Street furniture could encourage the community in Waltham Forest to interact and make friends with neighbours, according to an artist with big designs for Leytonstone.

Giant cubes with games boards could be erected in the E11 area if funding is won for the project dreamt up by Karen Janody.

The ‘cubes and play’ concept has won backing from councillors with deputy leader Clyde Loakes writing a letter of support for the initiative.

If support is won from the Greater London Authority (GLA) the project could be awarded £20,000, leaving Ms Janody to raise around £5,000.

“There doesn’t seem to be anywhere to sit without having to buy a coffee, especially with the library closed.

“I do think it is something which will be welcomed by the community. The designs include seating and planters with games boards in the middle.

“It is a way for people to start interacting with each other.

“We don’t have enough opportunities to play, especially not outside of our own age or social groups. We all want to have a thriving local area, but to do so we need activities or locations that make us want to spend time there.”

Ms Janody, 39, has won support ‘in principle’ from the regeneration team and wants to set up three seating areas in Leytonstone.

One could be in Church Lane and another close to McDonalds in the High Road, with a third location undecided.

Janody’s company Creative City has been behind some memorable pieces across the city, including a house made with 85,000 newspapers by artist Sumer Erek in Hackney.

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