Both Waltham Forest and Redbridge Council have made substantial sums selling off public land.

Between 2014 and 2018, Waltham Forest Council sold off nine sites gaining a total income of £29,641,578, according to research by a new Bureau Local campaign called Sold From Under You.

During the same period, Redbridge Council sold off ten sites and made £942,543 from the sales.

In Waltham Forest, land sold off included St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Walthamstow, sold to the Catholic administrative body Chelmsford Diocese, for more than £1 million.

Willowfield School in Walthamstow was also sold to an academy company for £5 million.

In one sale, the council sold off a car park in Walthamstow for a massive £21 million to a development firm for new housing to the built on the site.

In Redbridge, sites sold off included flats, houses and reservation strips at the back of people’s houses.

The council even had a statutory sale of the Thames Water Pumphouse, which was sold to Thames Water Utilities for just £1.

A spokesman for Waltham Forest Council explained the authority has been selling off “underused” property and land across the borough to enable it to deliver more homes, commercial and leisure space.

They said: “The money gained from these sales has gone onto pay for improving services and facilities that our residents rely on including refurbished Children and Family Centres, Adult Learning Services as well as new sports facilities such as the Feel Good centre’s in Leyton and Walthamstow.

“We will continue to reduce our estate in order to prioritise funding for the services that residents rely on and ensure that the we have the homes and commercial space that Waltham Forest needs.”

A spokesman for Redbridge Council explained the authority, like others, is selling land and property to make money to make up for substantial central Government reductions to its overall budget.

They said: “Typically sale proceeds are considered as capital receipts and are therefore used to support the delivery of the council’s capital programme – which will include the construction of new homes, schools and leisure facilities as well as the capital maintenance of local roads and public buildings/spaces – or to meet one off items of expenditure.”

They added that the 10 sales made show the diversity of property sales that the council is engaged in. Two properties were sold through Right To Buy, that money is then being used to build more council homes.

Three sales involved former service buildings that deemed no longer necessary.

Four were relatively minor dealings in individual property including one lease enfranchisement and the sale of three strips of land to homeowners to extend their gardens.