D R A F T
DEPTFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION CONSTITUTION
1. NAME
Deptford Neighbourhood Action referred to elsewhere in
this Constitution as “D.N.A.”, is the name of our neighbourhood forum as defined in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended by the Localism Act 2011.
2. NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA
The D.N.A. neighbourhood area is shown on the attached map, referred to elsewhere in this constitution as the neighbourhood area, and may be changed by the Forum Committee as it considers necessary from time to time.
The neighbourhood area is the developed residential and business part of the area which local people traditionally consider to be 'Deptford'.
The neighbourhood area falls within the boundaries of two London Boroughs, Lewisham & Greenwich.
3. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of D.N.A. are:
· To prepare in partnership with the relevant local planning authority (ies) a sustainable
Neighbourhood Development Plan for the Neighbourhood area.
· To initiate Neighbourhood Development Orders or Community Right to Build Orders, identify Assets of Community Value, and carry out any other permitted actions in order to promote and improve the social, economic and environmental well being of the Neighbourhood area.
· To encourage the good will, empower and enable the involvement of all communities living in the defined neighbourhood area in the preparation, production and implementation of the Neighbourhood Development Plan which will aim to develop:
1. The health of the local community; clean air, and carbon reductions to EU standards;
2. Safety for pedestrians and cyclists on roads and pathways
3. The number and quality of new homes made available for local people on low incomes
4. The amount of Green Spaces and Parks and the promotion of environmental education
5. Support for small local businesses and market traders
6. Promoting and protecting all forms of local heritage
7. Fostering community cohesion and encouragingactive citizenship.
4. POWERS
In furtherance of the objects, but not otherwise, the Forum Committee of D.N.A may
exercise the power to:
· Invite and receive contributions and raise funds where appropriate, to finance it's work
and to open a bank account to manage such funds.
· Set up working groups with terms of reference to undertake tasks in furtherance of its
objectives. All such working groups must include at least one management committee
member.
· Publicise and promote the work of D.N.A. 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 cooperation with other voluntary bodies, charities, statutory and non-statutory organisations
· Employ staff (who shall not be members of the Management Committee) as are necessary
to conduct activities that meet the objectives of D.N.A.
· Take any form of action that is lawful, which is necessary to achieve the objectives of
D.N.A, including taking out any contracts agreed by the Management Committee.
5. AFFILIATIONS
The Forum shall not be affiliated to any political party or organisation.
6. MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to all people aged 16 years and over who meet any one of the following criteria, in that they:
•live in the neighbourhood area (see 2. Above) either as individual members or via representative bodies such as those outlined below; or
•run a local business in the neighbourhood area (Business operators may nominate up to two people in their membership application but they may only exercise one voting right at D.N.A. General and Annual General Meetings); or
•work in the local area either on a paid or voluntary basis; or
•are an elected Lewisham or Greenwich London Borough Council member representing a ward in the neighbourhood area; or
•are a member of a constituted voluntary or community group which operates in
the neighbourhood area. (Voluntary and Community groups may nominate up to two people in their membership application but they may only exercise one voting right at D.N.A. General and Annual General Meetings);
The Forum Committee members shall be drawn from different places in the neighbourhood area and different sections of the community.
D.N.A. shall have a minimum of 21 (twenty one) members, and the Forum Secretary shall maintain a register of members at all times and make it available to any D.N.A. member or the public who requests it. Members will apply for membership and the Forum Committee shall have the power to accept members. Members of the Forum must be 16 (sixteen) years of age and over.
Any D.N.A. member may resign from membership by providing the Forum Committee Secretary with written notice.
The Forum Committee may refuse membership, or may terminate or suspend the
membership of any member by resolution passed at a Forum Committee meeting where it is
considered membership would be detrimental to D.N.A.'s objectives and activities.
7. FORUM COMMITTEE
The D.N.A. Forum Committee shall be elected at the D.N.A. Annual General Meeting and shall consist of a minimum of 5 (five) members up to a maximum of 15 (fifteen). The quorum for the Committee will be 5 members.
The Committee will elect the following officers of the Forum from its number: Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary,Treasurer and Media Officer.
