Planning in the margins: reflections on forum-led neighbourhood planning in England

This article examines the institutional constraints facing neighbourhood forums in urban, unparished areas of England. Although neighbourhood planning aims to empower communities, neighbourhood forums remain non-statutory and rely on local planning authorities for support and legitimacy. Drawing on case studies in Leeds, this article applies collaborative planning theory, institutional capacity and post-political critique to assess the neighbourhood planning process and its aftermath, as well as forum–local authority relations. The research indicates that, without ongoing support, capacity developed during the plan-making process frequently evaporates after adoption. Recent policy shifts risk reinforcing these constraints unless underpinned by long-term institutional reform.