Despite two separate petitions, and a motion passed on the London Assembly, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declined to reconnect Waltham Abbey to the TfL bus network.
At the London Assembly in February, Emma Best AM submitted our petition to the Mayor of London on behalf of the Mayor of Waltham Abbey (Cllr Shane Yerrell), as well as a similar petition calling for the extension of routes 215/379, led by Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP and Cllr Sazimet Palta-Imre.
Emma Best AM also raised a motion on the London Assembly calling on TfL to restore London Buses between the neighbouring towns of Chingford and Waltham Abbey by extending routes 215 and/or 379 to at least Waltham Abbey Town Centre.
The motion was agreed unanimously, with 11 votes in favour and no votes against, with cross-party support from the Conservatives, Greens, and Liberal Democrats.
Andy Lord, Sadiq Khan's Commissioner of Transport for London, responded to the London Assembly motion on 11th March. We were extremely disappointed with his response, which we commented on in our last petition update.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has since responded to our petition. His response mirrors that of his TfL commissioner (and uses much of the same wording), declining to reinstate any bus links to Waltham Abbey. Both responses demonstrate that neither the Mayor nor TfL have properly engaged with the specific demands and key information presented in the petition. The factual inaccuracies, lack of understanding, and dismissive tone are, frankly, an insult to the residents of this area.
The Mayor and TfL incorrectly claim that all services between Chingford and Waltham Abbey ceased in 2015 due to "passenger demand." In fact, the 505 service continued—albeit limited—until 2021 when it was withdrawn due to new TfL bus regulations. They also neglect to mention the numerous London bus routes, such as the 242 and 205, that historically provided reliable services along this route.
Despite our petition and the London Assembly's motion calling for the extension of routes 215 and/or 379 to "at least" Waltham Abbey Town Centre, the Mayor and TfL only mention a limited three-mile extension for the 215, ignoring any discussion about route 379 or the potential benefits of extending services to Waltham Cross - an interchange operated by TfL - which would greatly improve interchange options.
Both responses state that TfL believes passenger usage of this limited three-mile extension of the 215 each way to Waltham Abbey “would be relatively low”, citing the “low population density between Lea Valley Campsite and Waltham Abbey”. Along this “low population density” section of Sewardstone Road are key places of employment, including the care homes at Ashbrook Court and 1 Sewardstone Close, who have endorsed this petition, and whose staff, residents and families are desperate to see London Buses along this stretch restored, as well as leisure facilities and other local businesses, including pubs, restaurants and a hotel.
London Buses route 465 (Kingston to Dorking) includes vast rural sections, covering the villages of Westhumble, Mickleham, and Malden Rushett, all with population densities comparable to that of the 1.6 mile rural stretch between Lee Valley Campsite and Gunpowder Park. The low population density along this particular section of Sewardstone Road does not negate the urgent need for frequent, reliable public transport between Chingford and Waltham Abbey.
The total lack of public transport between Chingford and Waltham Abbey, in stark contrast to the frequent London bus service historically provided, is harming local people and businesses on both sides of the GLA boundary.
Both Khan and TfL finalise their responses by inaccurately describing the available public transport options, stating “We understand the concerns raised by residents that travel between Chingford and Waltham Abbey requires an interchange for example between route 313 and route 279 or a train, but I hope that this information assures you and that our bus network planning is both logical and effective”. Route 279 has not served Waltham Abbey since 1996 – it terminates at Waltham Cross Bus Station. Travelling from Chingford to Waltham Abbey by bus requires an interchange at Ponders End from route 313 to route 279, and then a further interchange at Waltham Cross to a commercial, non-TfL bus, taking approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes in total. There is no train station in Waltham Abbey – the nearest station is Waltham Cross. Travelling from Chingford to Waltham Abbey by train would involve at least two trains and a bus, not just “a train”. By car, it takes just 10 minutes.
The Mayor’s response to our other demands—restoring London bus services between Waltham Abbey and Loughton Underground Station, reinstating the Waltham Cross to Upshire section of route 317, and extending or creating other routes to serve the area—is unacceptably brief, ignoring the fact that we are not asking for entirely new services outside of the GLA boundary, but for the reinstatement of London bus services that have historically served both sides of it.
Despite adjoining the Greater London Authority area and expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone, there is no longer a single bus serving Waltham Abbey that enters it - there used to be many such services, all of which were London bus routes.
TfL’s failure to reinstate essential services on the fringes of the GLA boundary, or even engage with the possibility of extending them, stands in stark contradiction to their goals on car usage, especially following their ULEZ expansion.
We would like to thank Emma Best AM for her continued hard work on this, the Mayor of Waltham Abbey Cllr Shane Yerrell for volunteering to have this petition submitted in his name, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP for his support of this cause, local councillors in Chingford and Waltham Abbey for their support, and all the residents and businesses who signed our petition.
The current situation is unsustainable for people and local businesses in and around Waltham Abbey. We will continue to push for a more considered response from both the Mayor and TfL, and have been assured that Emma Best AM and her London Assembly colleagues will keep working hard to push this forward.