Businesses in the East End of London are gearing up for the summer Games, preparing their staff and commercial properties for what is bound to be a record beating season in terms of sales. However, Leyton High Road has undergone a remarkable transformation in order to attract custom, with each commercial property on the street unrecognisable due to the levels of work put into their appearance.
Previously, Leighton High Road’s commercial properties leaned towards the garish – neon lighting, broken windows and chipped paintwork adorned the shop fronts like many areas of London. Yet due to the vicinity of the Olympic Park, which is located just around the corner, officials have channelled money into the Leyton area in order to give visiting Olympiads a good impression of the city.
Now, neon signs on the front of the commercial properties lining the street have been replaced by hand painted signs or old fashioned metal letters to give the street a classically British feel. The shop fronts are now a pleasing range of colours, from deep red to pastel colours, replacing the chipped white or bare brick that most commercial properties boasted previously.
Additionally, many of the retail commercial properties have had windows, doors, awnings and frames replaced. Most also now have internal shutters, rather than pull down metal ones on the outside, so the fronts of the commercial properties can remain illuminated at night and give the street a safer and more pleasant atmosphere.
The project has been jointly funded by the Government and Waltham Forest Council, both of whom hope to profit from higher revenues made by commercial properties in the area this summer. A £475,000 grant from the Government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund has made up the majority of the capital for Leyton’s refurbishment, with Waltham Forest Council bringing the total available to half a million pounds.
In fact, Leyton High Road now resembles a street from trendier areas of London such as Kensington, Chelsea or Notting Hill. The old fashioned shop fronts and striped awnings, mixed with the contemporary commercial designs has given the road a new lease of life which has delighted local commercial property business owners.
Panayiota Philippou, who runs a business specialising in evening and bridal wear, believes that more customers will be attracted to her commercial property now that the street has been cleaned up. She says; “The street is much nicer now.
“People can window shop and trade has picked up. Having the shutter inside means that people can see in the window all the time, which is like a 24/7 advert for us.”
However, Shamima Bung, who owns Blackwell’s newsagents, has some concern for the safety of her commercial property. She says; “The area’s definitely gone upmarket. The street looks a lot better – now it is a matter of keeping it this way.
“The inside shutters look nice but I do go home worrying if I’ll still have a window in the morning. After all, this is East London, not Kensington.” 
The street is still undergoing its remarkable transformation, and developers hope to have the work completed by the time the Olympic Flame is carried down the road on the 21st of July. Leader of Waltham Forest Council Chris Robbins believes that the commercial property owners on Leyton High Road will do London proud during the Games, spurred on by their sparkling new commercial property fronts.
He says; “This stretch of Leyton is a gateway to the Games.
“It will be on display to the world in July and we want our streets, homes and businesses to do us proud.
“This was a fantastic opportunity to smarten up Leyton.”
Do you think that the money spent on Leyton High Road commercial properties was a worthwhile investment? Or do you believe, with the Olympics running over budget already, that the money could have been put to better use elsewhere?
