Decision details

Having considered an open officer report and confidential appendices, and

presentations by a member of the public, Vanessa Celosse and by the

Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning, Councill or Paul Bell, the Mayor and

Cabinet agreed that

(1) the application for the re-designation of Deptford neighbourhood Action

forum be refused for the following reasons:

a) Whilst officers acknowledge the commitment and hard work carried out by

the forum to date, they are not convinced that the purpose of the forum

continues to reflect, in general terms, the character of the neighbourhood

planning area under section 61F(7)(a)(iii) of the TCPA 1990, as found through

the public consultation held on the forum re-designation application where

50% of the representations made objected to the re-designation of the forum.

b) Furthermore with competing community groups in the area and strained

relationships between the forum and other prominent groups, Officers remain

unconvinced that proceeding with the process will fulfil the forums agreed

constitution “to encourage, empower and enable the involvement of all

communities living and working in the defined neighbourhood area in the

preparation, production and implementation of the neighbourhood

Development plan” or to “Encourage community cohesion and active

citizenship” therefore concluding that the forum has not fulfilled the criteria of

having membership drawn from different places in the neighbourhood area

concerned and from different sections of the community in that area as

outlined under section 61F(7)(a)(ii) of the TCPA

(2) Officers be directed to work with community groups within the

neighbourhood area to establish whether a viable neighbourhood planning or

masterplanning process can be established to incorporate the views of all

community groups and the general public.