Above Green Man & Van and below, founding directors Edwards and Lee. Opposite, architectural joinery at Wilder Creative.
industrial property, backed by American investment funds, which intends to improve the estate and enhance its offer to existing and potential new businesses. This willingness by international investors to stake a claim in the burgeoning borough signals the attractive opportunities offered by Waltham Forest, which were spotted by removals firm Green Man & Van. The company moved to the Argall estate a little more than two years ago when the Shoreditch Park warehouse they had set up in was knocked down for flats.
IT HAS BECOME A CENTRAL POINT FOR THE COMMUNITY lot cheaper. As leases are renewed in Hackney, people are moving to Waltham Forest. Hackney did well to capitalise on that [growth] 10 years ago and Waltham Forest can capitalise on it now.” In line with this trend, Lea Bridge’s Argall Industrial Estate saw investment in 2015 by a long-term holder of London
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“There was no room for expansion or even anywhere to move to. It was impossible to find new accommodation where we were because everywhere was earmarked for redevelopment,” says Rich Edwards, one of the firm’s two founding directors. “We could have kept vehicles at home and not had an office but it would’ve been a step backwards.” In addition to being displaced, they wanted extra space to accommodate their growing business, which is just about to acquire its fifth van. The company found that the quality of the premises on the Argall estate, which is covered by one of the borough’s two dedicated business improvement districts, was much better than that on offer in nearby Stratford. “They were a similar price but had holes in the roof and pigeons everywhere: it was a no-brainer,” says Edwards, adding that the estate is well located. “We wanted to be as close to central London as possible. It’s important for us that we can get our vans in and out fairly quickly.”