About The Forum

Minutes of AGM held on Wednesday 21 February 2024: https://wsnf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/minutes-agm-feb-2024-final.docx|

Minutes of AGM held on Thursday 29th March 2023

https://wsnf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/minutes-agm-feb-2024-final-1.docx

Forum Members

The Neighbourhood Forum is made up of 21 people living and/ or working in West Saltdean who were recruited through Councillor Fishleigh’s email newsletter, local Facebook pages and word of mouth.

The Forum is a not-for-profit community organisation which means that our activities are not for the financial benefit of any of the Forum members. We are firmly focused on improving the lives of those who live and work in West Saltdean.

Officers:

Chair and Secretary of West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum : Bridget Fishleigh

Treasurer: Sonia Wilson

The West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum Ltd

Grants, donations and expenditure made to and by The West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum are channelled through West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum Ltd Company number: 15307948 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15307948

A Ltd company is necessary as the Government body that provides grants and external advisers to all Neighbourhood Forums requires a company or charity number.

Directors of West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum Ltd: Graham Griffin and Bridget Fishleigh

Steering Groups

  • Transport
  • Open Spaces and bio diversity
  • Business and Economy
  • Community spaces
  • Beach front

The area that is West Saltdean

Constitution of West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum

1. Name of Organisation: West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum.

2. Aims

  • The Forum aims to promote or improve the social, economic and environmental wellbeing conditions of the West Saltdean area, particularly through the preparation and implementation of a Neighbourhood Plan and accompanying projects.
  • To provide opportunities to influence decision making and actively promote citizenship in the West Saltdean Area
  • To encourage openness, transparency and co-operation between all organizations concerning the services and plans for the West Saltdean area.
  • To promote social inclusion and cohesion throughout the area

3. Affiliations Operations and Independence

  • The Forum shall not be affiliated to any political party or organization.
     
  • Individual members may comment on planning applications but not in the name of the Forum
     
  • All members of the Forum shall act in its various meetings in the best interests of the Forum and the residents of the area and shall follow the latest good governance guidelines.
     
  • The Forum shall act in accordance with best practice in the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans and in accordance with Government guidelines and shall work collaboratively with the Local Planning Authority and all other stakeholders to achieve this.
     
  • The Forum will have the powers to work with consultants to enable the development of the Neighbourhood Plan and associated projects, conduct research, exchange information, employ staff and take other legal actions that are necessary to achieve the aims of the Forum.


4. Membership
 

    4.1. The Forum must have a minimum membership of 21 individuals.
    The membership of the Forum is open to:
 

     i. Individuals who live or work in West Saltdean Neighbourhood Area.

    ii. Individuals who live in the wider area but regularly visit the West Saltdean Area.
 

    iii. Individuals who are elected members Brighton and Hove City Council
    whose ward or division includes the area
 

    iv. Business and community group representatives, including schools and churches in West Saltdean Neighbourhood Area.
 

4.2. The Forum will strive to have a minimum of one member from each of the categories in 4.1 above.
 

4.3. The Forum will strive to be as representative as possible of the people who live and work in the area. Thus, membership will be drawn from different places in the area and from different sections of the community.
 

4.4. Membership will begin as soon as the membership form has been received.
 

4.5. A list of members will be kept by the Forum Secretary.
 

4.6. Ceasing to be a Member:
 

    i. Members may resign at any time in writing to the Secretary and will no longer be eligible upon moving from or ceasing to work in the area unless continued contact with the area is demonstrated.

    ii. Offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted. Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the group if an apology is not given or the behaviour is repeated.

The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.
 

5. Equal opportunities

The West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum will not discriminate on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, disability, religious or political belief, marital status or age. The Forum will endeavor to be fully inclusive in its actions and decision making.

6. Officers and Steering group

The administrative business of the Forum will be managed by a Steering Group.

6.1. The membership of the Steering Group will be as follows: – Chair
– Secretary – Treasurer – Working Group Leaders and Working Group members co-opted to Steering Group

6.2. When a vacancy occurs, a member may be co-opted until the next AGM.

6.3. The officers of the Steering Group (Chair, Secretary and Treasurer) will be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Forum.
 

