THE CONSTITUTION OF KENTISH TOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM (KTNF)
Adopted at the Inaugural Annual General Meeting 19 January 2012
Amended at the Special General Meeting 23 April 2012
Minor Amendments 17 October 2012
Statement of General Policies and Objectives
A Neighbourhood Plan will be drawn up by KTNF (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Forum’). The Neighbourhood Plan will identify vacant and underused sites such as areas for possible sensitive development that will, within the Local Development Framework, include affordable housing. The Neighbourhood Plan will also specify the preservation of existing heritage buildings.
i) The Forum will press for the preservation of land used for public purposes and services
ii) The Forum will consult with Camden Council and others to improve the local street environment, to respect green issues, sustainability and the preservation and improvement of green open spaces and playgrounds.
iii) The Forum will make very effort to help shops and businesses within the Forum Area to flourish. The Forum will press for continuing environmental improvements to the High Street.
iv) The Forum will support local groups in dealing with licensing and planning applications.
v) The Forum will work with appropriate organisations to maintain and generate greater employment in the Forum Area.
vi) The Forum will emphasise social benefit; community links, services for young people, the reduction of crime, the generation of neighbourliness and companionship especially for the elderly and housebound.
1. The Area of the Forum
1.1 The Area of Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum encompasses the north and central area of Kentish Town – on the north side it runs east along the north side of Little Green Street and Ingestre Road and the Ingestre Estate and then it encircles Acland Burghley School. From there (omitting Tufnell Park Station) it runs south down the west side of Brecknock Road and then down the west of Camden Road. It then crosses from east to west below Bartholomew Road, above Rochester Road. It then runs south along the east side of Kentish Town Road down to the railway bridge. From there it runs north up the west side of Kentish Town Road, including all the shops and buildings in that stretch including 187 Kentish Town Road. It then turns west along the centre of Castle Road. From the end of Castle Road it follows the west side of the railway line north, including Kentish Town West station, and then it encircles Arctic Street. The boundary goes back onto the railway line and goes north until it meets the bridge over the First Capital Connect railway line. Before the bridge it goes east and then northeast up to the north side of Carker’s Lane to join the east side of Highgate Road and continues north to join up at the northern corner of Little Green Street where it meets Highgate Road.
1.2 A map of the area showing the boundaries is attached to this Constitution.
1.3 The Area of the Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum
Kentish Town is an identifiable area with a sense of community that we would like to foster.
1.4 The Area has also been identified because Representative Residents Associations, Conservation Area Advisory Committees, Tenants Associations, individual local businesses, Kentish Town Community Centre, Transition Kentish Town, Kentish TownPolice, local schools, GP surgeries, the Church, well-known community groups and individuals have been consulted in creating this Neighbourhood Forum. They are described as Representative Local Associations (RLA), Local Organisations (LO) and Individuals in this Constitution (see Appendix A). The Forumhasthe support of Camden Ward Councillors within the Area.
1.5 Membership of The Neighbourhood Forum shall be open to all residents living in the Area and all businesses operating in the Area and all people wanting to live in the Area.
2. The Purpose of the Neighbourhood Forum
2.1 The Neighbourhood Forum is set up under the provisions of the Localism Act. The main purpose of Neighbourhood Forums in that Act is to produce a Neighbourhood Plan to further the social, economic and environmental well-being of individuals and organisations in the Area. We may wish to be more ambitious and act in many other creative ways to support and improve the Area.
2.2 Our tasks and objectives are outlined in our General Policies and Objectives which will be developed in the months following our first Annual General Meeting.
2.3 We will support and coordinate the views and actions of our constituent groups –Representative Local Associations and Local Organisations and Individuals. We will work with Camden Council.
2.4 Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum will be run respecting all differences including gender, age, race and ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability and income.
3. Membership and management
3.1 Representative Local Associations, Local Organisations and all residents living in the Area are entitled to become registered members of KTNF and will then be entitled to come to and vote at Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings. All Ward Councillors within the Area are automatically members of the Forum.
3.2 Annual General Meetings will be held in January to elect a Committee and to agree and lay down General Policies and Objectives.
3.3 Special General Meetings can be called by a majority of all committee members or by 30 members requesting one by e-mail or letter to the Secretary.
3.4 The Forum Committee, consisting of up to 15 members, will be elected at an Annual General Meeting from members of Representative Local Associations, Local Organisations and Individuals, with the majority being from Representative Local Associations, ie. 8 members from RLAs and 7 members from LOs and Individuals. The quorum for The Forum Committee meetings will be 7 representatives of Representative Local Associations, Local Organisations and Individuals with the majority being from Representative Local Associations. The Chair will hold a casting vote if necessary
3.5 Officers: The Forum Committee will be subject to re-election at an Annual General Meeting. The Committee will elect a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer who will serve for one year.
