Case Study: Waltham Forest Council secures broad public support and engages 15,000 residents with Commonplace

Waltham Forest Council - Customer Case Study

Waltham Forest Council (London Borough of Waltham Forest) ran a £30m Mini-Holland programme to transform cycle routes and public spaces but faced strong opposition from drivers and lobby groups and had to deliver borough-wide engagement quickly with a small team. To manage this controversy and build broad consensus the Council used the Commonplace engagement platform to run open, area-based consultations and collect clear evidence from residents, businesses and visitors.

Commonplace’s maps, surveys and analytics engaged over 15,000 residents (more than 5% of the borough) across 10 locations over 18 months, producing infographics and dashboards used by senior decision‑makers. The platform showed 72% of respondents were neutral or supportive, helped the Council fine‑tune plans, and supplied evidence upheld in court; one implemented area saw a 56% reduction in traffic with increases in walking and cycling. Commonplace thus enabled data-driven decisions, improved communications and supported award-winning outcomes for the Mini‑Holland scheme.

Waltham Forest Council

Amy Priestley

Waltham Forest Council