Welcome
Welcome to our website for the redevelopment proposals for part of the existing Thames Water Depot, on Lea Bridge Road, within Lea Valley Regional Park.
We are currently developing proposals to build a secure children’s home on the site. This facility will provide residential care for highly vulnerable children with complex needs. Currently, there is no facility of this kind in London and there is a severe shortage of provision nationally.
Following an assessment of sites across London, part of the existing Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road has been identified as the only suitable location to build this facility.
Following an assessment of sites across London, part of the existing Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road has been identified as the only suitable location to build this facility.
The proposals on this website have been developed in continuing consultation with planning officers in the London Borough of Waltham Forest (LBWF) as part of the pre-application (pre-app) process.
The purpose of this website is to share our initial plans for the site’s redevelopment and provide the local community an opportunity to provide feedback.
The purpose of this website is to share our initial plans for the site’s redevelopment and provide the local community an opportunity to provide feedback.
WHAT IS A SECURE CHILDREN’S HOME?
Secure children’s homes provide specialist and tailored residential care for highly vulnerable children in a safe environment.
They are for boys and girls aged between 10 and 17 and include education and healthcare provision.
Secure children’s homes provide two types of placements.
Children who need a secure welfare placement are likely to have:
These proposals are for a secure children’s home that will provide welfare placements only.
In a secure children’s home, children are not permitted to leave the facility unless escorted. There is a statutory framework that ensures the lawful and appropriate use of secure children’s homes.
Our proposals will also provide community reintegration accommodation.
They are for boys and girls aged between 10 and 17 and include education and healthcare provision.
Secure children’s homes provide two types of placements.
- Welfare placements are used by local authorities when no other type of placement can keep a child safe.
- Some secure children’s homes provide youth custody placements.
Children who need a secure welfare placement are likely to have:
- suffered a great deal of trauma in their lives;
- unmet emotional, mental and physical health needs;
- experienced a lot of instability and
- missed a significant amount of education.
These proposals are for a secure children’s home that will provide welfare placements only.
In a secure children’s home, children are not permitted to leave the facility unless escorted. There is a statutory framework that ensures the lawful and appropriate use of secure children’s homes.
Our proposals will also provide community reintegration accommodation.
Latest news...
October 2025
Waltham Forest’s capital delivery team will soon start working with London Councils to progress the proposals to build a much needed-secure children’s home on the Thames Water Depot, Lea Bridge Road. This was agreed by Waltham Forest’s cabinet on 7 October 2025 .
The new capital delivery team will continue developing the design proposals ahead of further consultation with residents, local community groups and other key stakeholders and before a planning application is submitted.
The development and implementation of the operational arrangements, including the appointment of the organisations that will run the provision, will continue to be managed by London Councils.
The new timeline for the next round of consultation and the timeline for planning application submission will be shared once these have been established.
The new capital delivery team will continue developing the design proposals ahead of further consultation with residents, local community groups and other key stakeholders and before a planning application is submitted.
The development and implementation of the operational arrangements, including the appointment of the organisations that will run the provision, will continue to be managed by London Councils.
The new timeline for the next round of consultation and the timeline for planning application submission will be shared once these have been established.
August 2025
In August 2024, stakeholders were advised that the planning application for this proposed development would be delayed due to the need for further design development. Stakeholders were also advised that there would be a review of the project delivery approach in partnership with the Department for Education.
An outcome of that review is a proposal for LB Waltham Forest’s capital delivery team to join the project. The council’s capital delivery team are responsible for delivering physical infrastructure projects, including housing, schools, and other buildings within the borough. This proposal is subject to approval by the council’s cabinet and this has been published on the council’s forward plan. The intention is for cabinet to make a decision on this proposal on 9 September 2025, although this date is subject to change.
Should cabinet approve this proposal, the council’s capital delivery team will start working with London Councils to deliver this much needed secure children’s home on behalf of London local authorities.
It is important to note that, subject to cabinet approval, the role of LB Waltham Forest’s capital delivery team would be to lead the design and construction of the building - there are currently no plans for the council to run the new provision. The development and implementation of the operational arrangements, including the appointment of the organisations that will run the provision, will continue to be managed by London Councils. Additionally, delivering the proposed secure children’s home is still subject to planning permission.
A further update will be published on this website once the council’s cabinet decision is confirmed.
An outcome of that review is a proposal for LB Waltham Forest’s capital delivery team to join the project. The council’s capital delivery team are responsible for delivering physical infrastructure projects, including housing, schools, and other buildings within the borough. This proposal is subject to approval by the council’s cabinet and this has been published on the council’s forward plan. The intention is for cabinet to make a decision on this proposal on 9 September 2025, although this date is subject to change.
Should cabinet approve this proposal, the council’s capital delivery team will start working with London Councils to deliver this much needed secure children’s home on behalf of London local authorities.
It is important to note that, subject to cabinet approval, the role of LB Waltham Forest’s capital delivery team would be to lead the design and construction of the building - there are currently no plans for the council to run the new provision. The development and implementation of the operational arrangements, including the appointment of the organisations that will run the provision, will continue to be managed by London Councils. Additionally, delivering the proposed secure children’s home is still subject to planning permission.
A further update will be published on this website once the council’s cabinet decision is confirmed.
August 2024
Delivering a secure children’s home in London remains a key priority for London boroughs and the Department for Education as there is still a national shortage of welfare placements in secure children’s homes and currently there is no service of this kind in London. This means London’s most vulnerable children are waiting several months for a placement, and these are usually hundreds of miles away – far from their families, carers, friends and other people that are important to them. By keeping these children closer to us, here in London, we can provide them with greater support when they are ready to leave secure care and settle back into the community.
Since launching the public pre application consultation on our proposal to deliver a secure children’s home on the Thames Water Depot, a great deal of work has been done to develop our design proposals so that they reflect the views of the local community, local planning authority and other key stakeholders.
We were planning to run a second round of consultation and then submit a planning application by the end of September ’24. This will now be delayed due to the need for further design development and the need to review the project delivery approach in partnership with the Department for Education. We are doing this to give this complex project and our future planning application the greatest chance of success.
We will share the new timelines for the project, including planning application submission once a new date has been established.
Since launching the public pre application consultation on our proposal to deliver a secure children’s home on the Thames Water Depot, a great deal of work has been done to develop our design proposals so that they reflect the views of the local community, local planning authority and other key stakeholders.
We were planning to run a second round of consultation and then submit a planning application by the end of September ’24. This will now be delayed due to the need for further design development and the need to review the project delivery approach in partnership with the Department for Education. We are doing this to give this complex project and our future planning application the greatest chance of success.
We will share the new timelines for the project, including planning application submission once a new date has been established.