Francis Road
The evolution of Francis Road demonstrates how imagination, participation and persistence can help a local high street to rise above challenging times and reclaim its role as the heart of its neighbourhood.
In 2013, Francis Road was a high street in decline. Overshadowed by the busier Leyton High Road nearby, it served a distinctly local function but was struggling to assert its purpose. Vacant and tired shop fronts, cluttered signage and neglected façades weakened its character and identity, while its connection to the surrounding neighbourhood was steadily eroding. Dominated by car parking and poor-quality public realm, the street offered little to encourage people to linger beyond making quick trips to its limited choice of shops.
JKA worked with Waltham Forest Council to reconnect residents with their high street through investment in shop fronts. Our process began with a series of six workshops inviting local primary school students to develop their own concepts for each shop. After an initial site visit together, the students produced drawings and diorama models creatively envisioning ‘ideal’ versions of each business frontage.
We then returned with the children to present their ideas to each trader. While the area’s youngest residents learned about design, citizenship, and their local high street, their parents and siblings also gained a renewed awareness of the businesses along Francis Road.
The students’ designs directly informed our proposals for shop front improvements, balancing the playful energy of their ideas with careful conservation, legible business frontages and accessible entrances. Working closely with each business owner to develop bespoke designs also provided an opportunity for traders to refine their branding and business models, maximising the impact of the Council’s investment.
The works entailed careful restoration and sympathetic additions to the existing fabric of eighteen properties along the high street. Together, works were comprehensive enough to create a critical shift in momentum on Francis Road. Well-presented shop fronts helped traditional high street services, such as a dry cleaners, a fish bar and a barbers, to attract more local custom, while renewed frontages also encouraged new businesses to occupy previously vacant units, including two pavement cafés. Over time, Francis Road developed a reputation as an attractive destination for a leisurely walk or an evening meal.
In 2016, Time Out London spotlighted the street, describing “a buzz around the neighbourhood: a leafy, largely residential street lined with newly opened bars and eateries.” Building on this perceptual shift, Waltham Forest Council incorporated Francis Road into its broader Mini Holland initiative. Following extensive consultation with residents and businesses, the Council transformed the streetscape with a shared surface public realm scheme in 2018, including timed traffic restrictions. The redesign shifted the street’s focus from vehicles to pedestrians, creating a safer, more relaxed environment for children and families, while providing businesses with opportunities for outdoor seating and pavement displays.
