Councillor Louise Ashcroft

The Council of Waltham Forest Council approved recommendations on 16/07/2026. The council agreed to reaffirm its commitment to trans, non-binary, and intersex inclusion, commission a review of council policies, and ensure trans awareness is part of mandatory staff training. They also committed that self-identification should be sufficient for service access in normal circumstances, and that new and refurbished public buildings will include non-gendered toilet and changing facilities where practicable.

The Council of Waltham Forest approved the Treasury Management activities and performance against targets for the financial year 2025-26 on 16/07/2026. The decision covered capital activity, the impact on indebtedness, prudential and treasury indicators, borrowing and investment activity, and interest rate movements.

The Council of Waltham Forest approved changes to the Constitution on 16 July 2026. These changes included amendments to the Employment Procedure Rules, Staffing Committee Terms of Reference, Committee Procedure Rules, and Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference. The approved changes aim to ensure clarity and consistency within the Constitution.

The Council of Waltham Forest approved amendments to the Planning Committee Terms of Reference and the Planning Code of Practice on 16 July 2026. These changes align the council's constitution with new national planning delegation regulations. The amendments specify which planning applications are delegated to officers and which require committee determination.

The Council of Waltham Forest agreed the minutes of the Annual meeting of Council held on 21st May 2026 on 16th July 2026. The Council also elected Councillor Marcelo Hart-Camus as Mayor and Councillor Paul Perkins as Leader of the Council.