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A recent report by the Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo) has made a number of recommendations calling on Waltham Forest council to continue to build on projects that reduce the prospect of isolation especially within young and ethnic minority communities in the borough.

The report titled 'Breaking down the walls of silence' was instigated by the council as part of the response to challenges created within the borough following a number of alleged terror plot arrests in August 2006.

• Many members of the Muslim community felt unrepresented by the council
• Young people feel disengaged and often worried about gangs and gang culture
• Women and young women with a general feeling of being excluded from civic society
• Lots of intergenerational tension

Highlighting the challenge the council faces trying to engage with young people within the community, Prof Ted Cantle from iCoCo points out that, "If young people don't find that they have a stake in society then they tend to be attracted to extremist groups, whether that’s political or religious."

And although the report pays particular attention to the concerns from the boroughs Muslim community, Cabinet member for Housing & Communities, Cllr Pye points out that these unrepresented communities must be given a voice in order for all communities to be engaged effectively in Waltham Forest; "We have got a significant Muslim population, but we are a very diverse borough… there's also lots of other residents that we wanted to talk to and this is just one of the ways we're engaging with the community about cohesion issues… you do need to go and talk to people about issues that affect them."

Next steps

Along with the findings a number of recommendations have also been suggested to the council:

• Develop more sophisticated engagement strategy to ensure all communities in the borough feel represented
• Increase its understanding of likely changes in the population of the borough
• Increase links between Children and Young people's services
• Be more proactive in anticipating tensions in the community

It's hoped these recommendations will secure a long term solution to encouraging greater integration, while also maintaining Waltham Forest's diverse population. It's an example the council hopes will spread across the capital.

Cllr Pye adds, "We want to be doing the best for all the people that live in our borough. And if sometimes that means being a bit brave and sometimes being ahead of the pack then that’s fine."

Your Comments

I'm keen to hear your thoughts on community cohesion in Waltham Forest. How should local councils reach out to disengaged communities? Do you think that communities and individuals need to make more of an effort to integrate themselves into the community? What projects have been effective in your local area? Whatever your opinion, send your comments to dekan.apajee@bbc.co.uk