Waltham Forest council has teamed up with a leading design charity for help constructing 12,000 new homes in the borough.

The local authority will work in partnership with Design Council Cabe to run a design review and support panel to oversee new developments.

The panel will be made up of twenty Design Council Cabe “Built Environment Experts”, who will provide independent, expert design advice on key development proposals.

Cllr Clare Coghill, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and High Streets, said: “There is much within Waltham Forest that we can be proud of – the appeal of many of our residential areas, our green spaces, local heritage, conservation areas and town centres.

“However, we face a number of important challenges over the coming years as we regenerate the borough.

“The establishment of the panel underpins our commitment to creating attractive, safe, sustainable and well-connected places for everyone in our borough.”

Design Council Cabe has previously conducted design review for the London Borough of Greenwich, the City of Oxford and Thurrock in Essex.

Design Council Cabe was formed in April 2011, by a merger between CABE, the government’s adviser on Architecture and the Built Environment and the Design Council.

It offers independent and impartial advice, evaluating the quality of significant developments, urban extensions and major infrastructure projects across England.