Role and Responsibility

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The Forum is a statutory consultee for planning matters impacting South Newnham and the Committee operates on behalf of Forum members in four ways:

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1. The Committee may contribute to formal and ad hoc planning consultations on behalf of the Forum at national, regional and city level when these arise.  An example is the August 2020 government White Paper entitled “Planning for the Future” which is open for consultation until 29 October 2020.

2. The Committee provides input to Cambridge City Local Area Plans, having actively engaged with City Planners on the 2018 Local Plan and as at mid-2020 is actively providing input on the latest plan that is being developed by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire for completion in 2023.

3. Neighbourhood Plan

Under the 2011 Localism Act, the Forum has the right to prepare and submit a Neighbourhood Plan that when approved would become part of Cambridge Planning law applicable to South Newnham. With extensive support from members, the Committee completed a Neighbourhood Plan in 2019 but did not submit the Plan for final assessment as in late 2019 the combined Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Planning Authority started to develop a new plan for 2023 with different priorities that address the threats of climate change and declining biodiversity. As the direction for the 2023 plan becomes clear, it is the Committee’s intention to revise the existing draft Neighbourhood Plan in line with the emerging Local Plan.

    4. Planning Applications

As a statutory consultee for planning applications, the Forum is invited to review and comment on Planning Applications within South Newnham. In this role, the Forum Committee is responsible to South Newnham residents and Forum members for supporting planning applications that actively meet the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (2019), and comply with the current Cambridge City Local Plan (2018) and the West Cambridge (2009) and Newnham Croft (2013) Conservation Area Appraisals. Where planning applications do not meet these requirements, the committee may object to the application and reference the applicable Policies that have not been complied with.

 

The Committee may be able to provide advice to residents thinking of extending their house or developing a site in South Newnham, or to residents affected by a planning application, particularly if the property is in a Conservation Area.  In particular, the committee will actively support elderly or infirm residents, or residents who do not have access to digital technology so that such residents are not disadvantaged.

 

Values

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The Committee works to fairly represent Forum members and the residents of South Newnham on planning matters in line with applicable planning policy and free from personal interest.  The Committee actively seeks input from members and comes to conclusions on planning matters through discussion and debate, with documents drafted, circulated, reviewed, and revised until the Committee reaches a consensus.

 

Committee members must declare any personal or business ‘conflict of interest’ with the activities of the Forum and may not vote on a matter where they have a potential conflict of interest.

 

Committee members may submit planning applications and are expected to fully comply with applicable Planning Policies both in word and spirit such that any planning application made by them represents best practice. ​

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Committee response to Coronavirus Pandemic

 

As at August 2020, the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to impact routine operations of the Forum Committee given the ongoing requirement to social distance, and the limits on meetings both out- and in-doors.  Committee business is being undertaken by e-mail and Zoom meetings so that consultation and planning application timelines are met. In line with government guidelines, no face-to-face committee meetings are currently taking place

 

We would normally have held an AGM in May, but this has been postponed in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic.  An AGM will be held when this can be done safely and in line with government guidelines.

                                                                                                                                                           

March 2022

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At the end of its five-year designation, the Forum applied to Cambridge City Council in March 2022 for redesignation.  Following a six-week consultation process, the Forum was formally redesignated on 21st July 2022, by the Executive Councillor for Planning and Infrastructure for Cambridge City Council. See link for the public record of the redesignation: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/neighbourhood-area-designations

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