Democracy under threat

Ward Forums

Dear Waltham Forest Lea Bridge Councillors,
I have been asking all of you (and your predecessors) over the spring and summer of 2014 as to when the next Lea Bridge Ward Community Forum will be, as the last one was in December 2013 and there are important matters that I gave notice to all of you that I wished to raise - particularly regarding Leyton Marshes. 
I heard today from Cllr Masood Ahmad that a Ward Forum meeting was actually held on 1st October. I find this incredible and very unsatisfactory: having been on the Council mailing list for this meeting for several years I am alarmed to know that a Forum was held without the relevant information having been circulated to interested residents.
Nor was there any notice about the meeting on the Council's website. In fact this is what the appropriate part of the website (under your own photographs and names) is still reading today:

"Your next meeting

To be confirmed.

Your previous meeting

Date: Wednesday 11 December 2013
Time: 6.00 - 8.00pm
Venue: Lea Bridge Road Library, Lea Bridge Road, E10 7HU
Meeting agenda 11 December 2013
For minutes of any earlier meetings please contact cwfsupport@walthamforest.gov.uk"



This of course is nonsense. 
Councillors, it seems that you don't pay much attention to the importance of local Ward Forums or informing local residents about them. The minutes of the December 2013 meeting are nowhere to be seen. Please let me know how you will ensure that this doesn't happen again and how you will ensure that local residents are kept informed.


Regards
Claire Weiss