Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Forum’s fresh bid for planning powers

Cllr Linda Kelly (centre) with other members of the nascent Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Forum committee last year

A bitter row between rival factions is set to be reignited after nascent community group the Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Forum mounted a fresh campaign to influence planning decisions.

The group represented by Conservative councillor Linda Kelly wants power over decisions around contentious issues like loft conversions.

Its previous bid to gain some planning powers under legislation introduced as part of the Localism Act was thwarted last year by rival group Hackney Planning Watch (HPW).

Last July HPW submitted its own application, leading Hackney Council to deny both collectives any right to influence planning matters.

HPW remains opposed to the Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Forum and has claimed Cllr Kelly, who will be running for Mayor of Hackney in May, is “exploiting community tensions over planning issues for her own political ends”.

Cllr Kelly said she did not want to talk in depth about the plans until Hackney Council’s consultation on the application ends later this month.

But she added: “We have got the best intentions. We just want something better than what we have got.”

The new application covers a smaller area of influence than the original one, although HPC believes the difference is minimal.

Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Forum’s application states the group believes it represents the diversity of the area and has approached HPW to try and reach a compromise.

Residents have until the 31 January to express their opinions on the application to the council.

Details of the application can be found here.

Related:

Rival Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Forums rejected by Hackney Council