How the Parish Council Works
What is a Parish Council (Wiki)
Parish Councils
Parish Councils are currently the most common type of local council. They were constituted by the Local Government Act 1894 taking on powers and duties which, until then, had been administered by churchwardens and overseers of the poor. The current powers and duties of parish councils are derived from various parts of legislation. Appendix 1 provides a short summary of the main local council services and powers.
Parish Councils exist to discuss community affairs and exercise the powers bestowed on them. The council itself is made up of councillors who are either elected by local residents or selected to fill vacancies. Each council has a clerk who acts as the chief officer and, depending on its size, a number of additional staff may be employed.
1.6 For most parish councils, the majority of income is derived from an annual charge, the precept, on local electors. The precept is set each year by a parish council as part of its annual budgeting process and is collected on the parish council’s behalf by the local authority responsible for collecting council tax for its area. The level of precept depends on the nature and scope of the parish council’s activities.
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There are other resources available to parish councils in addition to the precept. Many parishes receive interest on bank balances, grants and income from charges for the use of their facilities (through, for example, hall hire charges, burial fees, car parks etc) and in some cases from returns on investments.
In March 2003 the Government announced its initiative for accrediting councils who meet certain standards as ‘Quality Councils’. This is intended to encourage more community service provision to be devolved from principal authorities to local councils, where appropriate, together with the income and expenditure associated with those services. Some legislation now distinguishes the powers available to a parish council according to its status or otherwise as a Quality Council. Certain councils meeting eligibility standards have the power to promote well-being in their communities.
Quality Status
Wolston PC is working towards achieving Quality Council status.
The Benefits of Quality Status
In addition to being able to demonstrate to local communities that minimum standards have been met, Quality councils will also be in a better position to influence the decision making process and/or take on additional services and areas of responsibility from their principal local authorities.
Who benefits?
The benefits of this scheme affect three groups:
1. The community
2. The parish or town council itself
3. The principal local authority
1) The community:
• more responsive services - the Quality council will be capable of solving local problems without recourse to the principal authority
• real contact and discussions with its Quality council
• a local access point providing information on services
• a council which is more accountable, visible, representative and provides community leadership
2) Benefits to the parish or town council itself:
• greater credibility in the eyes of the local community, voluntary and private sectors, and principal local authorities
• greater civic pride
• more representative of the local community
• better ability to articulate the needs and wishes of the local community
• more will be achieved by working in partnership with other organisations
• ability to demonstrate that it is effectively and properly managed, which will instill greater confidence in the community
• can deliver more local services - if the council wishes to
• greater involvement by the voluntary and community sector and by principal local authorities (e.g. developing community led plans, market town health checks etc.)
• a better informed community
• a well trained clerk, through the Certificate in Local Council Administration (or University of Gloucestershire qualification in Local Policy)
3) Principal Authority benefits
• reassurance that the Quality council has been independently assessed and is therefore capable of working together with the principal authority to deliver services on their behalf or in partnership
• reliable evidence of the competence of the Quality council, through the four year re-assessment process
• proof that the Quality council is willing and able to be fully involved in local issues (this will be particularly valuable when implementing new initiatives)
• stronger partnership working, with the town or parish council bringing their local perspective and experience to the table.
Quality councils should be more innovative and pro-active, and will want to share their ideas and experiences and provide increased confidence that the Quality council is representative, competent, well managed, and thus capable of taking on and sustaining an enhanced role