Wraxall and Failand Parish Council
Local Code of Corporate Governance
What is Corporate Governance?
It is phrase used to describe what the Parish Council is, how it directs and controls what it does, and how it relates to the community it serves.
Who we are
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 important authority to raise money through taxation
(the Precept) and a range of powers to spend public money (more later).( See hard copy available from Clerk)
The council is an elected tier of local government. Local Councillors are elected every four years in local elections. If insufficient candidates stand for an election the candidates are returned unopposed. Additional Councillors can be co-opted to bring the Council up to its full strength. (See good practice for the election of Councillors.)
Other tiers, known as Principal Authorities, have a legal duty to deliver services such as Education, Planning, Environmental Health and Social Services.
Your Parish Council has the legal power to take action, but has few duties and greater freedom to choose what action to take. We can play a vital part in representing the interests of the Community and improving the quality of life and the local environment. We can influence other decision makers and can, in many cases, deliver services to meet local needs.
You and your Council can make a difference.
What we do
We respond to issues that concern our community; we could do very little or as much as we are capable of doing. We prefer you to decide.
The Government is encouraging Parish Councils to deliver more services and play
a greater part in their communities. We make a unique response to the needs of our community with a sensitivity that is more difficult for Principal Authorities to achieve.
We raise money by the Precept and spend it on a range of good works and staff salaries.
The Councillors’ give their time and expertise freely to consider planning applications and the day to day issues as they arise. They get involved in specific projects, and they act as advocates on community matters.
We represent approximately 3,000 residents in two distinct communities.
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Issues may involve Planning, Highways, Traffic, Community Safety, Housing, Street Lighting, Litter, Playing Fields, Memorials, Seats and Shelters, and Public Rights of Way.
The Council meets in public session every month and works to an agreed agenda. Minutes of the meeting are published one month in arrears following approval at the next months meeting. For a meeting to be lawful a quorum must be present (4No.).
Councillors’ have different enthusiasms and interests. They have different skills and attitudes and this diversity and combined energy is to be encouraged and harnessed to benefit the whole.
The Chairman is elected each year by the Council Members, he has the role of team leader for meetings. He is in charge during Council meetings. This is a post recognized in law and commands respect.
The Chairman has a duty to ensure that all decisions are lawful, and should take steps to involve all Councillors in the discussion.
The Clerk is a vital member of the team. The Clerk provides advice and administrative support and is answerable only to the Council as a whole. The Clerk is the Proper Officer of the Council in law and this independence allows them to act on behalf of the Council.
Whose who on the council
See List
with contact details together with roles and responsibilities
The Services we offer
The Clerk is the first point of contact for all matters.
The parish Council offers guidance and advice on local matters and provides current information on its web site.
We respond to planning applications and consultation papers.
We act as advocates and representatives for local community issues with the Principal Authority.
We receive reports presented at the Council meeting.
We maintain the millennium field at the Grove, Bus Shelters, Seating, Litter bins.
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What we spend and how we spend it
The Precept for the coming year is usually established by a budget working party in October or November each year and approved by the full Parish Council at the December meeting.
The budget working party is presented with working papers, from the Clerk, which include comparisons with the previous and current years to assist with the decision making.
All procurement is by open tender following advertisement. Three quotes are normally required.
The budget comprises a range of grants to local needy causes and charities and to those who assist residents in our community but reside outside our boundary.
It also pays subscriptions to various professional bodies that support the council.
It pays the Clerk’s salary which is
currently capped by agreement each year. (NB this amounts to a substantial
saving to the community but this will only remain so until the present clerk
leaves office).
It considers particular projects in any year and sets an amount for each item.
It makes a small allowance to the Chairman & Vice Chairman to help pay for expenses incurred in these roles.
The Council checks the financial situation on a regular basis, usually quarterly by appointing two Councillors as auditors, to provide a level of internal control.
Detailed financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and the external financial audit for the past year and the coming year are available from the Clerk.
What our priorities are and how we are doing.
Our priority is to represent the needs and interests of the whole community.
Discovering the needs of different groups in the community is an important role for each Councillor.
Occasionally there will be conflict of interest requiring sensitive judgment.
The Parish Council endeavours to make difficult decisions in an open and reasoned way and base them on the best information available.
The Council recognizes that, on the big issues, it is unlikely to represent the interests of all of its community without consulting them and to this end would welcome suggestions as to how to achieve this in a timely manner and at minimum cost.
So far on large issues our record has been encouraging for example; the Parish Plan Questionnaire and the Boundary Review (both in 2008) showed very good returns in excess of 70%. This enabled us to speak on behalf of the community with greater confidence to the Principal Authorities.
Accounts are audited each year and we receive favourable reports.
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The Parish Council holds an Annual Parish Meeting (normally in April) at which the Chairman gives a review and report for the year and looks ahead to the coming year.
How we make decisions.
Decisions are made by the Parish Council not individual Councillors.
Occasionally a deadline may require a planning application be considered before a meeting is due, In these circumstances the Parish Council has directed by Standing Order that three Councillors consider the application and make a recommendation.
Records of decisions are minuted at the next meeting.
The Minutes are approved at the start of the meeting in the following month.
Decisions that are taken will be acted on before the next meeting or have an implementation plan.
A time table of meetings is scheduled at the beginning of each year. They are normally held on the second Tuesday in the month. ( See list on notice boards for location )
Agendas are produced in time for circulation to Councillors three working days before the meeting
Our policies and procedures
Our Policies and Procedures for the conduct of council business are covered by procedural standing orders. (See separate list held by Clerk)
Any committees established will work to terms of reference.
Any delegated authority will state the terms of reference.
All Councillors
have signed up to the Model Code of Conduct issued by the Standards Board for
Our Policies and Procedures for the provision of services and about employment of staff are covered under the following headings;
H&S
Employment
Recruitment
Requests
for information
Equality
and diversity
Risk assessment
Complaints
procedure
Information
security policy
Records
retention destruction archive
Data
protection
Schedule
of charges for the publication of information
Attending
site for Applications
Response
times for letters etc
Qualifications
/ qualities required of a Councillor
Training
Annual
Parish Meeting (APM)
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Lists and Registers
Currently maintained lists and registers are;
Assets register
Disclosure log
Register of members interests
Register of gifts and hospitality
Additional Information
For items not covered by the above
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