Highams Park Forum
A group of local people all interested in the betterment of life in their area.

Mission Statement



Following the planned closure of the Forum at the end of 2019 this website is now mothballed. It will not be updated further but remains as an interesting archive and can be browsed as normal. All Forum functions have transferred to the Highams Park Planning Group. Click here for details
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 The path above Highams Park Lake on a sunny summers afterernoon
 

 

Introduction

The Highams Park Forum is a group of volunteer residents and businesses from Highams Park (in the London Borough of Waltham Forest) who meet regularly to discuss matters affecting their area, with a view to maintaining and improving the area for the benefit of all residents. The area has some unique characteristics which the Forum wish to promote, preserve, and encourage best use of.

The Forum has the active support of the local Council.

The composition of the Forum attempts to be a representative sample of residents; coming from different parts of Highams Park and with differing outlooks and priorities. The only selection criteria for members is "a desire to help" and a willingness to give up some spare time. New members are welcome. Please email us via the "Contact us" link at the top of this page.

Forum members are not elected and acknowledge that they cannot claim to formally "represent" any other individuals. The elected councillors for the Highams Park area remain the formal representatives of the residents. However, the Forum hopes that its broad base of residents and their considerable first hand experience of the area will provided valuable and considered input into matters relating to the very specific region of Highams Park.
 

Purpose

The key functions of the Forum are:

  • To promote the existence of Highams Park as a distinct area within LBWF and encourage the proper provision of resources to the area.
  • To regularly review the provision of council services to the area and provide feedback to the council (both positive and negative) based on members’ direct experiences.
  • To act as a sounding board for the Council regarding proposed changes in the area. This is not a substitute for full consultation of the residents as a whole, but rather an initial "think tank" to assist in refining proposals in their early stages.
  • To offer a focus for other residents who wish to see whether a particular idea or concern would have support with other residents.
  • To feedback to other commercial service providers in the area (both positive and negative) regarding the provision of services to the area. For example, the railway operating company.
  • To proactively look for opportunities to promote changes for the benefit of the area.
  • To develop a vision of Highams Park for the future against which proposed changes can be measured to determine whether they will have a positive or negative affect.

Method

Members’ interests vary and lead the meetings in different topics. The main topics covered are:

  • Planning (e.g. Review of planning applications, application for listings)
  • Transport (e.g. Trains, Buses, Roads, Bikes)
  • Environment
    (e.g. Protection of green space. Renewal of roadside trees, Conservation, Litter, etc.)
  • The Forest
  • Leisure
  • Commercial
  • Parking
  • Policing

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