Dear Member, Can I start by sending you my best wishes and hoping that you are taking care and obeying Government instructions to ensure that we beat Covid-19 as quickly as possible. Can I remind you that if any of you require help in any way as a result of the impact of Covid-19, please contact the Westminster Connects team by phoning 020 7641 1222 or emailing westminsterconnect@westminster.gov.uk.
Turning now to the activities of the Belgravia Neighbourhood Forum (BNF), I can tell you that during last summer the Forum completed the initial stage of consultation with the residents and the businesses of Belgravia, but then faced the need to seek the re-designation of the Forum from Westminster City Council. I am delighted to say that this re-designation has now been received and I would like to pass my thanks to all those members – and I know there were many – who took the trouble to write to the Council to support the re-designation of our Forum. We now have a five-year period within which to complete and secure approval of the Neighbourhood Plan for Belgravia.
I am pleased to tell you that we have also been successful in gaining some initial funding from WCC to engage a professional consultant to help us in drafting the Plan, and work is currently underway on this. However, the combination of the process required to obtain the re-designation, this funding and the constraints imposed by Covid-19 has resulted in the timetable we had envisaged slipping by some 6 months.
You may have on your calendar a date in May for the Forum Annual General Meeting. Given the current circumstances it will not be possible to hold that meeting as planned. It has therefore been decided, as is permitted under the constitution of the BNF Ltd., that this meeting will be held later in the year. So please can you note a new date for the AGM of Thursday, September 24th. The meeting will also include a presentation of progress on the BNF Plan. You will receive a reminder closer to the date of the AGM. PLEASE, make a real effort to attend this important meeting.
Our overall target remains to hold an open meeting later in the year for a presentation of the draft Plan; this meeting will be open to all residents and businesses of Belgravia.
With all best wishes
Dennis Wheatland
Chairman
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