April 19th, 2012 by Mark Rusling

Hoe Street Ward has been granted nearly £35,000 over the next four years to fund projects which make the ward a better place to live. We have set up a panel – Hoe Street First – to decide on projects to fund. You can read more about the projects and panel, here.

We have a small amount of money to fund projects this year, but the deadline is on 11 May. You can download the criteria and forms. Do get in touch if you would like more information – we are waiting to hear from people!

March 24th, 2012 by Mark Rusling

Today, Hoe Street led the way in the annual Waltham Forest Spring Clean. We joined over 50 residents for the Walthamstow Village Residents Association clean up around the Village. We then joined around 20 residents in cleaning up Wingfield Park and planting the large planters which we funded through our Community Ward Forum (see the beautiful photos on our website!). Finally, we joined the Friends of The Drive and Attlee Terrace in picking up litter on The Drive.

The ward now looks spotless. Thanks to everyone who helped – it really shows what a warm, helpful and friendly community we live in. It makes you proud to be Walthamstow!

November 22nd, 2011 by Mark Rusling

Yesterday we held the third Hoe Street Community Ward Forum, and agreed our ward spending for the next year. A good turnout of around 60 people discussed a number of matters concerning the ward, and agreed the organisations to benefit from funding. Notes from the meeting are below. Congratulations to all the groups that were successful!

Notes from Hoe Street Community Ward Forum – 21 November 2011
1. Welcome and introductions
Cllr Ahsan Khan introduced speakers and Cllr Saima Mahmud and Cllr Mark Rusling.

2. EMD Cinema
Neil Gerrard of the Waltham Forest Cinema Trust spoke about plans for the EMD Cinema building. He spoke about the history of the building. The council refused the UCKG’s planning application in May 2011 and the deadline for the UCKG to appeal that decision passed on 18 November. As far as the Trust knew, no appeal had been lodged.

The Trust received £15,000 from Waltham Forest Council and £15,000 from Arts Council England to bring forward architects’ and business plans for the venue. Curzon Cinemas are interested in operating the cinema, alongside a restaurant, bar and community use. The Trust believed that the proposals would work alongside a multiplex cinema in the Arcade site. Residents were positive about the proposals.

3. Walthamstow Town Centre Regeneration
Sam Neal and Steven Boyes of LBWF spoke about plans for South Grove, the Arcade site, renovating shop fronts at the top of the High Street, re-vamping Walthamstow Market, and the Travelodge to be built in the car park of Walthamstow Central Station.

Residents mentioned the need for school places to match the new accommodation on the Arcade site. Councillors agreed.

Residents were concerned about the potential height of the Arcade development. Officers confirmed that, in the current plans, the highest part of the building will be six stories.

A resident complained about the timing of consultation events on the Central Station development – these were arranged during the day. Steven Boyes agreed to investigate this and arrange for events to be held during the evening.

4.  Attlee Terrace
Alan Bardsell of Ascham Homes spoke about plans for Attlee Terrace. Pram sheds are to be removed and video access security doors installed. Railings around the side and back of the estate will replace walls and more provision for parking will be made.

5. Ward Fund 2011/12
Cllr Khan explained the change from Community Councils to Community Ward Forums. Councillors recommended the following allocation of funding, which the meeting agreed.

Deaf Club - £1530 - Club for deaf and deafened people in the borough working out of Orford Social Club
Friends of Wingfield Park - £2080 - For play equipment in Wingfield Park
Drawing Shed - £1920 - Young women’s theatre group, based out of Walthamstow School for Girls
Ask Freda - £700 - Community notice boards by Batten House, The Drive
Senior Citizens Asian Group - £1000 - Coffee mornings, health services, trips
Asian Centre - £1900 - Youth club for local young people of all backgrounds
Hornbeam Centre - £600 - Cookery classes for local young people

6. General discussion
Residents raised the following questions:
(a) Many street signs are painted over in white and are unreadable. Action: this has been reported.
(b) Residents want the council to publicise the offer to swap large bins for smaller ones. Residents questioned whether this could be advertised in Waltham Forest News and whether the offer applied to residents living outside the conservation zone. Action: councillors will find out and feed back.
(c) CPZ signs on Fraser Road have been defaced. Action: this has been reported.
(d) Can residents clean defaced CPZ signs themselves? Action: councillors will find out and feed back.
(e) Residents asked about progress on improvement notices served on landlords of two properties in Woodbury Road. Action: councillors will find out and feed back.
(f) Gullies are being cleaned across the ward.
(g) A resident raised a question about enforcement action on Second Avenue. Notices have been served this week and Cllr Khan has fed back to the resident.
(h) Can all planning applications be reported in Waltham Forest News? Action: councillors will find out and feed back.
(i) A resident raised concerns about the property wall on the corner of Church Hill and Howard Road, which is falling down. Action: councillors will feed back.
(j) Can Hoe Street by hosed down, especially areas around rubbish bins and metal shutters belonging to shopkeepers? Action: councillors will find out and feed back.

November 15th, 2011 by Mark Rusling

All Hoe Street residents are invited to our next Community Ward Forum, taking place on Monday 21 November, from 7pm until 8.30pm. The meeting will be at the Walthamstow School for Girls. More details are found here.

We will be deciding on the £10,000 ward spending for the coming year, so do come along and let us know your views!

July 20th, 2011 by Mark Rusling

At Monday’s Community Ward Forum, we agreed to set aside £600 for summer street parties in Hoe Street ward. The funding would assist community and residents’ groups with the costs of insurance and arranging the party, and we’d be happy to help out in other ways. If you would like to apply for funding for a party this summer, the deadline is 18th August. Please email dawn.polis@walthamforest.gov.uk. Funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The remaining money from the ward’s £10,000 annual budget will be allocated at the next ward forum on Monday 18th November. Residents can make their suggestions for projects that we should fund now. You can also suggest groups which could carry out the projects. More details on the funding process can be found here or by contacting dawn.polis@walthamforest.gov.uk. The funding criteria have changed slightly since last year, so it’s worth reading through carefully.

We’d like to hear from as many groups as possible, covering the whole ward, so do get in touch if you have any questions!

July 7th, 2011 by Mark Rusling

The second Hoe Street Community Ward Forum is being held on Monday 18 July, from 7.30pm until 9pm at Walthamstow School for Girls, 60 Church Hill. We hope as many residents as possible will come along to discuss the things that matter to you.

The meeting’s theme will be the Olympics, and we will be giving out information on how you can get involved next year. The local police will be giving an update on their work, and we will be discussing any other issues of concern. We’ll also feed back on our work since the last meeting in March, and will be hearing from residents on how our £10,000 ward budget should be spent.

Do come along if you are free. If you are not able to make it, you can always feed through your views by email, phone or letter, or by coming to our regular Saturday surgery.

March 23rd, 2011 by Mark Rusling

On Monday, we held our first Community Ward Forum, at St Stephen’s Church on Copeland Road. We had a good turn-out and an interesting discussion.

Officers from the council explained about the ways in which residents can get involved in shaping the future of Walthamstow Town Centre. We then heard from the Head of Voluntary Action Waltham Forest, and from the local police Safer Neighbourhood Team. We finished up with an opportunity for residents to ask questions on any topic concerning them.

For details of the discussions and the action points from the meeting, click here. Thank you to all who attended and spoke, and to Hilda Griffith from St Stephen’s Church, who looked after us so well.