A small group of Tooting locals have been working hard over the past year to set up a Neighbourhood Forum, a group open to all local people with real powers to influence planning decisions made in the area.

On the 9th January, Wandsworth Council launched a consultation on setting up the boundaries for this area, and wish to invite the people of Tooting to get involved and have their say. The current consultation will last six weeks and conclude on February 20th. More details about of the consultation can be found on Wandsworth Council’s website at http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/1004/planning_policy/1375/neighbourhood_planning/8 and you can e-mail the Council to comment on or support the proposal at planningpolicy@wandsworth.gov.uk.

What is a Neighbourhood Forum?
The Forum, through consultation with the community, will work up guidelines in the form of a Neighbourhood Plan to influence planning decisions within the area. It is the first in Wandsworth and will allow people in Tooting to choose the future they want to see in the area.

Instead of having planning decisions implemented on the area without consultation, local people can decide what kind of Tooting they want to live in. The plan is considered to be especially important given the continued discussions over CrossRail2.

Since the neighbourhood planning system was created in 2011, 1,500 communities in 64% of local authorities round the country have developed a Neighbourhood Plan. Of the 67 public referendums on plans so far, nearly all plans have been passed, with an average “YES” vote of 88%.

What is Tooting’s Forum campaigning for?
The Forum is about giving local people a chance to help build a better Tooting. This means that there is no set agenda about what should or shouldn’t be in the plan.

If the consultation is successful, local people will be invited to drop in to a regular meeting and have their say on what the Neighbourhood Plan should look like. If you would like to come along, or you have questions about the consultation or the Forum, please email TootingbbNeighbourhood@gmail.com or follow @tootingbb on Twitter.

Hilary Jennings, local resident and member of the planning group said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for people in Tooting to shape the decisions made about our local area. Instead of having planning decisions done to us, we can decide what kind of Tooting we want to live in: preserving the things that make our area so great and creating the best future for all the people who live here.

“We really want to encourage everyone who has an opinion about what they want to see in our area to get involved in the Neighbourhood Forum. We are looking forward to hearing people’s views in this consultation, but we would also love people to come to the Forum’s meetings and help us shape our Neighbourhood Plan together.”

Planning Chairman Cllr Sarah McDermott said: “The council is committed to getting local people engaged in the planning and development of their area. We would encourage residents and businesses to get involved for the benefit of the Tooting Bec and Broadway area.”

Cllr Fleur Anderson from Bedford Ward said: “The Forum will enable local people to say what we want our local area to look like. Together we can decide what is most important to us and make a plan to match this. Together with all the local councillors, I'm looking forward to working on the plan and changing our high streets and housing. This is the first Neighbourhood Forum in Wandsworth and we should all be proud that Tooting is leading the way.”