CORRECT PROCEDURE
The Parish Council is a corporate body and can make decisions. Individual Councillors cannot.
The Council can delegate some decisions to the Responsible Financial Officer eg Clerk or a committee, but these have to be agreed and recorded in the Standing orders.
Planning
The Planning Committee is an agreed delegated committee given power to make planning decisions. Finance – No financial decisions can be made by a committee. They must be agreed by full Council.
Working Parties
Anyone who undertakes to find out more information on an item, that they have agreed to be responsible for is free to do so, so long as they:
– DO NOT MAKE ANY DECISION ON THEIR OWN
They need to produce a report and bring it to the next Council meeting, or ideally give it to the Clerk to attach to the Agenda for the following meeting, at which time the Council can debate the issue and make a decision.
The implementation of decisions must be made by the Proper Officer of the Council after the decision has been properly minuted and recorded.
- FIND OUT INFO
- WRITE A REPORT AND GIVE TO THE CLERK for the AGENDA
- DEBATE THE ISSUE IN COUNCIL
- COUNCIL WILL MAKE A CORPORATE DECISION
- DECISION RECORDED IN MINUTES
- DECISION ACTED ON BY PROPER OFFICER ie CLERK on Parish Headed paper
- RESULTS of decision reported back to the Council by the Clerk
The following can be under the remit of the parish council:
Parish councils have a variety of powers and duties, all of which impact directly on the community.
What Powers and Duties do Parish Councils Have?
Cemetery
Bus Shelters
Highways – lighting, parking places,
right to enter into discussions about new roads and road widening, consent of parish council required for diversion or discontinuation of highway, traffic signs and other notices, tree planting and verge maintenance
Seats (public)
Land
acquisition and sale of
Legal proceedings
power to prosecute and defend any legal proceedings in the interests of the community, power to take part in any public enquiry
Litter
provision of litter-bins and support for any anti-litter campaigns
Signs
danger signs, place names and bus stops signs
Planning
parish councils must be notified of, and display for residents, any planning applications for the area. Any comments submitted to the planning authority by the parish council must be taken into account
Postal and Telecommunication Facilities
power to pay a public telecommunications operator any loss sustained in providing services in that area
Recreation
provision of recreation grounds, public walkways, pleasure grounds, open spaces, village greens, gymnasiums, playing fields, holiday camps and boating ponds
Rights of Way
footpath and bridleway maintenance
