RESIDENTS are being asked to comment on the council's plans to improve the borough over the next 15 years.

The Waltham Forest 'core strategy' sets out the authority's aspirations for creating a better Waltham Forest.

It covers 11 areas, including housing, design of public spaces, improving civic participation, climate change, education, employment, health, town centres, crime and regeneration.

The authority is pledging to meet the Mayor of London's housing targets for 7,600 extra homes in the borough in the next 12 years, promote small businesses, protect community facilities, reduce carbon emissions and provide more open spaces for children to play.

It is also promising to focus on promoting Waltham stow town centre, redevelop underused sites, and safeguard conservation areas while creating places of “high architectural and urban design quality.”

A spokesman said: “Evidence shows that people living in East London earn less money, have fewer qualifications and may lead less healthier lifestyles than people living in other parts of London.

“To change this, the key aim of our plan is to make sure that people living and working in Waltham Forest have the same life opportunities and experiences as the rest of London.”

The plan does not describe how the borough will achieve its goals in any depth, instead outlining where developments should go “in broad terms.”

It will form part of the authority's local development framework, which will inform planning policy.

Residents have until 5pm on February 19 to fill in a questionnaire online to indicate the extent to which they agree with each of the policies.

To fill in the document visit www.walthamforest.gov.uk and click on the link from the homepage.

For further information contact the council's spatial planning team on 8496 3000 or by email on planning.policy@walthamforest.gov.uk.

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