Proposed constitution - DRAFT
Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Forum
Constitution
Originally adopted at the second Annual General Meeting,
27 April 2014
Revised [DATE] 2026
1. Name
The name of the Forum shall be Oulton and Woodlesford
Neighbourhood Forum (“the Forum”).
2. Objectives
The objectives of the Forum shall be:
·
to agree and promote a long-term vision for the
Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area
·
to promote and improve the social, economic and
environmental well-being of the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area
·
to represent and encourage the participation of
people who live or work, or carry on business, in the Oulton and Woodlesford
Neighbourhood Area
·
to prepare, promote, implement, monitor and
review the Neighbourhood Plan for the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area
and, where appropriate, to prepare modifications to or a replacement of that
Plan, in conformity with relevant planning legislation and policy
·
to support, organise and facilitate community
projects, events, fundraising and other activities which promote the social,
economic and environmental wellbeing of the Oulton and Woodlesford
Neighbourhood Area, as ancillary to the Forum's principal neighbourhood
planning purpose
3. Neighbourhood Area
The area covered by the Forum shall be the Oulton and
Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area, as designated by Leeds City Council and
shown on the Forum's neighbourhood area map.
4. Membership
4.1 Voting membership
Voting membership of the Forum shall be open to all persons
aged 16 or over who:
·
live in the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood
Area
·
work in the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood
Area, whether for businesses carried on there or otherwise
·
are elected members of Leeds City Council whose
ward includes all or part of the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area
4.2 Non-voting membership
Non-voting membership shall be open to persons who do not
meet the requirements for voting membership but who have an interest in
assisting the Forum to achieve its objectives.
4.3 Representative membership
The Forum shall seek to maintain a membership drawn from
different parts of the Neighbourhood Area and different sections of the
community and shall actively encourage participation in its activities.
5. Neighbourhood Forum Designation
The Forum shall seek and maintain designation by Leeds City
Council as the neighbourhood forum for the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood
Area in accordance with section 61F of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
and any subsequent relevant legislation.
The Forum may apply for re-designation whenever necessary in
order to maintain its status as the qualifying body for neighbourhood planning
purposes.
Expiry of a period of statutory designation shall not, of
itself, dissolve the Forum as an organisation.
6. Communication
Communication with members shall normally be by email and
through the Forum's website and may also include notices on community
noticeboards, social media or other appropriate means.
A member may make a written request for an alternative
method of notification. The Steering Committee shall consider such a request
and accommodate it where reasonably practicable.
7. Community Participation
The Forum shall seek to involve people from across the whole
Neighbourhood Area and from different sections of the community in its work.
The Forum shall actively encourage the participation of
young people and others who may otherwise be under-represented in neighbourhood
planning and community affairs.
8. Political Independence
The Forum shall not be affiliated to any political party.
Nothing in this Article shall prevent the Forum from
engaging with elected representatives, public authorities or other
organisations where this assists the Forum in achieving its objectives.
9. Steering Committee
9.1 The day-to-day management of the
Forum shall be the responsibility of the Steering Committee.
9.2 The Steering Committee shall
consist of:
·
Chair
·
Vice-Chair
·
Treasurer
·
Minutes Secretary
·
Membership Secretary
·
Communications and Press Officer
·
up to ten Ordinary Members
The Steering Committee may agree
that one person performs more than one officer role where necessary, provided
that the offices of Chair and Treasurer shall not be held by the same person.
9.3 The Steering Committee shall, so
far as reasonably practicable, reflect the different geographical parts and
sections of the community within the Neighbourhood Area.
9.4 A majority of the voting members of
the Steering Committee shall be persons who live within the Oulton and
Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area.
9.5 The quorum for meetings of the
Steering Committee shall be five voting members, including at least one
officer.
9.6 Decisions of the Steering Committee
shall be taken by a simple majority of those voting.
In the event of an equality of
votes, the person chairing the meeting shall have a casting vote.
9.7 Membership of the Steering
Committee shall be open to all voting members of the Forum.
