An update on the Forum’s renewal
Update on Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Forum’s application to Council for formal recognition (called ‘designation’)
The statutory five-year life of the Forum ended in August 2022. A Forum is a group of local people who help administer the local Neighbourhood Plan.
We submitted a new application to the Council in August of that year to be formally designated. After a long delay, in June 2023, the Mayor rejected our application. The official minute stated: ‘The Mayor in Cabinet was not assured that the membership of the forum included representatives from different sections of the community in the area and thus refused the application for redesignation.’
The Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Forum was first designated in 2017 and now consists of over 300 local people.
The Forum continues its work
While waiting for redesignation the Forum has continued to function, despite this lack of recognition from the Council. We have worked to widen our membership through outreach to local community groups, participating in local initiatives and our online newsletters.
Committee members have attended networking meetings of local agencies; supported efforts to bring back into community use the former Growing Concerns site at 2 Wick Lane, and the initiative of the East London Garden Society to develop a waste food project in Bow. We have also supported the new joint NHS/Council programme in Old Ford, Communities Keeping Well.
Developments that Forum members have submitted comments on during the year:
- Redevelopment of Caxton Hall in Caxton Grove.
- Future of Clare House site owned by Clarion (Hawthorn Avenue)
- Proposed new 6th Form building for Central Foundation Girls’ School
- Early engagement in reviewing the new Local Plan
We also wrote to the Department for Levelling Up early in 2024 about our concerns about the way accumulated funds from local developments, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), have been reallocated by the current administration and their proposals for future decisions over CIL.
Submission of a new application for Council recognition
We submitted a new application for designation on 5th April 2024, ensuring the required 21 names on the form were from diverse ethnicities and ages from across the Plan area.
Thanks to all who supported us at our well-attended Annual General Meeting in July at the Bow Idea Store which saw the election of a new committee. 24 people were present, demonstrating support for the Forum from across Bow.
Representatives of the committee had a very positive meeting with members of the Council’s Plan Making Team on 6th August. We were informed that the statutory six-week consultation on our application will now take place from 28th August – 10th October 2024.
Call to Action – show your support
For the Council to redesignate the Forum we must demonstrate there is support for the Forum during a six-week consultation by the Council. It is crucial that you express your support for the Forum’s application for recognition by the Council before 10th October 2024.
Suggested wording for your support might be: “I am writing to express my support for re-designating Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Forum. This will enable our local community to have a say over future developments in the plan area and ensure the approved neighbourhood plan is implemented.”
You can view our application on the Council’s website on the neighbourhood planning pages.
Please send your emails of support to: neighbourhoodplanning@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Thank you for your support.