Your Parish Council
A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish and has an overall responsibility for the well-being of its local community. Parish councils are run by councillors, who volunteer their time to make their community a better place. The Parish Council consists of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, Councillors and a Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer. Their basic work falls into three main categories:
- Representing the local community
- Delivering services to meet local needs
- Striving to improve the quality of life in the parish
The Chairperson
A Parish Council Chairperson has the role of team leader for council meetings. In all other respects the Chairperson is a member of the Council. The Chairperson is elected at the AGM of the Council to be in charge during council meetings for one year. They have a duty to ensure that council meetings run smoothly, that all business is properly considered and all councillors who wish to speak can do so. When a vote is tied, the chairman may use a second, or casting vote. It is good practice for the chairman to refer to the clerk for advice.
The Councillors
No person can act as a Parish Councillor until they have signed a formal declaration of acceptance of their office. The declaration of acceptance of office includes an agreement to observe the current code of conduct adopted by the council. In addition to the obligations arising from a council’s code of conduct, members have a responsibility to:
- attend meetings when summoned to do so; the notice to attend a council meeting is, in law, a summons.
- consider, in advance of the meeting, the agenda and any related documents.
- take part in meetings and consider all the relevant facts and issues on matters which require a decision.
- take part in voting, and respect decisions made by the majority of those
- present and voting.
- ensure, with other councillors, that the council is properly managed
- represent the whole electorate
The Parish Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer
The clerk's primary responsibility is to advise the council on whether its decisions are lawful and to recommend ways in which decisions can be implemented. The Clerk is required to give clear guidance to Councillors, including the Chair, before decisions are reached, even when that guidance may be unpalatable. The Clerk has a key role in advising the council, and Councillors, on governance, ethical and procedural matters. They must also liaise with the Monitoring Officer at the district/unitary council on ethical issues and the Councillors' Register of Interests.The clerk provides advice and administrative support and takes action to implement council decisions. To help with this, the Clerk can be asked to research topics of concern to the council and provide unbiased information to help the council to make appropriate choices. The clerk is also the Responsible Finance Officer for all aspects of the Parish Council’s finances, managing financial affairs within the legal framework, maintaining good governance, accountability and transparency in accordance with regulatory requirements, accounting guidance and proper practice.