The Parish Council

If you have managed to get this far, the odds are that you have an interest in the Parish Council. The following will give you some background into what the Parish Council is, where it sits in relation to other bodies, and what it is expected to do (and perhaps more importantly, what it is not allowed to do!). Most of the points are taken from “The Good Councillor’s Guide” published by The Countryside Agency.

What is it?

The Parish Council is a corporate body with a legal existence of its own, quite separate from that of its members. Its decisions are the responsibility of the whole body. The Council has been granted powers by Parliament, including the authority to raise money through taxation (the Precept) and a range of powers to spend public money.

The Parish Council is an elected tier of local government. Other tiers, know as principal authorities, have a legal duty to deliver services such as education, town and country planning, environmental health and social services. The Parish Council has fewer duties, but greater freedom to choose what action to take. It can play a vital role in representing the interests of the community it serves and to improve the quality of life and the local environment.

The Rules!

Many people are vague about what the Parish Council can, and can’t do. It boils down to three rules:

• The Council must do what Parliament requires it to do.

• The Council may do only what Parliament says it may do.

• The Council must not do anything unless it has a legal power to act, granted by Parliament.

What must a council do?

The Council has the duty to ensure that all the rules for the administration of the council are followed. The Council must:

• Appoint a chairman.

• Appoint a clerk.

• Appoint a responsible financial officer (RFO) to manage the finances in a sound and professional manner. Our RFO is the clerk.

• Appoint an independant and competent internal auditor.

Councilors have to follow a code of conduct detailed by Parliament. To download the document click here. The Standards Board for England has produced an updated version and can be downloaded by clicking here.

A major responsibility is to comment upon planning applications submitted to North Lincolnshire Council. To view planning applications submitted to North Lincolnshire Council click here, for planning decisions made by North Lincolnshire click here.

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