Decision details

Notice is hereby given that the Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning,has made the following executive decision on the above mentioned subject for the reasons set out below.

Summary of Decision

That the Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning agreed to re- designate the Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum for a further period of 5 years and a formal designation notice is published under delegated authority of the Director of Policy andProjects.

Reasons for Decision

Section 61F (7) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted into the Act by the Localism Act, Schedule 9) sets out the conditions that a neighbourhood forum must meet, as well as the considerations that a local planning authority must take into account when determining an application for the designation of a neighbourhood forum. These legislative aspects are set out ingreaterdetailinSection6of thereport.

The legislation states that a local planning authority may designate an organisationorbodyasa neighbourhood forum iftheauthorityissatisfiedthat anumber ofconditions (inthetablebelow)havebeenmet. TheexistingMaidaHillNeighbourhoodForum meetsalloftheseconditions,andtherehasbeen nochange inthissincetheoriginaldesignation.

The City Council is also required to have regard to whether membership is drawnfromdifferentplacesintheneighbourhoodarea concerned andfrom different sections of the community in that area. The application submitted by theForumindicates thatmembershipoftheMaidaHillNeighbourhood  Forum isat least25 members,andthattheForumrepresentstheinterestsoflocal residentsand businesses.Thelistofmembers hasalsobeen providedbythe Forum. The application also mentions that the Forum have an emailing list of 500 local people and 30 localcommunity organisations.

The City Council is also required to assess whether the purposeof the neighbourhood forumreflects(ingeneralterms)thecharacterof thearea.The application submitted by the Forum for re-designation states that theForumwas established to promote: A good mix of facilities and amenities, an attractive character and identity, a healthier environment, a good qualityphysical environment, a low carbon footprint and local employment and enterprise.Thestatementofpurposealsooutlines thattheforumwillimprove the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the area using itsplanninginfluence.

Consultation onthere-designationoftheMaidaHillNeighbourhoodForum highlighted support for the application, no objections, or competing applications.Furtherdetailsare provided in section9 ofthereport.