QCNF

CONSTITUTION

The constitution was agreed at a meeting of Queen’s Crescent Neighbourhood Forum on 15.03.23, attended by Cllr. Jenny Mulholland.

Queen’s Crescent Neighbourhood Forum: Constitution

  1. Name

The name of the group is the “Queen’s Crescent Neighbourhood Forum” (“the Forum”).

  • Neighbourhood area

The area of the Forum is shown on the map at Annex 1 and is based on the historic neighbourhood of west Kentish Town with its centre being Queen’s Crescent market. This is referred to elsewhere in this constitution as the Neighbourhood Area.

The Neighbourhood Area has very hard boundaries in almost every direction. For inner London, they are unusually impermeable. They are:

  • To the west: the old field boundary between Maitland Park estate and the rear of the properties on Park Hill Road
  • To the east: the railway viaduct that forms the western boundary of the Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum area
  • To the north: Mansfield Road
  • To the south: Chalk Farm Road

People living outside these boundaries are unlikely to come into the neighbourhood for work, shopping, leisure or even to use travel nodes. Conversely, this gives the people who do live within the area a particularly high stake in its future development.

  • Objectives

The objectives of the Forum shall be to:

a)    Enable the participation and involvement of all who live or work in the Neighbourhood Area in the preparation, production and implementation of the Neighbourhood Development Plan.

b)    Protect and improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of the Neighbourhood Area for the benefit of individuals living, working, training and attending school within the Neighbourhood Area, and local businesses.

c)    Encourage imaginative and environmentally regenerative proposals to support planning and development appropriate to the diverse nature of the Neighbourhood Area.  Foster community spirit, encourage civic engagement and support activities that address the climate and ecological emergency.

d)    Address issues of local concern involving and including housing, schools, amenities, workspaces, businesses, community facilities and safety the Neighbourhood Area and to promote high standards of town planning, urban design and architecture. By:

Prioritising the development of means by which to support and protect existing workspaces, market, services, shops and businesses and having, at its core, the needs and interests of those businesses that remain affordable to those in the community. Promoting methods by which to protect existing businesses in the event of a pandemic or similar event.

Defending the interests of the current residents of the neighbourhood against housing and community decline and deterioration, ensuring the neighbourhood remains an affordable, dignified and welcoming environment for the people and families living in the area.

e)    Devise a comprehensive strategy for the management, protection and integration of West Kentish Town Conservation Area in the context of the wider neighbourhood, ensuring the quality and appropriateness of development and design across the area as a whole, with respect to its various character areas, extending some of the principles applied to the conservation area.

4. Powers

In furtherance of the objectives, the Forum may exercise the power to:

  • Invite and receive contributions and raise funds where appropriate, to finance the work of the Forum, and to open a bank account to manage such funds
  • Publicise and promote the work of the Forum and organise meetings, training courses, events or seminars relevant to its work
  • Work with groups of a similar nature and exchange information, advice and knowledge with them, including co-operation with other voluntary bodies, charities, statutory and non-statutory organisations
  • Employ staff (who shall not be members of the Management Committee) as necessary to conduct activities that meet the objectives of the Forum
  • Take any form of action that is lawful, necessary to achieve the objectives of the Forum, including taking out any contracts which it may see fit.

5. Membership

The Forum shall have a minimum of 21 (twenty one) members at all times. The Management Committee shall maintain a register of members and make it available to any member of the Forum who requests it.

Members will apply for membership and the Forum shall have the power to accept members.

In exceptional circumstances the Forum may refuse membership or may terminate or suspend the membership of any member by resolution passed at a Forum meeting where it is considered membership would be detrimental to the objectives and activities of the Forum (possible reasons include being disruptive at meetings and conflict of interest).

Membership is open to:

  • all who live or work in the Neighbourhood Area
  • all businesses located in the Neighbourhood Area of the Forum. Businesses may nominate up to two people in their membership application, but they may exercise only one voting right at General and Annual General Meetings of the Forum
  • all constituted voluntary and community groups which operate in the Neighbourhood Area. Voluntary and Community groups may nominate up to two people in their membership application, but they may exercise only one voting right at General and Annual General Meetings of the Forum
  • Elected London Borough Council members who represent wards in the Neighbourhood Area.

Membership shall be drawn from different places in the Neighbourhood Area and different sections of the community.

Any member is required to notify the Forum of any potential conflict of interest where decisions of the Forum may have a direct effect on their personal or business activities.

Any member of the Forum may resign from membership by providing the Forum with written notice.

6. Forum meetings

All decisions at Forum meetings shall be made on a show of hands of members who are entitled to vote at the meeting.

  1. General meetings

General Meetings of Forum members shall take place at least 2 (two) times per year.

Notice and an agenda for a General Meeting of the Forum to Forum members shall be 10 (ten) working days.

The quorum required for a General Meeting to conduct business shall be 10 (ten) Forum members.

