What, where, when: Fordwych Residents Association

What exactly IS a residents association, and why might you want to become part of your local one? To kick off a round-up of all the local ones, James Earl introduces the Fordwych Residents Association, which he chairs.

“The Fordwych Residents Association (FRA) is a long-established and active group in the local area, representing the views of members and residents in its immediate area and the wider West Hampstead community.

The area covered by the FRA is essentially Fordwych Road and its adjoining streets. This means we cover a diverse area, from Maygrove Road and Kilburn in the south – up to Richborough Road and Cricklewood in the north.

The FRA normally has meetings every two to three months, which are open to anyone living or working in our area. Our next meeting is on Monday 4th March. We also have a Christmas event and organise social events, such as a party for the Diamond Jubilee last year.

The issues we cover include the ultra-local: such as pavements, litter and bins – to recycling, local planning applications and the policing of the area. We also work with a number of other West Hampstead groups, such as WHAT (West Hampstead Amenity & Transport) and were one of the first local groups to support the formation of a Neighbourhood Development Forum. We work closely with our neighbouring residents associations, our ward councillors, the Sidings Community Centre, Friends of Maygrove Peace Park and the Cricklewood Improvement Programme.

In terms of planning issues, we were heavily involved in discussing the plans for the 1 Mill Lane development (and the new green space behind it) – as well as the new developments on Maygrove Road.

For those wanting to know more, you can see our website: www.fordwych.org.uk and follow us on twitter @FordwychRA.

If you would like to join and/or be added to our mailing list, please email: .”