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North End Neighbourhood Forum Constitution

NAME

1. The name of the Neighbourhood Forum will be the 'North End Neighbourhood Forum'.

OBJECTIVES

1. To benefit North End by promoting a discussion between local residents and the City Council and other appropriate organisations on issues of concern locally and improvements to the area's environment, appearance and/or amenities.

MEMBERSHIP

1. All people living in the area outlined on the attached map are automatically members of the Forum.
2. The Portsmouth City Councillors for any ward wholly or partially within the area covered by the Forum (i.e. Hilsea and Nelson Wards), together with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the City Council will be honorary members without voting rights.

MEETINGS

1. The Forum will meet at least twice a year. Meetings will be called by the Chair, by the Committee, or by any 10 members passing a signed request to the Secretary. An agenda, stating the subjects to be discussed at the meeting will be displayed locally and circulated to every household in the neighbourhood at least 7 days before the meeting.
2. If for any reason the agenda fails to be delivered to any individual household as required above, this will not invalidate the meeting.
3. Meetings will be open to everyone living in the neighbourhood. Any decisions will be taken by a show of hands majority vote of those present. No decisions shall be taken if there are fewer than 20 residents present. The maximum interval between Forum meetings shall be 30 weeks.

OFFICERS

1. There will be a Chair and a Secretary of the Forum, elected from amongst the members annually at the first meeting after 1st May. The Chair's responsibility will be to call at least two meetings of the Forum per year, to agree the agenda and to Chair the meetings. The Secretary will receive requests for meetings from the Chair and/or members, arrange for the circulation of the agenda and minute the meetings.

STREET REPRESENTATIVES

1. The Neighbourhood Forum may appoint 'Area Representatives', who will act as a channel of communication between the Neighbourhood Forum and local residents, distributing agenda and other material, and reporting their views as appropriate.
2. The number of Area Representatives to be appointed and the area to be covered by each shall be determined, and the appointments made, by the Neighbourhood Forum meeting. The meeting shall try to ensure that all areas in the Neighbourhood are represented on the Committee.

THE COMMITTEE

1. The Chair, Secretary and Area Representatives may together comprise a Committee to assist the efficient running of the Neighbourhood Forum. Meetings of the Committee may be held as agreed by its members. However, the role of the committee will be solely to to suggest items for discussion and prepare the agenda for meetings of the Forum, and to resolve any administrative issues concerning the running of the Forum.
2. The Committee shall not have the authority to represent its view as that of the Neighbourhood Forum, or to make any decisions on substantive matters of concern to North End which shall be discussed at the full Neighbourhood Forum.
3. The Neighbourhood Forum meeting shall have the power to remove the Chair, Secretary or any Street Representative from office by a majority vote.

FUNCTIONS

1. The Functions of the Neighbourhood Forum are:

   • To discuss matters of interest and concern to North End.
   • To discuss these with the City Council and other agencies and organisations and to represent the views of local people to those bodies.
   • To raise issues where action is required to improve the environment, appearance and/or amenity of the area, and to receive progress reports on action taken.
   • To comment on any proposal before the City Council which affects the local neighbourhod
   • To make bids to, and assist the City Council in prioritising schemes in the North End area
   • To provide feedback on City Council services, and to advise the City Council on the development of its corporate priorities and service plans.

CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. This constitution, and/or the area covered by the Forum, can only be changed by a 2/3rds majority vote of members present at a meeting of the Forum. The agenda for such a meeting must have been circulated at least 14 days before the meeting, and included notice of the proposed change.