Hackney Planning Watch campaigners to petition council to say no to neighbourhood forums

Part of a leaflet produced by Hackney Planning Watch

Campaign group Hackney Planning Watch is urging people to sign a petition asking the council to reject neighbourhood forum proposals in Hackney – including its own.

Two applications have been submitted to Hackney Council – one from the Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Forum (SHNF) and the other from the North Hackney Neighbourhood Forum (NHNF) – which is run by Hackney Planning Watch.

Neighbourhood forums are part of the vision of the Localism Act 2011, which aims to provide local people with a greater say on where they live.

Under the Act, forums – which must be made up of at least 21 local people – would have planning powers and be able to deliver specific developments that the community wants, including where homes, businesses and shops should be built and how they look.

However, according to John Page of Hackney Planning Watch, “planning is simply too divisive an issue in this part of the borough for a forum to work”. He is urging support not for the NHNF but for a petition that is against the devolution of powers.

Mr Page said: “I think what the Government had in mind [was] smaller, rural communities where there would be a ‘consensus’ on what was needed in a small geographical area.”

He added: “The council have yet to formally consider our concerns, but they have indicated that they will adopt objective criteria against which to judge any proposed forums.”

So far 955 people have signed the Hackney Planning Watch petition. The proposal put forward by SHNF, which is chaired by Conservative councillor Linda Kelly and has Liberal Democrat councillor Dawood Akoon and former Labour councillor Stephen Sartain as vice-chairs, would cover four wards in Hackney – Springfield, New River, Lordship and Cazenove.

The Hackney Council website states that: “Assessment criteria to ensure that any forum, were it to be designated, is fully inclusive, representative of, and positively contributes to the socio-economic wellbeing of the neighbourhood, will be developed over the coming weeks.”

Conservative London Assembly Member Andrew Boff said: “Hackney Planning Watch have argued that decisions about how Stamford Hill should develop should be made in Mare Street [Town Hall].

“I think local people should have a say. Anyone can sign up to the Stamford Hill Forum to help develop the plan and, when their plan is put to the people through a referendum, can support or oppose it. What’s not to like?”

Residents of Hackney have until 4pm on Tuesday 7 May to share their opinions about neighbourhood forums with the council.

Email your comments on the proposed neighbourhood area and proposed neighbourhood forum to ldf@hackney.gov.uk or call Hackney Council for more information on 020 8356 8084.