MEET THE COUNCILLORS

ROLE OF THE COUNCIL

The Council is a single corporate body and local authority, established by the Local Government Act 1894. The decisions it takes are the responsibility of the council as a whole and it represents and serves the whole community. It has the power to raise money through taxation and a range of powers to spend public money and is the tier of local government closest to the people it serves.

Duties

Law determines the duties of a parish council and it underpins the work of the council. The duties of a parish council include the following:

Provide services
Create policies
Raise and spend money on behalf of the community
Budget & manage its finances in accordance with the Accounts & Audit Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/533)
Ensure adequate insurance cover
Manage Parish land, buildings and property
Appoint a Proper Officer
Act Lawfully
Hold at least three meetings a year in addition to the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council [LGA 1972 Sch 12, para 8(1)

Responsibilities

In addition to the above, a parish council has many responsibilities and these can be many, varied and wide ranging depending on the size and complexity of the parish, but all parishes have a responsibility to/for:

• Represent the interests of its people
• Keep its people informed
• Work in partnership with other bodies
• The Health & Safety of its Employees
• Obtain the best value by working within the spirit of Best Value

Parish Councils raise money through the Precept; they do not get any general government grant. Each January this Council’s precept is agreed by Members through a process of setting a budget which forecasts the expected expenditure and income for the following financial year. The Precept is collected by Wiltshire Council on behalf of the Parish Council in the form of Council Tax, to which all of Heywood’s and Hawkeridge’s electorates contribute.