With work now under way on the 2025/26 budget, residents are being encouraged to take part in a ‘budget assembly’ on Wednesday 4th November at Walthamstow Assembly Hall
Waltham Forest Council is inviting residents to help shape its spending plans for the coming years as it faces significant financial pressures and prepares to set its next budget.
In February, the council asked central government for up to £62million of financial support over three years, citing rising demand for services and wider economic challenges.
With work now under way on the 2025/26 budget, residents are being encouraged to take part in a budget assembly on Wednesday 4th November at Walthamstow Assembly Hall.
The council says it wants the process to be “open and transparent”, adding it is an example of giving residents a “greater say in how decisions affecting the future of the borough are made”.
The event will include an overview of the council’s financial position and priorities, followed by a group budget‑setting exercise designed to show how spending decisions are approached. Attendees will be able to discuss which services and principles they believe should guide the council’s choices.
The assembly forms part of a wider programme of engagement, following the recent Future Waltham Forest conversation with residents, community groups and partners about long‑term ambitions for the borough.
A council spokesperson said: “This is about collective decision‑making. We want to hear from residents about the values and principles that should shape our budgets in the future.”
Residents who attend will receive £25, paid via bank transfer, as a thank‑you for taking part. The payment will be processed by research agency Public Perspectives.
Places for the Budget Assembly on Wednesday 4th November can be booked online here
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