Waltham Forest Council has agreed to send a letter to the Minister for Women and Equalities, calling for legislative support for trans and non-binary people. The decision was made during a full council meeting on Thursday, July 16, 2026, where a motion on Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex Inclusion in Waltham Forest was debated and passed.
The council is requesting that the Minister introduce novel positive legislative support for trans and non-binary people.
This call for legislative backing comes as the council reaffirms its commitment to being a Borough of Sanctuary and protecting residents from discrimination based on gender reassignment.
The motion, put forward by the Green Group, outlines several key commitments. These include a review of all relevant council policies to ensure explicit protection from discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment, which is to be completed within six months with a report back to the relevant scrutiny committee. Furthermore, trans awareness and inclusion will be integrated into mandatory equalities training for all staff and elected members as part of the council's HR policies.
A significant aspect of the motion is the commitment that self-identification will be sufficient for accessing services in normal circumstances.
Exceptions to this principle need not apply when there is a reasonable suspicion of danger to a service user, bystander, or employee, or where there is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Additionally, the council resolved that new and refurbished council-owned public buildings will include non-gendered toilet and changing facilities where practicable. The council will also instruct the relevant Cabinet Member to bring forward a report on the feasibility and phasing of retrofitting existing council buildings
to include such facilities.
The Director of Public Health is instructed to work with NHS partners to identify and address barriers faced by trans, non-binary, and intersex residents in accessing appropriate healthcare in the borough.
During the debate, Councillor Emma Best expressed concerns about the motion's legal standing and suggested a cross-party task and finish group. Councillor Sallis stated, I don't believe that this motion achieves the balance that our residents deserve, and it is with very deep regret that I don't feel I can support it tonight.
She expressed concerns about biological sex and safeguarding for women and girls.
In contrast, Councillor Aldo argued against the notion that trans women pose a risk in toilets, drawing parallels to historical segregation and stating that trans people, according to peer-reviewed studies, are far more likely to experience assault than they are to perpetrate assault.
The motion also notes that The revised EHRC Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations, laid before Parliament in May 2026, reaffirms that organisations have significant discretion in how they design and deliver inclusive services.
The council is requesting confirmation that this code is designed to support inclusive service delivery, as outlined by this motion, rather than enabling exclusion.
Following the debate, the motion was passed, with the council agreeing to send the letter to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The full agenda for the meeting can be found here, and the public reports pack is available here.
