Object
Redesignation of South Newnham Neighbourhood Forum May 2022
Representation ID: 60832
Received: 18/06/2022
Respondent: Professor Mary Margaret McCabe
I have been unable to load comments on the website about the proposed redesignation of the Newnham Neighbourhood Group, so I record below my concerns about the plan. I am a Newnham resident, of Marlowe Road.
I have considerable concerns about this proposal, and register the following objection. Since this body is not elected, it has no mandate to speak for this community. Without ensuring, by means that are duly democratic, that it properly respects and attends to different points of view and the interests of the wider community it should not be given the power to determine or to adjudicate policy. Nor should it be in a position to suggest that it somehow represents the community. We have elected councillors for this, and the role of any body, whether it is construed as friends of some particular area or as a residents' forum, cannot be other than consultative in a very limited way, and its role as such needs to be repeatedly assured and guaranteed.
I have been unable to load comments on the website about the proposed redesignation of the Newnham Neighbourhood Group, so I record below my concerns about the plan. I am a Newnham resident, Marlowe Road.
I have considerable concerns about this proposal, and register the following objection. Since this body is not elected, it has no mandate to speak for this community. Without ensuring, by means that are duly democratic, that it properly respects and attends to different points of view and the interests of the wider community it should not be given the power to determine or to adjudicate policy. Nor should it be in a position to suggest that it somehow represents the community. We have elected councillors for this, and the role of any body, whether it is construed as friends of some particular area or as a residents' forum, cannot be other than consultative in a very limited way, and its role as such needs to be repeatedly assured and guaranteed.