The Chair of the Forum Committee shall be responsible for:
· Calling and chairing meetings of the D.N.A. Forum Committee, General Meetings
and Annual General meetings of the D.N.A. membership (unless specifically delegated to
another Forum Committee member in writing).
· Exercising a casting vote on elections and resolutions at meetings of the Forum and its
Committee.
· Taking decisions on urgent matters between meetings of the Forum Committee.
The Deputy Chair shall be responsible for:
· Standing in for the Chair during any period of absence of the Chair due to holidays, illness or time away for personal reasons.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for:
· Establishing a D.N.A. bank account and acting as a joint signatory on the account with one other member of the Forum Committee.Maintaining the D.N.A. financial records.
· Setting out a draft budget in the first year, and ensuring that D.N.A. stays within it's budget
· Preparing and presenting an annual budget, at the D.N.A. Annual General Meeting
· Submitting a detailed summary of all the D.N.A. received and spent at every Forum
Committee meeting.
The Secretary shall be responsible for:
· Organising all D.N.A. meeting dates, times and venues.
· Taking and circulating the minutes of all D.N.A. meetings - making them available to all members.
· Maintaining a register of D.N.A. and keeping a copy of the D.N.A. Constitution for inspection by members of the public and D.N.A. members.
The Media Officer shall be responsible for:
· Maintaining and updating the D.N.A. website
· Preparing and presenting draft materials for the promotion of D.N.A. through it's organised events and activities, and for promotion in the neighbourhood area e.g. posters and leaflets
· Taking the minutes if the Secretary is absent.
· Communicating with the local media including radio, local papers.
· Promoting and advertising D.N.A. via social media e.g. Twitter & Facebook
All decisions at Forum meetings shall be made on a show of hands of members who are entitled to vote at the meeting.
a) General meetings
General Meetings of D.N.A. members shall take place at least 5 (five) times per year.
Notice and an agenda for a D.N.A. General Meeting to D.N.A. members shall be 14 (fourteen) days.
The quorum required for a General Meeting to conduct business shall be 5 (five) D.N.A. members.
The Secretary will make minutes of the General and Committee meetings available to members of the Forum within two weeks of the meeting unless impracticable. Organisations which are affililated to D.N.A. will be encouraged to commuicate such information to their membership.
b) Annual General Meetings/Special Meetings
An Annual General Meeting of D.N.A. members shall take place once in every calendar year.
Notice and an agenda for an Annual General Meeting to ESNPF members shall be 21 (twenty-one) days.
The quorum required for an Annual General Meeting to conduct business shall be 12 (twelve)
D.N.A. Members.
The Annual General meeting shall:
Elect the D.N.A. Forum Committee.
Receive a report from the Forum Committee of the D.N.A. activities that have
taken place in that year.
Receive a Financial report and statement from the Treasurer
Elections to the Forum Committee shall take place as follows:
a) D.N.A members shall notify the D.N.A. Secretary of ttheir intention to stand for a
place on the Forum Committee in writing and at least 7 (seven) days before
the Annual General Meeting takes place.
b) 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 from time to time by the Forum 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.
The Committee may co-opt up to three additional members to the Committee in any year, and may also co-opt an appropriate replacement for any Committee Member who stands down for any reason during the year. Co-opted members will have the same voting rights as other Committee members. A co-opted member may be elected as an officer. The Committee may remove from the Committee any member who fails to attend two consecutive meetings of the Committee without good reason.
8. D.N.A. FINANCES
Any money acquired by D.N.A., including donations, contributions and bequests, shall be paid into an account operated by the Forum Committee in the name of D.N.A. Neighbourhood Forum.
All funds must be applied to the D.NA. objectives and for no other purpose.
Any deeds, cheques etc relating to D.N.A.'s bank account shall be signed by at least 2 (two) 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 D.N.A. Forum.
An annual financial report shall be presented by the Treasurer at the D.N.A. Annual General Meeting.
9. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
The Secretary will keep a Register of Committee members' Interests detailing financial interests in the neighbourhood area or any other interest which could be deemed to have an influence on decisions likely to come before the Forum Committee. Members will abstain from voting on any matter in which they have a financial interest.
