The Parish Council
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The Parish Clerk is Katie Hardy, who can be contacted by email at |
The Council Members
Bob Davis, Chairman
John Rhodes, Vice-Chairman
Peter Clarke
Rory Fitzgerald
Robin Goodland
Alan Jones
Richard Vie
What We Do
The Council has to deal with many aspects of village life. Major ongoing issues are those of planning and associated development. Although the Council cannot make planning decisions, this is the role of the Borough [TVBC], it does try very hard to influence the planning committee with a view to preserving the pleasant rural, and open, aspect of the parish. It is for this reason the Council initiated both the Village Appraisal and the Design Statement and is actively supporting the development of a Parish Plan.
Recent legislation makes it imperative that such a plan is available now and in the future. Without one we will find it very difficult indeed to promote issues of interest to the parish rather than those of external authorities.
The Council has a number of legal responsibilities as well as powers. A number of the latter may be used to advantage in the development of the Parish Plan.
Some idea of the broad range of possibilities can be gained from the following list which is not comprehensive.
Powers to provide/maintain or otherwise deal with include:
- Buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or educational objectives
- Bus shelters
- Community centres
- Community transport schemes
- Crime prevention measures
- Ditches
- Entertainment & the Arts
- Land
- Newsletters
- Promote Lotteries
- Provide buildings for offices, public meetings and assemblies
- Public footpaths and bridleways
- Recreation grounds
- Recreational facilities
- Roadside seats and shelters
- Trees etc. and roadside verges
Recent legislation has given Councils additional powers. Some of these relate to crime and disorder, dog offences, litter, graffiti, abandoned vehicles and fly-tipping.
Over the years the scope and detail involved in the Council’s work has been steadily increasing against a background of more complex and demanding legislation. This is particularly relevant in planning, finance and ethics. There now have to be clear audit trails and the more informal arrangements of the past are no longer allowable.
Spending decisions have to be based on a critical analysis of the parish’s needs and the Government’s principle of “Best Value” must prevail. It is in this context that the developing Parish Plan is so important. Through the auspices of the Parish Plan Committee the Council can learn about the prioritised interests of the community.
The Parish Plan will inform the Parish Council's decisions on spending and budget setting. Every year, usually about November, the Council must develop its budget and, with that established, set the precept – the specific levy relating to this parish. This is the smallest component of the Council Tax collected by TVBC to fund County, Borough and Parish expenditure. For us, the parish levy per household in 2007/08 is £33.79 (band D) which is slightly higher than the average for Hampshire Parishes of £30.00. Through careful financial management, the precept was reduced in 2007. In addition to the precept, the Parish Council generates income from other sources including hire of the recreation ground, newsletter sponsorship and interest on bank deposits.
Other than administration costs, the main expenditure of the Parish Council is in buildings insurance, production of the village newsletter and grants to support village organisations. The full budget is published on this website. (link)
While it is probably not generally known, the Council has been, and no doubt will continue to be, deeply involved in planning issues that lie beyond house extensions and new buildings. We are situated in an area that has long been exploited for its many and varied minerals. The opening of new sites, and the use of the old ones for waste handling and disposal, requires constant involvement with TVBC and HCC in order to minimise hazards, heavy lorry traffic and to protect our environment.
The Legal Background
The Borough [TVBC] determines the number of councillors for each parish. We have seven, one of whom is the chairman. Also, our Council has elected one of its members to be vice-chairman - though this is not a legal requirement. All parish councils have a Clerk – also know as the Proper Officer, who is an employee - though the salary is often best considered as an honorarium. The Clerk’s role is pivotal. He or she must cope with every aspect of a parish’s administration and ensure that the Council functions properly. In effect, the Clerk is a town hall embodied in one person.
Every parish council is a body corporate and is distinct from its members - either as individuals or collectively. Its lawful acts, assets and liabilities are its own and not those of its members. Our Council has been in uninterrupted existence from the moment of its creation, over a hundred years ago, and will remain so until its lawful dissolution, even if all its members vacate office, or if its membership falls so low that it is unable to act for want of a quorum. In our case, the minimum number of members required to maintain a quorum is three.
A person is qualified to become a council member if he/she is a Commonwealth citizen [which includes a British subject] or Euronational and is an elector over 21 years old.
In addition, he/she must, for twelve months prior to nomination, have either:
- resided in the parish
- or within three miles of it
- or occupied as owner or tenant any land or premises there
- or had his/her principal or only place of work there.
There are a number of ways in which a person may be disqualified from being elected. The more obvious being employment by the Council, bankruptcy or having been sentenced within the last five years to not less than three months imprisonment without the option of paying a fine.
An election is held every four years. The next being May 2011 when all councillors must stand down though they will remain eligible for re-election. Candidates must be nominated by two electors. If we have seven Candidates or less, then those nominated are elected without a ballot. These councillors can then fill vacancies by co-option.
On being elected, members are required to declare prescribed interests and to state during meetings if they have either a personal or prejudicial interest in any subject under consideration. If the interest is not prejudicial members may contribute to the discussion and vote. If prejudicial, they must leave the room and cannot take part in the discussion, or vote [The Government has consumed several rainforests in publishing the regulations on this subject !].
Other than August and December, our Council normally meets monthly. However, by law, it is only required to meet on four occasions per year.
One such meeting is formally known as the Annual Meeting of the Council. This usually takes place in May but in an election year it must be held either on the day new councillors take office or within fourteen days. Amongst other formal business, the chairman and vice chairman are elected.
Here, the Annual Parish Meeting is normally held in April. This public meeting is an occasion for parishioners to express their views to the Council and for the Council to report its activities and accounts.
Public meetings can be held on other occasions for specific purposes. However, there are strict rules governing the administration of such an event.
While all council meetings must be public and have a formal agenda, we welcome parishioners: part of every meeting is set aside to hear individual views and comments.
Our Council meetings are normally held on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Jubilee Hall. Agendas are posted on parish notice boards and given on the parish Website. Minutes are available from the Clerk and are also posted on the Website. Summary reports are given in the village Newsletter.
It might be thought that being a councillor is an onerous task with all the activities and responsibilities involved. However, we aim to keep meetings to a couple of hours and frequently include light hearted moments with anecdotes that weave their way into the discussions.
Why not consider standing for election - a few hours a month can make a real difference to our community while providing an interesting and rewarding experience.
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