Holbrook Parish Council

The Voice of Holbrook

Parish Council Information

Responsibilities of the Parish Council (Generic)

A general overview of a parish councils’ duties and responsibilities is reproduced below.  It is not comprehensive, and not all will be relevant to Holbrook Parish Council.

1.1       Introduction

A parish council is the first tier of local government and so is the level closest to the people it represents.  Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community.  They are statutory consultees on planning matters and they get involved with crime prevention, managing open spaces, and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.  While they have limited powers, they do have an ability to negotiate and influence those who make final decisions, such as: borough councils, health authorities, and the police.  Through appointment of volunteer councillors who know the parish well, these organisations will recognise that the parish council is likely to represent the view of the community and take that view seriously.  However, it is vital that the community engages with the parish council as much as possible.

Contact with a parish council should always be via the parish clerk and not individual councillors.  Any matters concerning Utilities (e.g. water, electricity, gas) and Services (e.g. waste disposal, recycling, street lighting) should be made directly to those authorities.

1.2       Powers and Duties

Parish councils have the power to tax their residents to support the various tasks they carry out.  This is called a precept.  The money that is raised can only be used for a limited number of purposes as defined in the 1894 Act and subsequent legislation.

1.3       Provision of Facilities

Parish councils have powers to provide some facilities themselves, or they can contribute towards their provision by others. Typically, they might include the following:

• Allotments
• Support and encouragement of arts and crafts
• Provision of village halls
• Recreation grounds, parks, children's play areas, playing fields
• Cemeteries and crematoria
• Maintenance of closed churchyards
• Cleaning and drainage of ponds etc.
• Control of litter
• Public conveniences
• Creation and maintenance of footpaths and bridleways
• Provision of cycle and motorcycle parking
• Acquisition and maintenance of rights of way
• Public clocks
• War memorials
• Encouragement of tourism

They may also provide the following subject to the consent of the county council or unitary authority of the area in which they lie:

• Bus shelters
• Signposting of footpaths
• Lighting of footpaths
• Off-street car parks
• Provision, maintenance and protection of roadside verges

1.4       Representative Powers

Parish councils must be notified by the district or county council of:

• All planning applications in their areas
• Intention to provide a burial ground in the parish
• Proposals to carry out sewerage works
• Footpath and bridleway (more generally, 'rights of way') surveys
• Intention to make byelaws in relation to hackney carriages, music and dancing, promenades, sea shore and street naming

1.5       Miscellaneous Powers

In some cases parish councils possess the following powers:

• Withholding of consent to stop up unclassified highways and footpaths
• Consultation on appointment of managers of primary schools
• Trustees or appointing trustees of local charities

Source:  Wikipedia