BVAG

Neighbourhood Plan - Watershed Meeting

Wednesday 12 November at 7.00 pm,
Venue: Globe House, 37 Bermondsey St
AGENDA AND MINUTES
Meeting to determine who is to promote a neighbourhood plan for the Bermondsey area and what
policies will go into it.
AGENDA:
Community Plan
1.
Introduction.
2.
Presentation of BNF proposal.
3.
Presentation of St Thomas St plan/BVAG proposal.
4.
Questions from the meeting at large on either or both proposals.
5.
Meeting to select one or other proposal and determine consequential matters.

Attendance details:
Attendee

Role

Present/absent

John Corey

BNF Chair

Absent

Russell Gray

BVAG/STP Coordinator, BNF

Steering Group member.

Present

Amy Carruthers

BNF Steering group member,

BVAG member.

Present

Paul McDonald

BNF Steering Group member

Present

Damian OBrien

Grange (local) ward councillor

Present

Members of Public (28)

BVAG supporters (25),

Observers (3)

Present

Following agreement with John Corey, Grange ward councillor, Damian OBrien, was to chair the
meeting in the interests of neutrality. However, in the absence of any supporters of the BNF
neighbourhood forum application, it was decided by the meeting that Russell Gray should Chair.

7.00pm Introduction and welcome

Minutes:
The Chair welcomed the Councillor and everyone in attendance to the meeting.
7.05pm Apologies
14 CRUCIFIX LANE

LONDON SE1 3JW

P: 020 7378 0707

BVAG
Minutes:
No apologies for absence received from BNF Chair. The Chair informed the meeting that
the BNF Chair had declined to attend the meeting at the last minute and that a BVAG
mailout was sent out informing supporters about changes to the Agenda.
7.07pm Agenda
Community Plan update
Minutes:
The Chair updated the attendees on developments in relation to the local
Neighbourhood Plan and the Councils proposal of an Area which followed neither
groups application area. Further, the Chair informed the meeting that the reasons for
refusing both applications were unclear since the Council knew that it could approve the
BNF application if it wished since that application included all of the designated area. On
the other hand it could not approve the STP application as it did not include much of the
designated area. The reasons stated for excluding St Thomas St from the designated Area
appeared to be intended to facilitate high-rise developments. The Chair then invited for
attendees to speak on dissolving BNF as it was not a legitimate group and that their
application for an area had simply facilitated Council obstruction of the genuine STP
applicvation. The Chair also clarified that according to recent legal advice sought by
BVAG, the Council would have been obliged to approve the STP application (at least as
to some or all of the area applied for) had there not been an application from BNF.

7.25pm BNF wind up procedure

Minutes:
In a public meeting held on 20th July 2011, members of the public came together in a
similar meeting to this one and created BNF. A BNF steering group was nominated at
the same time. A constitution, never formally adopted by BNF, called for a
Representatives Group to be established as the decision making body. According to that
constitution the Representatives Group alone has the power to dissolve the steering
group. In practice no Representatives Group was ever established. Three of the attendees
are still part of the representative group. There was no communication or publication of
the list of BNF group members and their positions held. However, it is clear that the
many of the people who attended the meeting in 2011 were present for this meeting.
This was established with a show of hands and it was agreed that 13 of the present
attendees attended the meeting of 20th July 2011.

7.45pm Chair opinion on BNF wind up

Minutes:
The Chair informs the meeting that it is logical to now wind up BNF with a vote since the
majority of the attendees present in the room were responsible for the formation of
14 CRUCIFIX LANE

LONDON SE1 3JW

P: 020 7378 0707

BVAG
BNF. The Chair informed the meeting that there were no elections of officers held by
BNF, and hence no legitimately appointed officers or decision making body, and no
known planning policy proposals.

8:00pm Voting by show of hands (applying only to the13 attendees of the 2011
meeting)
Minutes:
Any of those 13 asked if they were in favour of preserving BNF - Result 0
Next proposition, who, that is part of BNF wants to wind up BNF - Result 13
(13 members give their names and email addresses).
Opportunity to speak in favour of the BNF - Result 0
Explanations of BNF members why they think it should be wound up.
- Feel not representative of the community.
- BNF website has deleted and altered historic content/facts to alter the view of the
group without consultation of the founders of the group.
- Mentions that following one public meeting to get BNF appointed there had been no
further public meetings and John Corey had thereafter apparently acted unilaterally but
presenting himself as representative of a properly constituted group.

8.10pm Voting by show of hands (applying to all of the 28 attendees)

Minutes:
Next proposition: Who at the meeting, representing the community at large,
wants to wind up BNF. Result 25
Abstaining: 3
Observers (those not local but from further away/neighbouring boroughs/areas):
3

8.15pm Voting by show of hands of BNF Steering Group members (3 present)

Steering Group members of BNF present (3).

In favour of winding up BNF: 3

8.20pm The Chair informs the meeting that the Bermondsey Neighbourhood Form (BNF) is
formally wound up.
The meeting heard that the decision taken will enable progress of the St Thomas Street
14 CRUCIFIX LANE

LONDON SE1 3JW

P: 020 7378 0707

BVAG
plan and enable the legitimate group, BVAG/STP to, if necessary, make an application to
adopt the Councils proposed area A.

8.30pm Discussion of implications and further actions

9.00pm Resolved:
This decision clears the way to progress a Neighbourhood Plan and forces the council to
accept BVAG/STP as the only legitimate NF applicant group representing people
living/working in the area. The meeting resolved to invite the Council to accept the
position and reconsider its designated neighbourhood area on the basis that without the
BNF application (now null and void) it would not be lawful for it to designate such an area
as there would be no valid application for a NA of which it represented some or all, as
required by the Localism Act.
The meeting further resolved that if, as anticipated, the Council continued to refuse to
determine the STP application then BVAG was authorised to revise the application (duly
re-denominating it) to correspond with the area designated by the Council (but reserving
the Groups position on the lawfulness of such designation).

14 CRUCIFIX LANE

LONDON SE1 3JW

P: 020 7378 0707