Waltham Forest

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Comparisons

Compare Waltham Forest's overall performance against other boroughs

Waltham Forest is highlighted particularly in the relevant indicators listed on the right. In addition, data for all boroughs feature in the indicators below:

Borough profile

The London Borough of Waltham Forest was formed in 1965 from the former municipal boroughs of Chingford, Leyton and Walthamstow, all of which were transferred from Essex to Greater London. Situated on the Northeast of London, this outer London borough is bordered by Enfield and "Haringey"http://www.londonspovertyprofile.org.uk/indicators/boroughs/haringey/ to the west, Hackney and Newham to the south, Redbridge to the East and the Essex district of Epping Forest to the north. Epping Forest in the east and the River Lee in the west form two green corridors, passing into London from the surrounding countryside.

The Borough reached its maximum size in 1938 but experienced an increasingly rapid decline from the 1950s and has now reduced by nearly a quarter to an estimated 222,000 people in 2007. There have been comparatively modest population increases in recent years. Despite this, the relatively small size of the borough means that it is one of the most densely populated areas in London – which is all the more surprising given that a fifth of the borough, mostly towards the north end, is made up of forestland, reservoirs, open space, parks and playing fields. This points to the contrast in land use in the borough, from protected land, to built up residental developments to a number of industrial and commercial premises in south and central areas. The main centres of population in the borough are Chingford in the north, Walthamstow in the centre and Leyton and Leytonstone to the south.

Waltham Forest is also notable for its fast changing ethnic composition. From a white population of 74.4% in 1991, this group now constitutes around 63% of the borough’s population. The largest ethnic minority groups in Waltham Forest are Black Carribeans, Pakistanis and Black Africans. Waltham Forest has the fifth largest Muslim population in England and the third largest in London (after its neighbouring boroughs, Newham and Tower Hamlets). By 2031, Waltham Forest is projected to have a BME proportion of between 45-50%.

In common with its neighbours in the Outer East of London, the level of deprivation in Waltham Forest, as measured by the proportion of adults claiming out of work benefits, has risen in the last decade. At around 18%, this rate is the 8th highest in London. Even before the recession, the rate had not changed much from the start of the decade, whereas the deprived areas of Inner London had all seen significant decreases.

LB Waltham Forest council website

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