The Communities and Public Protection Scrutiny Committee of Waltham Forest Council was scheduled to discuss updates on neighbourhood policing and community safety initiatives. Key topics included progress on the Citizens' Assembly recommendations, the implications of new counter-terrorism legislation, and the council's forward plan for scrutiny activities.

Citizens' Assembly on the Future of Neighbourhood Policing Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of recommendations made by the Citizens' Assembly on the Future of Neighbourhood Policing. This initiative, jointly led by Waltham Forest Council and the Metropolitan Police Service, aims to strengthen trust and improve safety by involving residents in shaping policing responses. The report was expected to highlight headline examples of actions taken, focusing on embedding inclusive, community-driven approaches. A particular spotlight was to be placed on the Inclusive Mentoring pilot, a scheme co-designed and co-delivered with young people to address concerns about low trust and confidence among this demographic. The pilot aims to build positive interactions in safe, supportive environments to drive long-term change. The Citizens' Assembly action plan was published in May 2025, following extensive co-design with service leads, partners, assembly members, residents, and young people. The report noted that trust in the police in Waltham Forest had increased to 73% in a recent survey, aligning with the London average, which was an encouraging development and a key objective of the Assembly.

Martyn's Law (Protect Duty)

The committee was scheduled to be updated on the council's preparedness for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn's Law. This legislation, which received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, aims to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by requiring those responsible for certain premises and events to consider their response to a terrorist attack. The Act establishes a tiered approach based on the number of individuals expected to be present, with different requirements for standard duty premises (200-799 individuals) and enhanced duty premises and qualifying events (800 or more individuals). The report indicated that the council owns a number of premises and sponsors events that would fall within the scope of the new law, including schools and council-run events. Initial engagement had taken place with affected service areas, and the council was mapping the premises and events likely to be impacted. The report also mentioned that the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) has prepared ACT training, which has been available to all Waltham Forest Council staff since May 2024.

The Scrutiny Report

The committee was scheduled to review its Forward Plan for the ongoing municipal year and make recommendations. The Forward Plan outlines the committee's work programme, including statutory reports, major decisions, and policy areas of interest. The report indicated that there was one meeting remaining for the municipal year and invited suggestions for items for the 2025/26 cycle. Additionally, the committee was invited to review and comment on the Action Tracker from the previous meeting, which details actions requested of officers and their progress, and the Recommendations Tracker, which captures the committee's conclusions on how services should change or improve. The report also noted that there were no key decisions falling under the remit of this scrutiny committee.

The committee was also scheduled to review the Action Tracker, which captures all actions required of officers by the committee at previous meetings, and the Recommendations Tracker, which details the committee's conclusions on how services should change or improve.