005).
Entertainment/Recreation
