Torquay Neighbourhood Forum

Please note that this consultation has concluded.

Have your say on the proposed re-designation of Torquay Neighbourhood Forum

Overview

We have received an application to renew the status of Torquay Neighbourhood Forum, as the neighbouring planning body for Torquay. We are publishing this application for consultation between Monday 12 December 2022 and Monday 23 January 2023.

• A local community group in Torquay has made an application seeking the re-designation of their Neighbourhood Forum as the Torquay Neighbourhood Forum (TNF). A forum is also referred to as a 'Qualifying Body'.
• A designated Neighbourhood Forum is an organisation or group empowered by the local authority to lead the neighbourhood planning process in a designated Neighbourhood Area.
• The Neighbourhood Area was designated when the TNF group first submitted a Neighbourhood Area and Forum application in 2012. Its status has to be renewed every five years, and it was renewed in 2017. No boundary changes are proposed. The Area will not therefore be subject to a further application at this time.
• We are seeking views on redesignating the Forum, and asking you to consider your agreement with the objectives of the Forum.
• To inform your decision, we have attached the application, in full, as a single document which includes:
  • The written application
  • Map of the designated neighbourhood area (this covers the Area designated in 2012)
  • Statement regarding Torquay Forum as a qualifying body
  • The proposed forum's constitution
  • The name (and contact emails) of the Chair and Vice Chair

Brief to Questions:

Torbay Council is required to assess if the organisation or body is able to demonstrate that it is capable of meeting the conditions for designation. Torbay Council is required to ask the following questions when deciding whether to designate the Forum as a “qualifying body”:

• Does the constitution of the proposed TNF, which is included in this application, clearly define its overall purpose and objectives. Does it include the express purpose of promoting and improving the social economic and environmental well-being of the specified area?
• Is the membership of the proposed TNF open to individuals who live in the neighbourhood area specified, individuals who work in the area specified and individuals elected as ward councillors in the area specified?
• Is the membership in excess of the 21 required by the relevant legislation, all of whom live or work in the neighbourhood area concerned or are an elected member of the area?
• Does the proposed TNF have a written constitution included with this application. Do you have any comments relating to this constitution?

Background:

Torquay Neighbourhood Area and Forum were first designated in 2012. Its designation was renewed on 7 December 2017. In accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations and (and section 61F of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990), a designation must be renewed every 5 years. This does not affect the validity of the designated Torquay Neighbourhood Area or the adopted Torquay Neighbourhood Plan (2019).

Why your views matter:

• The Council is now seeking views and comments on this application. Our preference is for you to complete your response to this consultation via this online survey. The deadline for your response is 11.59pm on Monday 23 January 2023.
• Alternatively, you can submit your response to us via e-mail to future.planning@torbay.gov.uk (please reference any correspondence (TNF) if possible), or in writing to: The Torquay Neighbourhood Forum Consultation, Spatial Planning, 2nd Floor North, Tor Hill House, Union St, Torquay, TQ2 5QW.
• Please note that all responses will be made public. If you would like any further information about this consultation, please contact the Future Planning Team at Future.Planning@torbay.gov.uk.
• If the re-designation is approved, the Neighbourhood Forum will be the 'Qualifying Body' for the Torquay Neighbourhood Area. If approved, the Forum will be able to draft policies or revise the Torquay Neighbourhood Plan (to address non-strategic planning policies for the designated area). They are also a consultee on planning applications and other planning matters. If you would like to find out more about neighbourhood planning please visit the locality website.
• The Torquay Neighbourhood Plan has already passed through the statutory processes and was adopted in 2019. Therefore, it will continue to form part of the 'development plan'. It will continue to be used, alongside the Torbay Local Plan, to make decisions on planning applications in Torquay.
• This consultation is entirely optional and you do not need to participate unless you choose to. Your details are required to authenticate your representation. Consultation responses will be publicly available.
• If at any point you wish to be removed from our database, then please contact e-mail to future.planning@torbay.gov.uk
• You can see all current live consultations on the Torbay Council website here.