Message from Love North Chingford
A group of Chingford residents, linked to the Love North Chingford group, is launching a community-led campaign against the high rise development of the Library and Assembly Rooms, and the development of a ‘community hub’ without involving the community.
The group wants a campaign which stretches wider than North Chingford. The proposed development is in a conservation area, and therefore threatens a precedent for building across other conservation areas in the borough – from Walthamstow Village to Woodford Green! By stopping this high rise, the group wants to help preserve the heritage of the whole borough .
It is calling on Waltham Forest Council to:
1. Confirm that it will respect the legality of the conservation area and not plan any building higher than three storeys.
2. Redevelop the existing historic building to be accessible and fit for purpose (as was done with the William Morris Gallery), rather than rebuild it
3. Involve the local community in the design and delivery of a sustainable and income generative Community Hub
4. Confirm that it does not plan to build high rises on any other Waltham Forest conservation areas, including Walthamstow Village and Lloyd Park.
You can read more here: Link to Love North Chingford
The group is urging people to help in lots of ways:
1. like and share its Facebook page to keep up to date with developments: https://www.facebook.com/Protect-Waltham-Forests-Heritage-Keep-Chingford-Green-102628618196649 (more likes shows that the community cares!)
2. politely email the Leader of the Council Claire Coghill, and Portfolio Lead Simon Miller, along with your local councillor to let them know how concerned you are about this development. Links are on the group’s website.
3. email your MP and let him or her know how concerned you are about the threats to your local conservation area. Please ask them to challenge the council on this development. Find their contact details on our website.
4. write a Facebook post tagging @walthamforestcouncil or a twitter post tagging @wfcouncil. Please include the hashtag #ProtectWFHeritage
5. volunteer to distribute leaflets around Chingford, Walthamstow, Leyton, Woodford Green, Highams Park and across Waltham Forest. Sign up on the group’s website.
6. ask friends that live across Waltham Forest to get in touch with their councillors and post on social media, letting people know that they are concerned about the threat to their conservation areas.
7. contact the media – contact the Waltham Forest Echo, the East London and West Essex Guardian Series and the Evening Standard to let them know the strength of local feeling.
8. fill in the group’s survey on the future of the community hub and sign the petition against a high rise – links on the group’s website.
9. put the group in touch with other community groups that you have links with across the borough, particularly historical and conservation groups.
keep talking about this, and if you have any other ideas about showing public sentiment, please do share them with the group, the Love North Chingford Community Hub Campaign team
#ProtectWFHeritage