There is some more information I have found on the Crofton Park webpage:

http://www.croftonpark.com/article?id=590
http://www.croftonpark.com/local-forums/...ry?&pnum=1

Certainly their aims and objectives seem to be about engaging with people about what is going on and giving them a voice.

Its not entirely clear to me (as someone who has worked professionally on a number of neighbourhood plans) whether these things are achievable in the way they imagine.

There is no reason in non-parished areas for Neighbourhood Plans to follow any particular boundaries but in this case that is what the Ward Councillors have decided that is what they want to to.

A few key points about neighbourhood plans:
- they can only make policy about issues to do with land and planning (so you can't really do much to control or influence things that are outside of the influence of planning)
- they must be in conformity with all national and local planning policy and guidance (the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Lewisham Local Plan, area specific AAPs etc etc)
- once an area is within one neighbourhood plan boundary then it can't be within another (e.g. Honor Oak Park couldn't so a separate plan once it is within the plan for Crofton Park).

IF and when they get a neighbourhood plan in place at some point (and there are some very big hoops to get that far) then the plan becomes adopted by Lewisham as part of their planning policy. That means that it is Lewisham that uses it to inform planning decisions and not the neighbourhood forum. Although they could be a consultee, as they could be now.

Because London is really a series of overlapping smaller places it becomes really critical how places work together and don't see themselves as self contained.

A really key issue is how they are going to work with the surrounding areas and groups that are involved in areas of overlap without fully being within Crofton Park Ward. It is not yet clear to me whether this is the intention.

As long as it is an inclusive group and organisation, they can be clear what they are trying to achieve, and they consult widely along the way - then good luck to them.

This post was last modified: 09-02-2014 12:37 AM by Satchers.