Proposed Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum constitution (2026)

1. Area of Interest:
To include the area within the boundary of the Harrow Road Ward designated as a Neighbourhood Area by Westminster City Council in January 2014
a) To support, in partnership with the local planning authority, and with the involvement of the wider community, the implementation of the Neighbourhood Plan for the area.
b) To review any need to refine the Maida Hill Neighbourhood Plan if substantial issues arise, and undertake any required actions. To prepare and arrange future editions of the Neighbourhood Plan.
c) For the express purpose of promoting or improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the Neighbourhood area.

2. Purpose
a) The Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum (here after also referred to as the Forum) shall be for the express purpose of promoting or improving the social, economic and environmental well-being of Maida Hill. It has, as a core purpose, the agenda of supporting implementation of the Neighbourhood Plan to further the social, economic and environmental well-being of individuals living, or working, in the designated area shown on the attached plan (or as amended by agreement with the local authority).
b) The Forum will also have such other purposes as the Membership may from time to time decide. Such purposes may include liaison and support with Neighbourhood Watch and the local Ward panel to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour; advice to the local authority on street maintenance; support for a thriving local business and retail environment; and advocacy for better employment and training opportunities.
c) The Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum will seek at all times to act within the Nolan Principles of public life and exercise openness, objectivity, honest, leadership, integrity, selflessness and accountability and do so on the basis of equality between and respect for all persons.
d) The Forum shall review the implementation of the Neighbourhood Plan and if necessary to take steps to refine that Plan. It shall also be responsible for updating the Plan in due course (subject to continuation of local Neighbourhood Plan processes).

3. Forum structure and membership
a) Membership is open to all residents of the area, and people who work or have businesses in the area of the Forum. Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum will seek the widest possible membership of the designated area, which will include constituted organisations, and informal voluntary groups and associations.
b) The Forum shall have a minimum of 21 members at all times.
c) There shall be two categories of Members –
(1) Members who are not committee members. These support the aims and work of the Forum, but are not committee members. They may attend and participate in sub-committees of the Forum (though they may not be Chair of any such sub-committees)
(2) Members who are committee members. These support the aims and work of the Forum, and attend and participate in committee and sub-committee meetings.
d) Both forms of Membership are open to elected Council Members who represent the Ward in the area of benefit of the Forum.
e) Membership shall be drawn from different places in the area of benefit and different sections of the community in the area of benefit. The committee has the ambition of encouraging diversity among Members as a whole, and committee members in particular.
f) The committee has the power to exclude a given individual from Membership and/or from being a Forum committee member on the grounds of bringing the Forum into disrepute. Such grounds to include serious criminal proceedings, safeguarding concerns, and improper handling of conflict of interest.
g) The Secretary shall keep and maintain a register of membership at all times.

4. Meetings
General Meetings
a) All the members of the Forum shall be invited to general meetings at least once a year. For general meeting business to be conducted, the quorum will be on a sliding scale according to the size of the membership. With a membership of between 21 and 49, five members must be present at the meeting. If there are 50 or more members, a quorum of 15 must be present.
b) At least 7 days notification of a general meeting must be given to Forum members
c) The meeting will share and discuss current issues with the wide membership.
d) The meeting will deal with the specific issue for which the general meeting has been called.
e) Voting shall be by a show of hands – with a simple majority winning a vote. The Chairperson shall not vote unless there is a tied vote, in which case s/he will have the casting vote.
f) Participants to general meetings must conduct themselves in a respectful and inclusive manner. Those that do not may be required to leave the meeting.

Annual General Meetings/Special Meetings
One of the general meetings of the Forum shall be its annual general meeting (AGM) where:
a) The committee will be elected, and if necessary dismissed. The committee will include a Treasurer, Secretary, and Chairperson. To stand for the post of Chairperson, Treasurer or Secretary, the person proposed should notify the committee (via the Secretary and Chairperson, or if those posts are vacant the committee as a whole) prior to the AGM that they wish to stand; they should have a nominee and a seconder (both of whom are existing committee members). Only committee members who have been in post for at least 6 months (attending relevant committee meetings) are eligible to stand for the post of Chairperson, Treasurer or Secretary.
b) A report of activities will be provided by the Chairperson for the meeting to receive.
c) A statement of income and expenditure will be presented by the Treasurer.
d) At least 14 days notification must be given to its members for an AGM or Special Meeting.
e) Adopt constitutional amendments – any proposed amendments must go out in writing from the Secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting, providing the current clause and proposed amendment.
f) Confirm the identity of the community organisations entitled to be members.
g) Voting shall be by a show of hands – with a simple majority winning a vote. The Chairperson shall not vote unless there is a tied vote, in which case s/he will have the casting vote.

5. Committee
a) The committee shall have up to 21 members.
b) The committee will undertake its work as defined in Objectives and Purposes as it sees fit and may delegate powers on specific matters to such persons as it sees fit.
c) The committee shall have the responsibility for managing and implementing the day-to-day activities of the Forum.
d) The committee shall be responsible for responding to planning issues on behalf of the Forum.
e) The committee’s actions shall be guided and informed by the Neighbourhood Plan.
f) The Chairperson of the committee shall:
• Call and chair regular meetings of the committee (for which a quorum will be one third of its members) and have a casting vote on elections and resolutions.
• Act as joint signatory on the Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum bank account.
g) The Treasurer shall:
• Be responsible for maintaining the accounts of the Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum.
• Be responsible for presenting a budget, annually for the following year to an Annual General Meeting.
• Act as a joint signatory on the Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum account. The cheques or other financial transactions of the Forum must require two signatories.
• Take the chair at meetings if the Chairperson and Secretary are absent.
• Take the minutes if the Secretary is absent or in the chair.
h) The Secretary shall:
• Be responsible for organising meetings, maintaining the minutes and constitution of the Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum and making them available to members.
• Take the chair at meetings if the Chairperson is absent.
• Act as joint signatory on the Maida Hill Neighbourhood Forum account.

6. Winding up the Forum
A majority of the members of the committee shall decide the distribution of any money in the event of a wind-up. Any assets / money remaining shall go to local community-based organisations.