6.4. In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General Meeting of members.
 

6.5. Any Steering Group member not attending a meeting without apology for three consecutive meetings may be dismissed by a simple majority vote of the committee.
 

6.6. The Steering Group Officers may seek other Forum Members to deputize in their absence.
 

6.7. The officers’ roles are as follows:

    i. Chair, who shall chair both general and annual meetings.

    ii. Secretary, who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes and the distribution of all papers. The Secretary will be responsible for keeping records of members.

    iii. Treasurer who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts and advising the committee on financial status.

6.8. The Steering Group has the power to co-opt up to 5 additional members to ensure maximum feasible representativeness of the people who live and/or work in the area.
 

6.9. Steering Group responsibilities:

    i. The overall management of the business of the Forum

    ii. Agreeing and ensuring the implementation of the Communications and Community Engagement Strategy

    iii. Coordinating the work of the Working Groups (Working Groups are referred to in more detail at paragraph 7)

    iv. Drafting, agreeing and promoting the implementation of the West Saltdean Neighbourhood Plan, which will have a lifespan till 2030 (to bring in line with Brighton and Hove Local Plan).

    v. Reviewing the progress and implementation of the plan up to and beyond the 2030 lifespan.

6.10. Steering Group meetings

    i. The Steering Group will meet regularly, using a variety of venues and online platforms as required.

    ii. Agenda Papers and Minutes will be posted on a Forum website and will be available in printed format on request.

    iii. The quorum for the Steering Group will be a majority – minimum 4 members.
 

7. Meetings of the Forum

7.1. Annual General Meeting

    i. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held when possible, within fifteen months of the previous AGM. Reasons must be given for any delays.

    ii. All members will be notified in writing at least 2 weeks before the date of the meeting, giving the venue, date and time.

    iii. Nominations of officers for the Steering Group may be made to the Secretary before the meeting, or at the meeting.

    iv. The quorum for the AGM will be 8 members, at the AGM:
    ‒ The Steering Group will present a report of the work of the West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum over the year.
    ‒ The Steering Group will present the accounts of the West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum for the previous year.
    ‒ The Steering Group and officers for the next year will be elected.
    ‒ Any proposals given to the Secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting will be discussed.

7.2. Rules of Procedure for Steering Group Meetings, Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings

    i. All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general  agreement that everyone present can agree to.

  ii. If a consensus cannot be reached, a vote will be taken, and a decision will be made by a simple majority of members present. If the number of votes cast on each side are equal, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

  7.3. General Meetings of the Forum: Have Your Say Events

    i. These events are open to all Forum members and members of the public.
 

   ii. The content and structure of these Events will vary according to priorities determined by the Steering Group.
 

   Generally, the programme will enable the Forum to:
    ‒ showcase its activities, particularly the evolving Neighbourhood Plan
    ‒ recruit new members.
    ‒ enable Forum Working Groups to have discussions with wider groups of local people.
    ‒ facilitate Q&A sessions with the Local Planning Authority officers, councillors and developers with an interest in the area; and
    – share experiences with voluntary and community sector organizations from elsewhere in the district and other towns and cities which are preparing and involved in implementing Neighbourhood Plans.
 

8. Working Groups
 

    8.1. The Working Groups and their leaders are established by the Steering Group.
 

    8.2. A Working Group will comprise a minimum of 3 people from the Forum.
 

    8.3. Working Groups develop the working arrangements which suit them best and meet as required to investigate and discuss the issues assigned to them.
 

    8.4. The leader or deputy leader reports to the Forum Committee normally once per month.
 

9. Partner Organisations
 

    9.1. To further its aims, the Forum will work in partnership with relevant public, private and community/voluntary sector organisations.
 

    9.2. In particular, the Forum will work closely with the Saltdean Residents Association and Saltdean Community Association.
 

    9.3. The work of the Forum will complement, rather than duplicate, the work of other voluntary and community sector organisations in the area.