Source: http://benendenparishcouncil.org/content/parish-council-election-3rd-may
Timestamp: 2018-03-22 21:19:31
Document Index: 264269942

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PARISH COUNCIL ELECTION 3RD MAY | Benenden Parish Council
PARISH COUNCIL ELECTION 3RD MAY
A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish. It is the level of government closest to the community, with the district authority (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) above it in the hierarchy.
If you’ve never been to a parish council meeting before, you may be forgiven for thinking that parish councillors are a group of people who meet now and then in a draughty village hall. If, however, you live in a community where something ‘big’ has happened, you’ll know that when people in the community need support and guidance, it is sometimes the parish council that they turn to.
By becoming a parish councillor you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support - a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve. Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, is something that can give you a sense of achievement and pride.
Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community. Probably the most common topics that parish councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.
It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions. But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the District and County councils, health authority, police etc.).
In this respect parish councils are powerful. The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.
The Parish Council usually meets once a month for the council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited. Meetings may last an hour or so, depending on the agenda and once a year the Annual Parish Meeting is held. Occasionally, the council will form a working party to investigate specific subjects, and there are separate committees for Planning and Transportation, Resourcing, and Community Affairs and Local Environment. In addition to the regular meetings, councillors may also be required to attend other meetings representing the council, e.g. acting as a representative on an outside body, community activities or helping develop a new project for the community. Such meetings won’t happen every day, so it’s not going to take over your life.
They have a wide range of powers which essentially related to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, street lighting, bus shelters, car parks and more. The council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept. The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax. The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the district council, which collects the tax for the parish council.
Benenden Parish Council has 9 Councillors who stand for election every four years. The duties and functions of a parish council are many and varied. The Council meets monthly and considers planning applications and any other matters referred to it by local residents, the Borough and County Council. All meetings are open to the public and there is a forum before the start of the meeting at which members of the public can raise concerns and ask questions. There is also an annual meeting which all parishioners are invited to attend.
Part 1 Can you stand for election
Part 2a Standing as an independent candidate
Part 2b Standing as a party candidate
Part 4 The campaign
Part 5 Your right to attend key electoral events
Part 6 After the declaration of results