At the start of our next Steering Committee meeting at 7pm on Monday 2nd November 2026 at Oulton Institute we shall hold a short General Meeting to vote on a resolution to update the Forum's Constitution. Voting members are invited to attend or to offer their vote by proxy.
Proposed Changes to the Oulton & Woodlesford Neighbourhood Forum Constitution
The Forum is proposing to update its constitution to reflect the completion of the Neighbourhood Plan in 2021, support its re-designation by Leeds City Council, and simplify its administration.
Area | Existing wording / requirement | Proposed change | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
Objectives (2) | Produce a Neighbourhood Plan | Maintain, monitor, review and update the Plan | The original Plan was completed in 2021 |
Designation (5) | Forum designated for five years | Seek and renew designation as required | Clarifies that designation is granted by Leeds Council and expires after five years |
Membership (4) | Open to qualifying residents, workers and councillors | Largely unchanged; clarify representation | Maintain statutory compliance |
Steering Committee (9) | Requires five local residents and four people working locally | More flexible membership, with a majority living locally | Makes it easier to fill committee positions |
Committee roles (9) | Fixed officer roles | Allow individuals to hold more than one role | Greater flexibility for volunteers |
General Meeting quorum (10) | 21 members | 10 members or 20% of membership, whichever is lower (minimum five) | Avoids meetings being unable to proceed |
Meetings and voting (10) | Traditional meetings and proxy arrangements | Explicitly permit electronic voting and proxy appointments | Modernises administration |
Finance (11–12) | Existing banking and expenditure arrangements | Clarify financial controls and authorised payments | Improve accountability |
Dissolution (13–14) | Existing dissolution provisions | Clarify approval and distribution of remaining assets | Ensure assets continue to benefit the community |
Overall: The changes do not alter the Forum's fundamental purpose, geographical area or independence. They update its role now that the Neighbourhood Plan has been adopted and make its governance more practical.
The existing constitution can be found here.
Proposed constitution can be found here.
