About
Please scroll down to read more about the committee members and their bios.
The North Kingston Neighbourhood Forum was formally established and ratified by Kingston Council in August 2017. Our Neighbourhood Area covers the whole of the old Canbury and Tudor wards. All local residents and businesses are automatically members of the Forum and can register their interest by subscribing to the mailing list.
A committee has led the Forum, its main task is to collect the views of our community so as to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for North Kingston which conforms to National, London and Local priorities. This is a long term vision for the area, and if agreed by Referendum, it will become part of the local planning framework and used by Kingston Council to determine planning applications in Canbury and Tudor wards alongside the borough’s Local Plan.
This will be a plan written by the community, for the community and will allow us greater influence over development in our area by giving us a say on where building should take place, what it should look like and what infrastructure should be provided.
The London Plan will require Kingston to build 9640 new homes over the next 10 years, and North Kingston will be expected to play its part. We are neither pro or anti development, but we believe it will be more effective to engage with the council to ensure that the impact of new development is not only fully mitigated but that it is accompanied by a full range of amenities and infrastructure for the benefit of both current and future residents.
The Forum committee is non-political, independent and resident-led however, we highly value and welcome the support our local ward councillors provide. We are not linked to the council in any way, but wish to work with them. We have been awarded New Initiative funding from the council to help us produce the plan.
The Forum committee is made up entirely of volunteers – just regular residents like you and me, including community groups and businesses. A list of the current members is on our website as are the minutes of our meetings. We also have a number of work groups, led by committee members who are researching the following themes:
Business and Commerce
Heritage and Design
The Environment
Community Facilities and Services.
Design Codes for Development Sites and areas.
We are exceedingly fortunate that some of our volunteers have expertise in planning and design, but to ensure we successfully navigate through the quagmire of neighbourhood planning in London, we have been awarded funding from the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities to recruit the services of a professional neighbourhood planning consultantancy, Oneill Homer.
There are over 2000 neighbourhood planning groups in England, and over 100 in London. We are the first in Kingston, and would encourage other groups elsewhere in the borough to consider preparing their own neighbourhood plan.
Diane Watling
Chair
I moved to Richmond Park Road in 1989 and love living here. I am a retired research Biochemist. I am involved with the North Kingston Forum because I want to play a much stronger role in guiding the future change that is coming to North Kingston in a sensible and sustainable way. This is after all our home.
I am a keen allotmenteer and have been known to do a spot of guerrilla gardening. I help the Toads across Church Rd, Ham every spring and I help monitor the local Eel population every summer in the Hogsmill river. I am a seasoned Polar traveller.
Glen Keywood
Communications
I have lived in Richmond Park road since 2002 with my wife Laura and two children, Emily and James. We all love living in North Kingston and are keen to see the area develop and thrive whilst maintaining its beauty.
I was chair of BRaG residents assoc from 2011 to 2015 and am currently on the events planning committee. In my spare time I fly aeroplanes for BA, where I am a full time training Captain. I also love rugby watching and coaching.
I do my best to maintain the NKF website and twitter thread - I'm a bit of a novice so any feedback gratefully accepted.
Saphina Sharif
Community facilities group lead
I am a committee member of the North Kingston Forum and lead the Communities & Facilities working group. I have lived in North Kingston for over 10 years with my husband and two young daughters. I have spent most of my career working for a global engineering consultancy as a project manager and business development manager. Commissions include five years managing the enabling works project for the London2012 Olympics.
I am passionate about supporting the North Kingston community and using my business skills in strategy, project and change management, to benefit local volunteering initiatives. In addition to my involvement with the North Kingston Forum, I am a committee member of the Friends of Latchmere Rec, and a Governor at Fern Hill primary school.
Trevor Willis
Committee member
I have lived in Kingston for over 40 years and am passionate about this neighbourhood. Since retiring, I am very active with our community in leading the Canbury Gardens Working Group including the use and maintenance of the Bandstand.
I am the Chair of the Canbury Community Trust (Canbury Pavilion .
I am excited to be working on a Youth Programme which has been established with the help of Kingston Council and the local community working on exciting support projects.
I represent the local Canbury Gdns area and CARA on the Senior Policing Panel. Graffiti, litter and anti-social behaviour remain a problem, I lead on a team aiming to resolve with care.
I also actively support Care in the Community, Kingston Voluntary Action with the local Food banks and I am working with Kingston University and the Council on ideas to bring art and sculpture by local artists into the Town Centre area to re-kindle a sense of wellbeing during these tough times. We are actively seeking sponsors.
David Cockle
Committee Member
I was born in Kingston upon Thames, at the age of six my parents moved to Effingham in Surrey where I went to school.
I retained my links with Kingston through my childhood and teens, visiting my Grandparents and attending KCFE & Kingston Polytechnic.
I returned to Kingston in the 1980’s, moving into my Grandparents house in Latchmere Road; 38 years and three moves later I have stayed in North Kingston
A Chartered Civil Engineer, I have worked on Marine Projects, Bridges, Railways, Tramways & Hospitals in Britain and overseas. Semi-retired, I’m still active in the industry undertaking transport consultancy work.
I am enthusiastic about retaining, where possible, the character, historical and physical environment and advocate the raising of the design and build quality of commercial & residential extensions and new build properties in North Kingston.
Jonathan Rollason
Secretary
I have lived in Lower Kings road for more than 25 years and want to see Kingston evolve whilst retaining its character and being a great place to live. I am very concerned about the environment. I am also Deputy Chair of CARA (the Canbury and Riverside Association).
I run an online reverse auction platform called purchasingauctions but am winding down. I really enjoy my time with my grandchildren. Three of the five live in the borough. I care about their future
Howard Sheppard
Heritage & Design group lead
I was born and raised in Kingston and moved back to the borough 30 years ago where we built our own family home. My wife and I have three children and two grandchildren (so far). Before joining the Neighbourhood Forum in 2015, I was on the executive committee of the Kingston Society. I qualified as a Chartered Town Planner and Registered Architect and worked in the public and private sectors in London, Scotland and North America, spending much of my time in recent years working in London’s East End. Apart from my professional qualifications I have masters degrees in environmental conservation and in art history. I am now retired and look forward to domestic and world-wide explorations.
Malcolm Porter
Committee member
I am a retired Chartered Building Surveyor and Chartered Environmentalist who has enjoyed living in North Kingston with my family for 36 years.
My professional experience has ranged from conservation of World Heritage sites and ancient monuments, to fault identification within new construction, to refurbishment and repurposing of redundant design. Nowadays I am a volunteer, assisting a disabled persons cycling charity and using my experiences to provide feedback to the Forum in between supporting my family and endeavouring to improve my own health.
In retirement I enjoy the beauty of the outdoors as well as visiting historic buildings and gardens although a brain haemorrhage 7 years ago limits all that I would wish to do.
My intentions within the Forum are to contribute to plan and discussion that will assist to conserve the local character and viability that makes North Kingston such a desirable location for all.
John Parrish
Co-Opted Committee Member
Bio to come
Peter Greenwood
Committee Member
Bio to come