3.6 The Forum Committee will meet at least quarterly to carry out the General Policies and Objectives decided at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.
3.7 Sub-committees or working parties can be appointed by The Forum Committee to carry out specific tasks, consider policies and to advise The Forum Committee.
3.8 Co-option: The Forum Committee can co-opt replacement members up to the fullcommittee number of 15. Co-opted members will have the same voting rights as all the other members of the Committee, in keeping with the RLA majority balance. They will be able to stand as officers.
3.9 A Committee member shall be asked to resign if failing, without reasonable explanation and previous apology, to attend 2 consecutive committee meetings.
3.10 Minutes of General and Forum Committee meetings will be taken by the Secretary and circulated by e-mail to registered members within 3 weeks of meetings. The Minutes will be available for anyone to read in Kentish Town Library and will be posted on the website.
3.11 Registered members: If people wish to be consulted, receive notices of meetings and Minutes they can register with the Secretary by e-mail.
3.12 In order to have and demonstrate authority to speak and vote for the area Representative Local Associations and Local Organisations will be required to submit to The Forum Committee, annually and in writing, proof that they are representative and have a mandate for the views of their members. This proof will consist of a description of their membership and in what way they have such a mandate or legitimacy to speak for their areas, whether by consulting their members or, for example Kentish Town Road Action or the Kentish Town Business Association, being demonstrably a voice for other organisations or businesses.
4. Notices
4.1 Notices about General Meetings will be circulated and published 14 days before the meeting by a posting on the Kentish Town Library notice board as well as by e-mail to all registered members. If we can afford it, or it can be run as editorial content, we will announce meetings in the local press.
5. Finance
5.1 The Forum Committee will open a bank account. Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer will all be signatories for cheques that will require two signatures.
5.2 If it is possible that any liability could attach to members or officers of The Forum Committee we will investigate and arrange insurance or some sort of limited liability status.
6. Amendment of the Constitution including the Area of the Neighbourhood Forum
6.1 Amendments to the Constitution that the Committee consider to be minor can be made by the Committee, subject to the amendments being notified to all registered members for their comments.If 30 or more registered members object then 6.2 will take effect.
6.2 Major Amendments of the Constitution will be by a majority at a General Meeting with notice of the proposed amendment. This also applies to any winding up of Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum. Any balance left in any account held by The Forum Committee will, subject to statutory regulations, be distributed equally to the constituent local organisations.
6.3 If local people or organisations wish to change the Constitution, or General Policies and Objectives they should give due notice of this to the Secretary 21 days before the General Meeting so this proposal can be circulated.
6.4 The law as drafted says that Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum will be valid for five years. We will take whatever steps are needed to renew our existence.
7. Register of Committee Members’ Interests
There will be a Register of Committee Members’ Interests kept by the Secretary and open to inspection detailing any financial involvement or interests paid or unpaid in the Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum Area.
APPENDIX A
Representative Local Associations as at 25.09.12
(Description: Within the Neighbourhood Forum Area: Residents Associations, Tenants Associations, Business Associations, Conservation Area Advisory Committees)
Kentish Town Road Action – KTRA
Kentish Town Business Association – KTBA
Highgate Road Residents Association
Leighton Road Neighbourhood Association – LRNA
Bartholomew Area Residents Association – BARA
Bartholomew and Kentish Town CAAC (Conservation Area Advisory Committee)
Inkerman Area Residents Association – IARA
Prince of Wales Residents Association – POWRA
Kelly Street Residents Association – KSRA
Hadley Street Residents Association
Torriano Cottages Residents Association
Kennistoun & Willingham Tenants and Residents Association
North Kentish Town Association
Local Organisations as at 14.10.2012
(Description: Within the Neighbourhood Forum Area: Individual local residents, community centres, environmental groups, individual local businesses, schools, churches, GP surgeries, Police, Fire Services etc)
St Luke’s Church, Oseney Crescent
Transition Kentish Town
Kentish Town Community Centre
55 Holmes Road
Boma Garden Centre
Earth Natural Foods
The Grafton Public House
The Assembly House
MAP Café
Kentish Canteen
Tolli Patisserie
B & S Homecare
London Bead Company
Pane Vino
Crossroads Women’s Centre
Family and Young People’s Centre (SYDRC)
Caversham Elder People’s Organization (CEPO)
Kentish Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team
Individuals as at 25.09.2012
Richard Burton
Mereille Burton
Richard Lansdown
Sara Feilden
APPENDIX B
Website: We aim to establish a website on which the Constitution, notices of meetings and Minutes will be posted and discussions can take place.
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Footnote: Rationale for the Constitution of the Forum Committee.
The Constitution has been drafted to ensure that control of the Forum cannot be taken over by unrepresentative groups: eg. one particular interest group.
Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum 