Oliver Shykles writes as follows: ‘I chair the Highams Park Forum which is working together with the Highams Park Planning Group and The Highams Park Society to protest against LBWF proposals which could drastically affect library provision in Highams Park. At the time of writing, 3,956 people involved with Highams Park have signed a detailed petition against the Council’s scheme, whil... »
A local resident writes: ‘As your blog has previously noted, LBWF plans to demolish our impressive Edwardian Primary School and replace it with a new “modular” prefab alternative, which has been described on the BBC website as an “Austerity school”. It is confirmed that this proposal will go to the council’s Planning Committee on 12 July. As you have reported, too, SAVE Br... »
A previous post (see link below) looked briefly at George Tomlinson primary school in Leytonstone, and the fears of some that it was surreptitiously being prepared for academisation. Since then, much has changed. The school has new governors, and a new management team, the latter led by Executive Head Lynne Harrowell. However, the sense of general unease seems if anything to have increased. Variou... »
The Waltham Forest Guardian today quotes Cllr. Liaquat Ali pontificating about community safety: ‘“Our sense of community and of belonging, and the need to always treat others with respect, helps to make Waltham Forest such a great place to call home. We’ve been shocked and saddened to see the various news reports that have emerged in the aftermath of the EU Referendum result, indicating a r... »
A previous post (see link below) raises concerns about LBWF’s plans to rebuild Selwyn Primary School in Highams Park. Now SAVE Britain’s Heritage (‘a group of architectural historians, writers, journalists and planners’ which aims to provide ‘a strong, independent voice in conservation, free to respond rapidly to emergencies and to speak out loud for the historic buil... »
The Evening Standard yesterday rendered a public service by publishing further information about Cllr. Ahsan Khan’s proclivity for surepticiously handing out community ‘awards’ (as he describes them), using the Mayor’s Parlour, with the Mayor of course present. The full story is here: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/east-london-council-gives-award-to-leader-of-extreme... »
Some years ago, the average resident of Cann Hall (where I live) who aspired to have a say in how the neighbourhood developed could do so via the local ward forum, and also the Leytonstone Community Council (which embraced Cathall and Leytonstone wards, as well). Both bodies had official status, were serviced by LBWF officers, and received finance from the Town Hall to support modest measures of a... »
Word reaches me that Cllr. Tim Bennett-Goodman has resigned the Labour Whip, for reasons spelt out in his letter, below. It is a sad day for the Labour Party. Prior to becoming a councillor, Tim Bennett-Goodman had a long history of community-based activity in Waltham Forest, and was widely recognised for both his integrity and his commitment to improving the area. It says much about the current s... »
According to a document made public at Companies House, reproduced below, the E11 BID Co. is now threatened with being compulsorily struck off and dissolved. This blog has covered the troubled and troubling E11 BID Co. before (see links below). The issue now seems to be that the company missed the deadline for filing its 2014-15 accounts, which was 31 March 2016. It really does seem extraordinary ... »
Browsing YouTube at the weekend, I was amused to come across this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9fLay0VLbE It is a short film shot in the Town Hall, at which Waltham Forest’s Mayor honours a guest. One interesting thing is that the Mayor in question is not Cllr. Saima Mahmud, bur Cllr. Terry Wheeler, her predecessor – suggesting that the practice of Mayoral honouring which has rece... »