The Old Oak Neighbourhood Forum began meeting as an ‘interim’ body in early 2016. It was formed by a number of residents associations within and on the borders of the Old Oak area. Several of these associations had already been working together in responding to proposals from HS2 and in lobbying Parliament on the details of the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017).
In February 2018, after lengthy negotiations, the OPDC approved the designation of the Forum (under the 2011 Localism Act provisions for neighbourhood planning). This designation was renewed for a further five years after a public consultation held in 2023.
The Forum operates via monthly open sessions, held on Zoom. Membership is made up of 75 members who live or work in the neighbourhood area as designated by OPDC. There are a further 80 ‘affiliated members’ who live in the wider area or who have joined because of an interest in the future of Old Oak. These include local MPs and ward councillors.
All members are invited to the Zoom sessions. Slides are used and we try to avoid using planning jargon. After each meeting the slides are added to this website.
A core group of individuals have been involved with the Forum in the decade since it was formed. From 2015-18, the OPDC Board included a seat for a ‘community member’ which provided a form of access to the Board for local residents. This arrangement ceased in a 2018 ‘refresh’ of Board membership.
After several years of lobbying to restore a more formal and regular avenue for dialogue between local residents and the Development Corporation, the Board agreed in July 2025 to the establishment of an OPDC Residents Panel.
This body is chaired by Dame Karen Buck as OPDC Board chair and involves senior managers from OPDC meeting with 8 residents nominated by an agreed set of ‘nominating bodies’. These are the three neighbourhood forums established in and adjoining the OPDC boundary and five of the local residents associations.
These individuals are amongst those who have had a long involvement with OPDC and HS2. They are also members of OONF and in several cases chair their own residents associations. The terms of reference of the Residents Panel allow for additional ‘nominating bodies’ be added, as and when these emerge. Current resident membership of the Panel is as below.
Amanda Souter, Old Oak Neighbourhood Forum (and former OPDC Board member 2015-18)
Colin George, Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum
Henry Peterson, St Quintin & Woodlands Neighbourhodod Forum
Faye Thomas, Friends of Wormwood Scrubs
Theresa Magee, Wesley Estate RA
Mark Walker, The Island Site RA (TITRA)
Ewa Cwirko-Godwyka, Midland Terrace/Shaftesbury Gardens
Maren Strandevold, Wells House Road RA
Since 2015, the Forum has been advised (in a voluntary capacity) by Henry Peterson, chair of the St Quintin and Woodlands Neighbourhood Forum. He convenes and chairs the monthly Zoom sessions, administers this website and can be contacted at oonforum@gmail.com.
The Forum has found that it works well to hold monthly Zoom sessions, to which all members are invited. This allows members to participate as and when there are issues of concern to them, while a core group are in regular attendance. We have no staff and no funding from any source, so do not require a ‘treasurer’ or some of the adminstrative arrangements that might be expected from other forms of not-for-profit or community organisation. All input is provided by volunteer effort.
Membership of the forum is open to all. Please email oonforum@gmail com if you would like to join us.