  • Annual General Meetings/Special Meetings

An Annual General Meeting of Forum members shall take place once in every calendar year.

Notice and an agenda for an Annual General Meeting to Forum members shall be 15 (fifteen) working days.

The quorum required for an Annual General Meeting to conduct business shall be 15 (fifteen) Forum Members.

The Annual General meeting shall:

Elect the Management Committee of the Forum for the following year.

Receive a report from the Management Committee of the Forum of the activities that have taken place in the previous year.

Receive an annual statement from the Treasurer.

Receive an annual membership statement.

Elections to the Management Committee shall take place as follows:

Forum members shall notify the Secretary of the Forum of their intention to stand for a place on the Management Committee in writing and at least 5 (five) working days before the Annual General Meeting takes place.

At the Annual General Meeting elections shall be held on the basis of a show of hands for each candidate.

Special Meetings may be called by the Management Committee to consider amendments to the constitution or dissolution of the Forum. These shall be subject to the same notice and quorum as Annual General Meetings.

7. Management Committee

The Management Committee of the Forum shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting of the Forum and shall consist of a minimum of 6 (six) members and up to a maximum of 12 (twelve).

Management Committee meetings will be held a minimum of 4 times per year.

Notice to members of the Management Committee of a Management Committee meeting shall be 5 working days.

The quorum required for a Management Committee meeting to conduct business shall be [half] the number of members of the management committee at the time.

The Management Committee may set up Working Groups with terms of reference to undertake tasks in furtherance of the Forum’s objectives. All such working groups must include at least one management committee member.

8. Officers of the Management Committee

The role of any officer of the Management Committee may be shared by two members of the Management Committee.

The Chair of the Management Committee shall be responsible for:

  • Calling and chairing meetings of the Management Committee of the Forum, General Meetings and Annual General meetings of the membership of the Forum.
  • Exercising a casting vote on elections and resolutions at meetings of the Forum and its Management Committee.
  • Have the power to take decisions on urgent matters between meetings of the Management Committee, which must be ratified at the next management meeting.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for:

  • Maintaining the financial records of the Forum
  • Be responsible for presenting a budget, annually for the following year to the Forum Annual General Meeting
  • Submit a detailed summary of the accounts at every Management Committee meeting
  • Act as a joint signatory on the Forum account with any one of two other members of the management committee.

The Secretary shall:

  • Be responsible for organising meetings, taking and circulating the minutes of the Management Committee and of the Forum and making them available to members as required.
  • Co-ordinating the activities of any working groups
    The Membership Secretary shall: Maintain a register of members of the Forum and the Forum Constitution for inspection by Forum Members.
  • Co-ordinate contact with members of the Forum and initiate campaigns to maintain and increase the membership of the Forum.
  • The finances of the Forum

Any money acquired by the Forum, including donations, contributions and bequests, shall be paid into an account operated by the Management Committee in the name of the Forum.

All funds must be applied solely to the objectives of the Forum. Bank accounts shall be opened in the name of the Forum.

Any deeds, cheques etc relating to the Forum’s bank account shall be signed by any 2 (two) out of 3 (three) Management Committee members, 1 (one) of whom must be the Treasurer.

Any income/expenditure shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer who will be accountable to ensure funds are utilised effectively and that the Forum stays within its budget.

Official accounts shall be maintained and will be examined annually by an independent accountant who is not a member of the Forum.

An annual financial report shall be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting of the Forum.

  1. Neighbourhood Planning

Any decision to submit to the local planning authority for approval any Neighbourhood Development Plan shall be subject to a vote at a special General Meeting of the Forum.

All consultation on the Neighbourhood Development Plan will take place with residents, workers and businesses in the Neighbourhood Area whether members of the Forum or not.

The management committee shall be delegated to work with the local planning authority and any independent experts and advisors on the Neighbourhood Development Plan as they see fit.

At the discretion of the Forum Management Committee Working Groups can be delegated the tasks of preparing parts of the Neighbourhood Development Plan. All such Working Groups will include at least one management committee member.

  1. Alteration of the Constitution

Any changes to this constitution must be agreed by a majority vote at a special general meeting, called specifically for the purpose under the same conditions that apply to Annual General Meetings specified above.

Proposed amendments to this Constitution or dissolution of the Forum must be conveyed to the Secretary formally in writing. The Secretary and other officers of the Forum shall then decide whether to put the proposed amendments to a special general meeting of the Forum for discussion and decision.

  1. Duration

The duration of the Forum is 5 years from the date of its designation.

  1. Dissolution

The Forum may be dissolved if deemed necessary by the members in a majority vote at a special meeting. Any assets or remaining funds after debts have been paid shall be returned to their providers or transferred to local charities or similar groups at the discretion of the Management Committee.

This constitution was adopted at a General Meeting of the QUEEN’S CRESCENT NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN FORUM held on [                                                        ].

Annex 1  Map of Neighbourhood Area