Voters will head to polls next year to approve planning document, reports Judith Burnett A neighbourhood plan will be put to residents to approve in a […]By Waltham Forest Echo

Voters will head to polls next year to approve planning document, reports Judith Burnett

A neighbourhood plan will be put to residents to approve in a referendum.

More than four years in the making and the first of its kind in Waltham Forest, the Highams Park Neighbourhood Plan will be put to a vote on Thursday 5th March 2020.

It has been created by members of the Highams Park Planning Group (HPPG) and aims to ensure that Highams Park should “continue to be an area of beautiful, well-maintained green spaces, characterful high-quality homes with a thriving commercial centre and a vibrant community at its heart”.

Gordon Turpin, chair of HPPG, has welcomed the referendum. He said: “It’s fantastic news. We have been working with local people on the plan since November 2013 to try and make sure it represents how people would like to see Highams Park develop, in ways that benefit the local community.

“We are currently working on tidying up all the documents required and discussing with council officers what the arrangements will be for the referendum. There is a lot of preparatory work to be done.”

If approved, the plan would become official borough policy. Simon Miller, Waltham Forest Council’s cabinet member for housing development, said: “The plan will set out how we will achieve good sustainable growth, in line with residents’ aspirations for their neighbourhood.

“We believe that involving residents in shaping the future of their area is the best way we can build strong, resilient communities where all feel free to make the very most of their life chances.”

The Localism Act 2011 places a duty on local authorities to hold a referendum after a neighbourhood plan has been agreed. The vote will be open to residents living in the plan area, from the North Circular junctions at Woodford New Road and Crooked Billet, up to Larks Wood and Chingford Hatch.

For more information about the Highams Park Neighbourhood Plan: Visit highamsparkplan.org

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.