THE END of community councils has been decided.

Labour councillors at Walthamstow Town Hall voted for the programme to be replaced with smaller community ward forums in the new year, despite opposition from Lib Dems and Tories.

The forums will operate within the ward boundaries with a budget of £10,000 and will be led by a councillor.

Liberal Democrat, Bob Sullivan said he believed community councils had been a success because they were the only way the council had regularly engaged with the public.

He added: "Some have attracted hundreds of people to discuss local and borough topics.

"To replace the councils with ward forums will effectively muzzle the voice of the local community and avoid the challenges of council policies and proposals by residents in public.

"Ward forums will not be subject to the same legal requirements as community councils so they will have no decision-making powers, no official minutes and no official agenda."

His views were echoed by fellow Lib Dem councillor, Naheed Qureshi, who said she believed the new community ward forums would just be "glorified surgeries".

At the meeting, Labour councillor, Marie Pye who spearheaded the plans to scrap community councils, said the decision had been made after consultation with residents, who did not want to travel to community council meetings to discuss issues that did not directly affect them.

She added: "They do not want to travel a couple of miles and on a couple of buses to talk about something that is nothing to do with where they live."

In a later statement from Cllr Pye, she said: "Community ward forums will be a great opportunity for residents to tell the council about issues on their doorstep at meetings pretty much on their doorstep.

"I am sure that all councillors will work very hard with officers to make this a success."

It is believed that the new community ward forums will come into force by spring next year.