MILL HILL LOSES ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

Sadly today the Chair of the neighbourhood Forum Stuart has written to all 4,000 members of the areas biggest and most successful residents group to disband the forum.

The 24 strong committee which had representatives from every major group in the area decided due to a deeply personal abuse campaign organised by Roger Tichborne - who had been sacked from the committee- against various committee members past and present that there was no future for any group in Mill Hill.

http://www.mhps.org.uk/

They have asked their membership to transfer to the Preservation Society.  The Chair and vice chair of the Forum have been co-opted onto the preservation society.  They hope to increase the 2,000 strong membership to over 5,000 this year to protect the area

The local Liberal Democrats and their supporters who run the Inside Mill Hill Facebook page will see this as a victory over the trend setting forum which they saw as too supportive of the local Tory council.

We say that politics has no place in local groups.  It should be for the good of the area.  We support the Preservation Society and have promoted them since 2010 and they now become the major voice in Mill Hill. We encourage you to join them. 

Sadly the local Residents Group has morphed into a litter picking organisation rather than campaigning for major change in the area such as the Station redevelopment (step free access) and blocking tower blocks in the village.   Both things the Forum was undertaking.  Sadly no group now exists for either. 

The Forum in its short 5 year life created the Town Square, won step free access for the station multi million investment plus for the Broadway.  Got the bins off Broadway, held over 5 festivals a year -which catered for all income groups, renewed the Salcombe Gardens shopping parade, helped stop or amend over 50 housing schemes for the area, brought together groups and helped to develop a local Guide and monthly newspaper meaning sold out events in the area for the first time in 25 years plus.

These huge things were often done by working with the council as well.  However, Roger Tichborne and Richard Logue are politically opposed to the Conservative council and do not wish any group to work with them. This led to serious political campaigning against the Forum and against the local area.   People wonder why politics has such a bad name.  Sadly this proves why. 

Many residents are very upset about the lack of a Neighbourhood plan - which was almost ready to publish, and the closure of the Forum's markets on the Broadway and Festivals.   These will never return. The cost to establish them was huge and the rewards small because Mill Hill is extremely small.  Sorry to all of you.

The Forum has left huge improvements. It will be remembered as a golden age and it's committee members will become historical legends.  As for the bitter political types who have undermined many great local initiatives and businesses they will be no doubt ignored at the ballot box for decades to come. 

There is no room for abuse or hate in the local area.  We urge people to look at social media and unsubscribe from accounts that attack other local groups and people.   It's childish and nasty.  99% of the abuse is untrue and concocted from individuals imaginations.

Luckily our private Instagram is going from strength to strength, gaining over 100 new followers every few months.  Up to over 1800 now.  Please follow to find out the events and offers in Mill Hill Broadway and beyond. We continue to only publish positive news. Join the Preservation Society and help the area.