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What is a Parish Council?
There are 151 Parish and Town Councils in
Worcestershire forming the first tier of government,
64 parishes form Wychavon District Council.
Parish and Town Councils:
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Are the democratic voice of the community |
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Have legal powers to provide many community
services and facilities, either independently or
in partnership |
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Influence the decisions made by others on the
way our communities are shaped and developed |
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Have the statutory right to be consulted on
planning applications |
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Are consulted on community and planning
strategies |
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Are rarely organised along party political lines |
Bredon Parish Council usually meets 11 times per
year (normally the second Monday in the month) and
has a period for public question time at each
meeting. It holds an Annual Parish Council meeting
(May) when the officers are elected. In an election
year the meeting must take place within 14 days of
the election. The parish council must hold its
meeting in a public place but not on licensed
premises i.e. a public house.
In
addition, the parish holds an Annual Parish Meeting
(held between the 1st March and the 1st
June each year) which is a public meeting at which
residents may raise any matters that affects the
community.
Parish Councils are encouraged to publish reports on
its activities, and parishioners have the right to
inspect its minutes and accounts.
The Conduct of Parish/Town Councillors
All
Parish and Town Councils are required to adopt the
Code of Conduct which individual Councillors must
sign up to. This code demands, for instance, that
Councillors must declare their interests and must
not disclose confidential information
Democratic Arrangements
Parish and Town Councillors are elected every four
years. Where a casual vacancy occurs for a
Councillor, perhaps due to a resignation, there must
be a bye-election if at least ten electors in the
parish demand one. If one is not demanded, your
Parish Council must seek to co-opt a person to fill
the vacancy. The Elections Officer at the District
Council
Parish Councils are
statutory local authorities. They have an element of
sovereignty and are not answerable to the other
tiers of councils. They must make decisions in an
open, accountable and transparent way. Their
accounts are subject to internal and external audit,
the results of which must be posted on a notice
board. They must appoint a Responsible Finance
Officer and should have a Complaints Procedure.
Each Parish Council is required to set an annual
budget having undertaken a risk assessment of all
its activities and agreed its policies. To fund its
budget the Parish Council sets a precept, which is
an amount of money included in your council tax
bill.
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