9.8 Voting members of the Steering
Committee shall be elected at the Forum's Annual General Meeting and shall
serve until the conclusion of the following Annual General Meeting. Retiring
members shall be eligible for re-election.
9.9 Nominations for positions on the
Steering Committee shall be submitted to the Chair or Secretary at least seven
days before the Annual General Meeting.
Where insufficient nominations
have been received in advance, the person chairing the Annual General Meeting
may accept nominations from voting members at the meeting.
9.10 The Steering Committee may co-opt
voting members of the Forum to fill vacancies arising between Annual General
Meetings. Any person so co-opted shall serve until the conclusion of the next
Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for election.
9.11 The Steering Committee may invite or
co-opt additional persons to assist it because of their knowledge, experience
or involvement in particular matters. Such persons shall not be entitled to
vote unless they are separately appointed as voting members of the Steering
Committee.
9.12 Members of the Forum may attend
meetings of the Steering Committee as observers, except where the Committee
reasonably determines that a confidential matter requires consideration in
private.
Observers shall not be entitled
to vote but may contribute to discussion when invited by the person chairing
the meeting.
10. General Meetings
10.1 At least fourteen days' notice of an
Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting shall be given to members.
The notice shall state the date,
time and place of the meeting and the principal business to be considered.
10.2 An Annual General Meeting shall
normally be held once in each calendar year and shall receive reports from the
Chair and Treasurer, elect the Steering Committee and conduct such other
business as may properly be brought before it.
10.3 The quorum for an Annual General
Meeting or Special General Meeting shall be ten voting members or 20% of the
current voting membership, whichever is the lower, subject to a minimum of five
voting members.
Members represented by a valid
proxy shall count towards the quorum.
10.4 A voting member unable to attend a
General Meeting may appoint another voting member as their proxy.
The appointment of a proxy shall
be made in writing or electronically and must identify the member appointing
the proxy and the person appointed.
The proxy shall be notified to
the Secretary or Chair before voting takes place.
10.5 Amendments to this Constitution shall
be considered only by a General Meeting and shall require a two-thirds majority
of the votes cast.
All other decisions shall be
determined by a simple majority of votes cast unless this Constitution provides
otherwise.
10.6 Elections and other votes may be
conducted by show of hands, written ballot or an appropriate secure electronic
method as determined by the meeting.
A secret ballot shall be held
where requested by a majority of voting members present or represented at the
meeting.
11. Finance
The Forum shall maintain a bank account in the name of Oulton
and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Forum, or such other account arrangements as
the Steering Committee considers appropriate and lawful.
Payments and other financial transactions shall require
authorisation by at least two authorised persons.
The Steering Committee shall appoint the authorised persons,
who shall normally include the Treasurer, Chair and Vice-Chair.
The Treasurer shall maintain appropriate financial records
and present a financial report to the Annual General Meeting.
12. Use of Funds
All money received by or on behalf of the Forum shall be
used solely in furtherance of the objectives set out in Article 2 of this
Constitution.
No part of the income or assets of the Forum shall be
distributed to members other than reimbursement of properly incurred expenses
or payment for goods or services properly supplied to the Forum.
13. Dissolution
The Forum may be dissolved only by resolution of a Special
General Meeting convened for that purpose.
Notice of the meeting shall explain the reasons for the
proposed dissolution.
A resolution to dissolve the Forum shall require the support
of at least two-thirds of the votes cast.
14. Assets on Dissolution
Following dissolution and payment of all debts and
liabilities, any remaining assets of the Forum shall be transferred to one or
more not-for-profit organisations having objectives similar to those of the
Forum or benefiting the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area.
No remaining assets shall be distributed amongst the members
of the Forum.
15. Interpretation
In this Constitution:
“Neighbourhood Area” means
the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Area designated by Leeds City Council
“Neighbourhood Plan” means
the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Plan as made, modified or replaced
from time to time
“Forum” means Oulton and
Woodlesford Neighbourhood Forum
“voting member” means a
person satisfying Article 4.1
References to legislation include
any amendment, replacement or re-enactment of that legislation
