Agenda item

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.

The item was introduced by Councillor Paul Bell who explained a 5 year

designation period had been agreed in 2016 and there was now an

application by Deptford Neighbourhood Area for redesignation. The Council

had held a six week consultation on redesignation resulting in 34 responses

evenly split between supporters and opponents. Councillor Bell said such

lukewarm support was unusual and other applications had ranged between

93% and 97% in favour. Objections were deemed to be significant and

indicated that community support was inconclusive at best.

The Director of Planning informed the Cabinet that late representations from

DNA and other parties had been received and published on the website. Her

conclusion having considered all evidence submitted was that redesignation

could not be supported given the level of support and neighbourhood planning

needed a larger group brought together to achieve agreed outcomes.

Vanessa Celosse on behalf of DNA addressed the Cabinet. She believed

DNA qualified to be redesignated and aimed to produce a Neighbourhood

Plan. She pointed out the outputs DNA had achieved and the consultations it

had carried out in Deptford where it had reached out to deprived communities.

She quoted the support received from the Deptford Society and Len Duvall

AM.

The Mayor said he understood the disappointment felt by DNA but there

remained a need so achieve a Neighbourhood Plan that had widespread

community support. He suggested Len Duvall AM be asked to act as a

conduit to bring to together all the groupings that wished to be involved.

In concluding, Councillor Bell embraced the idea of Len Duvall AM becoming

a possible future neutral conduit. He said he could not ignore the weight of

objections to redesignation which included five out of the six ward councillors.

He stressed he was proposing that redesignation was not being

recommended rather than any dedesignation.

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 for the reasons set out in the report and by a vote of 6-0:

RESOLVED 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.