Waltham Forest Upgrades Street Lighting Through Borough-Wide Evolo Retrofit Programme
Posted by: electime 12th May 2026
Acrospire worked with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to deliver a borough-wide LED retrofit programme, upgrading around 500 lanterns using a bespoke retrofit kit. By retaining existing luminaires and replacing internal components, the scheme reduces energy consumption, minimises disruption, and preserves the visual character of residential streets.
Across the London Borough of Waltham Forest, street lighting has become a recognisable part of the local streetscape.
“We were looking to move to LED to improve efficiency but struggled to find a modern luminaire that matched the look and feel of what we already had,” explains Leo Cole, Street Lighting & Responsive Maintenance Manager, Engineer at the London Borough of Waltham Forest. “We didn’t want to replace these lanterns with standard fittings. They’ve become part of the character of the area. The shape and design are distinctive, and that was something we were keen to retain.”
Many of the borough’s lanterns feature a curved, architectural form that sets them apart from more typical ‘shoebox’ style luminaires. While visually well suited to their surroundings, internally they relied on older lighting technology with higher energy consumption and increasing maintenance requirements.
Supported by funding from the Mayor of London’s Energy Efficiency Fund (MEEF), the Council explored how these assets could be upgraded without full replacement, reducing cost, disruption and material waste.
With a focus on improving efficiency while preserving the visual identity of residential streets, the project developed into a borough-wide retrofit programme.
The London Borough of Waltham Forest’s term contractor, JB Riney, managed the planning, programming and installation of Acrospire’s bespoke LED retrofit solution, enabling the internal components of each lantern to be upgraded while retaining the original housing.
The process involved removing the existing optical system and control gear and installing a new LED light engine within the existing luminaire body. This approach preserves the external appearance of the lantern while delivering modern lighting performance.
A key stage in the project was the initial trial phase, where sample units were installed and assessed in a live environment. This allowed the Council to evaluate light levels, uniformity and potential light intrusion into nearby properties before committing to a wider rollout.
To address concerns around backlight into residential windows, Acrospire designed and introduced a back shield, reducing light spill while maintaining effective illumination at street level.
Following the successful trial, the programme moved into full delivery, with Dyson Road among the first locations completed, followed by additional residential streets across the borough.
Across the scheme, over 500 lanterns are being retrofitted, delivering a circuit wattage reduction of around 45% compared to the previous installation.
Installation was carried out in situ, with each retrofit taking approximately five minutes per lantern, enabling efficient delivery with minimal disruption to residents.
The luminaires were specified at 3000K, providing a warmer light output in line with the Council’s preferences for residential areas.
A key advantage of the retrofit approach is the ability to retain existing assets while significantly improving performance.
“Maintaining the look and feel of our existing lighting was important, but we also needed to improve efficiency,” says Leo Cole, Street Lighting & Responsive Maintenance Manager at the London Borough of Waltham Forest. “The retrofit approach has allowed us to achieve both, with minimal disruption.”
The result is a more efficient and sustainable lighting network that retains the visual character of the borough’s streets while reducing energy consumption and operational costs.
For more information about Acrospire’s retrofit solutions contact the team: https://acrospire.co/get-in-touch/
