Role of Goostrey Parish Council
Role of Goostrey Parish Council
Goostrey Parish Council is one of the three tiers of local government, the other two being Congleton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council. Goostrey Parish Council represents the civil parish of Goostrey with a population of 2000 electors. The role of the Parish Council is to be the voice of the local community and work to influence the decisions of the other tiers of government and bodies that affect community life.
The Parish Council comprises 10 councillors including the chairman. The term of office is 4 years and the current councillors’ term of office expires in May 2010. The parish clerk is the proper officer of the council and is a vital member of the team providing advice, administrative support and taking action to implement decisions
The Parish Council meetings
The Parish Council meetings are open to the public and are held at 7.30pm in the Village Hall on the second Tuesday of every month (with the exception of August). The public do not have a right to speak when the council meetings are in session unless invited to do so by the Chairman but public comments are taken before the Meeting commences between 7.30-7.45pm. Members of the Public may also speak after the meeting including matters relating to items on the Agenda. The Council is required to give three clear days notice of all its meetings and these notices are displayed on the parish Noticeboards, situated in the Village Hall and at the junction of Main Road and Bank View.
Committees
The Parish Council has the following committees to enable it to consider issues in more detail.
Finance Committee - quarterly meetings
Amenities Committee - meets bi-monthly
Village Hall Committee - meets bi-monthly
Planning Committee - as and when required
Recommendations are then presented to the full Council.
The Annual Meeting of the Parish Council is held on the second Tuesday in May when the new Chairman and Vice Chairman for the coming year are elected and Councillors decide on which Committees they wish to serve.
In addition the Parish Council holds a Statutory Annual Parish Meeting where a report of the activities of the Parish Council during the previous year is presented and residents are invited to make comments and ask questions.
Powers
The Parish Council has greater freedom to choose what action to take than the other tiers of local government and has few duties but only a small budget with which to fund its activities. Goostrey Parish Council has been involved in various village projects including the improvement of Boothbed Lane Playground, the development of the village website, the Speedwatch Campaign, the provision of a bench and planters.
Budget and Precept
The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax. Goostrey Parish Council sends its precept demand to Congleton Borough Council which collects the tax for the parish council as part of council tax bill. At the November meeting, the Parish Council approved its budget for 2007/08 resulting in no change to the precept which has remained at £28,000 for the past four years.
Planning
The Parish Council by law has to be consulted on planning applications in its area however it is not a decision making body. The Planning Committee considers and comments on all planning applications and then refers its comments to the full council. These comments are then conveyed to Congleton Borough Council.
Goostrey Parish Council is one of the three tiers of local government, the other two being Congleton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council. Goostrey Parish Council represents the civil parish of Goostrey with a population of 2000 electors. The role of the Parish Council is to be the voice of the local community and work to influence the decisions of the other tiers of government and bodies that affect community life.
The Parish Council comprises 10 councillors including the chairman. The term of office is 4 years and the current councillors’ term of office expires in May 2010. The parish clerk is the proper officer of the council and is a vital member of the team providing advice, administrative support and taking action to implement decisions
The Parish Council meetings
The Parish Council meetings are open to the public and are held at 7.30pm in the Village Hall on the second Tuesday of every month (with the exception of August). The public do not have a right to speak when the council meetings are in session unless invited to do so by the Chairman but public comments are taken before the Meeting commences between 7.30-7.45pm. Members of the Public may also speak after the meeting including matters relating to items on the Agenda. The Council is required to give three clear days notice of all its meetings and these notices are displayed on the parish Noticeboards, situated in the Village Hall and at the junction of Main Road and Bank View.
Committees
The Parish Council has the following committees to enable it to consider issues in more detail.
Finance Committee - quarterly meetings
Amenities Committee - meets bi-monthly
Village Hall Committee - meets bi-monthly
Planning Committee - as and when required
Recommendations are then presented to the full Council.
The Annual Meeting of the Parish Council is held on the second Tuesday in May when the new Chairman and Vice Chairman for the coming year are elected and Councillors decide on which Committees they wish to serve.
In addition the Parish Council holds a Statutory Annual Parish Meeting where a report of the activities of the Parish Council during the previous year is presented and residents are invited to make comments and ask questions.
Powers
The Parish Council has greater freedom to choose what action to take than the other tiers of local government and has few duties but only a small budget with which to fund its activities. Goostrey Parish Council has been involved in various village projects including the improvement of Boothbed Lane Playground, the development of the village website, the Speedwatch Campaign, the provision of a bench and planters.
Budget and Precept
The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax. Goostrey Parish Council sends its precept demand to Congleton Borough Council which collects the tax for the parish council as part of council tax bill. At the November meeting, the Parish Council approved its budget for 2007/08 resulting in no change to the precept which has remained at £28,000 for the past four years.
Planning
The Parish Council by law has to be consulted on planning applications in its area however it is not a decision making body. The Planning Committee considers and comments on all planning applications and then refers its comments to the full council. These comments are then conveyed to Congleton Borough Council.