East Boldon Neighbourhood Forum
We’re planning for a Referendum!

Welcome to our website!

Your Neighbourhood Plan has now passed the various legal stages it needed to go through and is now with the Council to confirm that it can be put to a Referendum which we hope will be held in October 2021. Full details of the final plan will be available on our website before the referendum.

The Neighbourhood Plan was born out of a desire by the community to protect the green belt and influence what is is built in and around East Boldon. Although the Council has withdrawn the 2019 draft Local Plan, there is still pressure from developers and land owners to build in our area. The Neighbourhood Plan can only come into effect and have an influence on Planning Applications if it is adopted by those living in the Forum Area by means of a Referendum.

In the meantime we will be preparing some material to explain more about the plan and what it means for East Boldon. Please keep a look out for this information.

The Neighbourhood Plan creates a vision for our area and that it is based on feedback from residents. Neighbourhood Plans can influence the type, design, location and mix of new development. It can address issues including road access, cycling, footpaths and access for people with disabilities. It can also be used to help promote green and open spaces.

The Neighbourhood Plan is distinct from the Council’s “Local Plan” which they consulted on in 2019. The Local Plan is intended to shape development across the borough in the years ahead. The 2019 version of the plan has been scrapped and the Council have started work on a new version. Please see here for more information.

Our Neighbourhood Plan represents a view of the future for the Village and we need your help! If you live or work in the East Boldon Forum area and are over 16 then you are welcome to join the Forum, please complete the application form and we’ll get in touch with you.

Although our regular monthly meetings have been suspended since March 2020 as a result of the lockdown we have continued to work in the background towards the development of our draft neighbourhood plan and Zoom public meetings have been held since our 2021 AGM in February. Please click here for more information.

Progress Timeline:

The Forum has been active since 2016. We have created a visual timeline to show the progress which has been achieved since the idea of a Neighbourhood Forum for East Boldon was first suggested in November 2016. Please click to see more details.

We will add more information and links to support each of the items on the timeline as they become available.

Image Gallery:

We have also created an Image Gallery to share photos from the plan area.

Please feel free to contribute any images you would like to share by sending them to admin@eastboldonforum.org.uk.

Neighbourhood Forums have a legal standing and allow residents to influence (but not prevent) future development in their area. The East Boldon Neighbourhood Forum was designated by South Tyneside Council in January 2018. Since then, the Forum has been working on the development of a neighbourhood plan which is expected to be finalised later in 2021.

During August 2019 Forum members provided a detailed response to the South Tyneside Council’s latest draft of their Local Plan. Please look here for more information and feel free to leave a comment to let us know your views.

Funding, Independence and Membership

The Forum is an independent body mainly funded by Government grants which are specifically available to support the development of Neighbourhood Plans across the country. It does not support and is not linked to or supported by any political party.

It is required to work with interested stakeholders and consequently will continue to work with Council representatives and Councillors to ensure the delivery of a Neighbourhood Plan for East Boldon.

Anyone over the age of 16 who lives, works or is an elected councillor in the Forum area (which includes elements of the Cleadon / East Boldon and West Boldon / Boldon Colliery council wards) is entitled to become a member of the Forum.

A selection of our previous posts: