Housing Action 'homes for all' organised by Waltham Forest trades council, 21.11.2015, photo Senan

Housing Action ‘homes for all’ organised by Waltham Forest trades council, 21.11.2015, photo Senan   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

On 21 May, 35 people attended a meeting in Waltham Forest, east London, to discuss the council’s ‘Walthamstow Master Plan’ for regeneration.

The meeting was called by the Waltham Forest Housing Action Network, a campaigning arm of the Waltham Forest Trades Council.

Real alternative

Socialist Party member Nancy Taaffe said: “The meeting was unanimous in a feeling that the council consultation was a sham.

“The Waltham Forest Housing Action Network wants to work with others across the borough, including trade unions, to develop a people’s plan as a real alternative in the interests of the people who live here, not the developers and big chain store bosses.

“These plans are an onslaught. We all agree that we need housing – but what kind of housing? We also want an expansion in amenities, schools, health, parking, in a planned, sensible coordinated fashion. We want the cuts to stop.

“We’ve had enough of land ‘giveaways’ when we have 20,000 on the housing waiting list and 2,000 in temporary accommodation. The meeting decided to ask local MP Stella Creasy and the Labour-controlled planning department to honour Sadiq Khan’s pledge that 50% of all new builds would be ‘affordable’.

“Our starting point is that we will not move, we will not be kicked out of our borough to make way for council-led gentrification plans.”