Save the Town Centre

We are now very close to our notional target of 2,000 signatures and we think it's time we submitted them to the Town Hall to let them know the strength of public feeling about these proposals for the town square. Rather than continuing to collect signatures therefore we are going to stop for the moment and sort out the ones we have got in readiness for submission. There is a percentage (around 10% we think) that have incomplete addresses or were signed by people who live outside the borough, so we need to sit down with a computer logged onto the 'find a post code' site and fill in as much of the missing address information as we possibly can. We don't want to give the Town Hall any excuse to disregard signatures. With approximately 2,000 names to go through this isn't going to be a five minute job.

If you have any printed sheets that you are using to collect signatures could you please let us have them now, by sending or hand delivering them to: David & Jean, 55 Elmsdale Road, E17 6PN.

Our next step will be to make an appointment with Mr John Williams, Democratic Services Officer (or whoever the Council think appropriate) to receive a hand delivery of the completed forms, including of course the ones downloaded and printed off from the Internet, preferably on the steps of the Town Hall, where we can invite the local press along (WF Guardian and WF Echo) to photograph the event and write an article. If possible we will have our trusty 8 foot model with us to provide a bit of visual interest. We will of course let you know in advance exactly when this is to be and you can hopefully come along and give us your moral support.

Each time we went out to collect signatures we found a higher level of awareness of  Capital and Regional's plans and a greater willingness to sign. It has been extremely heartening to see this process taking place.

Many thanks to everyone who helped by collecting signatures for us or who has given us their moral support. Fingers crossed that it's all going to be worthwhile.

This is by no means the end of our campaign but it's likely that we will switch to more media-centred efforts and direct contact with involved individuals, such as the planning officers at the Town Hall and even the executive employees of Capital and Regional who may well be reconsidering the wisdom of this kind of major investment at a time when the British economy is far from thriving and High Street shopping is on the defensive in the face of so much online competiton. We intend to explore every possible way of keeping Walthamstow's skyline concrete free.

One phase is over, another is beginning.

All best wishes,

David.