Our Forum
Summertown & St Margaret’s Neighbourhood Forum (SuStM) was established in 2013 and comprises an open forum of residents and those working in the designated areas of Summertown and St. Margaret’s to be involved in the planning and improvement of their neighbourhood’s future.
Purpose of SuStM
To nurture residents’ sense of collective identity and welfare through:
Heightened awareness of the area’s historical past, its changing housing, infrastructure and residential population and
Residents’ active involvement in neighbourhood development planning, project formulation and implementation.
To provide a forum for residents to be involved in the planning and improvement of their neighbourhood’s future.
To comment on and monitor critical planning issues.
To initiate and implement relevant projects for improving the infrastructure and amenities of the neighbourhood, related to Our Plan (approved by the Oxford City Executive Board, then publicly debated and approved in the 7 March 2019 SUSTM referendum).
To allocate CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) money received from the Oxford City Council, subject to the SUSTM Steering Committee’s procedural evaluation of application proposals.
Organisational Structure and
Volunteer Involvement
SuStM is comprised of an open forum of residents or those working in the designated areas of Summertown and St. Margaret’s. A Steering Committee is elected from SuStM volunteers, whose management decision-making is subject to the Forum’s Constitution and stipulated procedures.
We warmly welcome those willing to volunteer to participate in SuStM planning and project activities according to their time availability and task preferences. Any resident can become a member of the Forum by simply sending their email address to the Steering Committee Secretary. They will then be on the mailing list to receive notification of meetings, news updates and calls for volunteers for project implementation. Associates, comprising institutional members of the Forum such as businesses and employers in the neighbourhood, are encouraged to be involved.
To volunteer as a member of a Working Group, or to join the Steering Committee, please contact the Secretary by email. Co-option to the Steering Committee can take place at any time during the year. Election to the Steering Committee takes place at the AGM in the autumn, and proposals should be received a minimum of 10 days before the date of the AGM (see the Constitution for further information).
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee meetings are attended by current City & County Councillors for our neighbourhood. They are:
Andrew Gant, Laurence Fouweather (Cutteslowe and Sunnymead)
Katherine Miles, Tom Landell Mills (Summertown)
Andrew Gant and John Howson (County).
Neil MacLennan
Transport
CV e: ✉️
History of SuStM
2013
Under the national government’s Localism Act, residential communities were encouraged to establish neighbourhood forums with the central purpose of producing a Neighbourhood Plan to complement Oxford City Council’s city plan. A group of residents volunteered to set up a neighbourhood forum in Summertown and St. Margaret’s initially in response to the likelihood of development on the Ewert House/Diamond Place area to the east of the Summertown shops. The Forum was officially recognized by the City Council in 2013.
2014-2016
Our membership grew in the process of producing the SuStM plan, which involved meetings and a great deal of consultation with local people, who attended our meetings and those interviewed in Summertown’s shopping precinct and parks as well as various local surveys.
2019
There was a resounding vote in favour of our Neighbourhood plan in the Referendum held on Thursday 7 March. Ninety-two percent of the voters were in favour. The Alexandra Park programme was initiated and plans for a new website and launch of CIL funding were prepared.
Achievements of SuStM Neighbourhood Forum to date:
Detailed Neighbourhood Character Assessments were compiled by our volunteers under expert guidance.
The SuStM Plan was unveiled in 2018 and approved in 2019.
Development of process to allocate CIL funds and completion of 5 funding rounds in 2020 - 2023.
Invitation to volunteer
The Forum programme of work now includes annual rounds of allocation of CIL funds to local organisations, and working groups to develop Alexandra Park, to influence the development of Diamond Place, and to address the transport and planning issues affecting the area.
We expect that the workload will continue to expand and the Forum welcomes any offers of help, especially from younger members of the community, and those involved in local businesses.
Skills needed
Becoming a voice for the area: We are looking for people who enjoy finding ways of organising engagement and public activities, to collect information and to disseminate ideas widely.
Communication: We need people who are familiar with social media, websites and who can sure that all Forum members are kept up to date at all times.
General management: We welcome help with the administrative functions, such as treasury, fundraising and other organisational duties.
Specific roles envisaged and the general areas of interest required.
Planning Applications: We need several people who will take an interest in local applications and help formulate the Forum’s view and formal response.
Review of Neighbourhood Plan: We need people to help us with the review and editing of existing policies and the creation of new ones where required. We expect that the updated Neighbourhood Plan will be ready for a referendum in 2025.
Current & Proposed Working Groups
Alexandra Park: Tree planting, renovation of playground and amenities, and path improvement are all underway. Terms of reference are in development and we welcome input from those who know the Park.
Diamond Place: The Forum will make sure the voice of the community is heard during the planning of this major development in the heart of Summertown.
Natural Environment – see Plan
Transport: Terms of reference for the Transport Working Group are in development.
Summertown Retail Centre – see Plan
Planning: Terms of reference for the Planning Working Group are in development.
Conservation area – see Plan