Any participant in any meeting of the Forum, including committees, sub-committees and working parties, will disclose to the meeting any financial interest s/he has in any topic under discussion, and will not discuss or vote on such topic except with the express approval of the meeting.
10. NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN
D.N.A.'s Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) will set out policies for the development and use of land within the neighbourhood area. As provided for in the Localism Act, it will be subject to extensive consultation and examination, including where appropriate a referendum within the neighbourhood area.
Any decision to submit to the local planning authority for approval any Neighbourhood Development Plan shall be subject to a vote at a D.N.A. General Meeting.
All consultation on the Deptford Neighbourhood Development Plan will take place with residents and businesses in the neighbourhood area whether D.N.A. members or not.
The Forum Committee shall be delegated to work with the local planning authority and
any independent experts and advisors on the Neighbourhood Development Plan as required in order to achieve the D.N.A. objectives.
At the discretion of the Forum Committee working groups can be created and delegated tasks
in the preparation of the Deptford Neighbourhood Development Plan and may co-opt non- voting members onto such working groups if this suits it's purpose All such working groups must include at least one Forum committee member.
The NDP will include, where appropriate, specific policies for identified parts of the Area, including conservation policies. In a Conservation Area, conservation policies will be agreed with the relevant CAAC.
The NDP will aim to:
·complement the Local Development Frameworks and Conservation Area Appraisals as produced by the relevant Planning Authorities to ensure that all development is sympathetic to the character of the Area;
·identify locations for potential sensitive development that will, within the Local Development Frameworks, include affordable housing, retail, business and community use;
·express aspirations for the future development of traffic and transport serving or passing through the Area;
·provide for the preservation and improvement of private and public open space;
·nominate Assets of Community Value for listing by the appropriate local authority;
·set a framework for the retail and business improvement of the Area;
·guide the Planning and Highway Authorities towards improvements in the public realm;
·pay due attention to sustainability and carbon reduction;
·pay due attention to the surface and underground water environment, flood and pollution risks and soil stability.
The NDP will include policies aimed at generating employment in the Area and promoting business activity, including retail. It will aim to promote a good range of shops in the community with particular emphasis on encouraging smaller enterprises.
11. GENERAL POLICIES and PRINCIPLES
D.N.A. will take the distinctive character and heritage of Deptford into account in all its actions, and will aim to ensure that all development in the Area preserves or enhances this character.
D.N.A. will aim to promote Deptford as a vibrant business and residential community with an improved public realm.
D.N.A. will aim for improvements in the local environment including those directed towards carbon reduction.
D.N.A. will generally support actions aimed at generating employment in the Area.
D.N.A. will promote policies to maximise social benefit, community links, services for young people, crime reduction and support for elderly and vulnerable members of the community.
D.N.A. will operate respecting all differences including gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability and income.
D.N.A. will encourage all interested residents and all representative groupings of residents or businesses in the Area to become members of D.N.A. and to work alongside D.N.A. to further their joint objectives.
6.2 D.N.A may be dissolved by decision of a General Meeting specifically called for this purpose and carried out in accordance with 3.10 and 3.11 above,
6.3
12. AMENDMENTS TO 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, with the exception that such a vote will only be carried if supported by 75% or more of those voting.
Proposed amendments to this Constitution of D.N.A. must be conveyed to
the Secretary formally in writing. The D.N.A. Secretary and other D.N.A. officers shall then decide whether to put the proposed amendments to a D.N.A. special general meeting for discussion and decision.
13. DISSOLUTION
D.N.A. may be dissolved if deemed necessary by the members in a majority vote at a special
meeting, with the exception that such a vote will only be carried if supported by 75% or more of those voting.
Any assets or remaining funds after debts have been paid shall subject to the agreement of the Members at a General Meeting, be allocated to one or more nominated organisations set up to continue the work of D.N.A. or in the absence of any such organisation and subject to any statutory regulations, be distributed equally to the constituent local organisations who are its members (but not to individual members).
In accordance with the Localism Act, a formal review of the functions and achievements of D.N.A. will be carried out five years after its formation. Following such review, and consultation with its members, D.N.A. will decide to continue, amend or dissolve itself as considered appropriate.
This constitution was adopted at the D.N.A. Inaugural Annual General Meeting held at …... on Saturday 16th May 2015.
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