Issue - meetings

This report details the responses received to the consultation undertaken on an application for Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum status and requests that Cabinet consider designation of the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum.

Cabinet RESOLVED having considered the responses received to the consultation undertaken on designation of the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum and associated officer responses, as set out in Appendix A of the report.

(1)    To approve, having taken into account the material submitted in support of the application (as set out in Appendices B, C, D and E of the report) the designation of the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 15 April 24

Councillor Tatler (Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Growth) introduced a report detailing the responses received to a consultation undertaken on an application for Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum status and seeking a decision on the subsequent designation of the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum.

In presenting the report, Councillor Tatler reminded members of the original background behind the introduction of neighbourhood planning which had been to provide residents and businesses in a specific area with the opportunity to engage in the identification of localised planning policies designed to assist in shaping development outcomes across the relevant area.  Where local communities wanted to take up these opportunities there was a requirement to establish a Neighbourhood Forum as the relevant “qualifying body” with a requirement for Forum status to be renewed every five years.  In reminding members of the background and history to establishment of the original Forum and decision taken in November 2023 to refuse an application from Sudbury Town Residents Association (STRA) for renewal of their Forum status, Cabinet were advised of the progress which it had subsequently been possible to make in taking forward an alternative application for Sudbury Neighbourhood Area Forum status received from “Sudbury Matters” with support from independent consultants (Urban Vision).  As an outcome of that process a revised application had been submitted under the amended title of Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum applying to the same geographical area as the original Sudbury Neighbourhood Area.

As required, the current application had been subject to a statutory consultation process which had run from January – February 2024 with a summary of the responses detailed within Appendix A of the report.  On the basis of the outcome of the consultation process and time which had passed since the decision to refuse renewal of STRAs application, members were now being asked to consider designation of Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum for Neighbourhood Forum status.

Members were supportive of the approach outlined, having noted the constructive nature of engagement with the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum in seeking to progress their application, way in which the application had met the relevant criteria for consideration and positive nature of the responses received as part of the consultation process indicating strong support for the Forum to represent the area.

Officers were thanked for their work in seeking to progress the Neighbourhood Forum application and in welcoming the collaborative and constructive nature of the relationship with the prospective Forum along with their openness and willingness to represent the whole community in seeking to improve the locality it was RESOLVED having considered the responses received to the consultation undertaken on designation of the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum and associated officer responses, as set out in Appendix A of the report.

(1)    To approve, having taken into account the material submitted in support of the application (as set out in Appendices B, C, D and E of the report) the designation of the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum.