What is a Parish Council

A parish council is the first and most local tier of elected government in England. It represents the residents of a parish and makes decisions about local matters, services and facilities.

Parish councils can:

• Manage local assets such as playgrounds, greens, allotments, noticeboards and community land.
• Spend money on projects that benefit the community, funded mainly through the local precept paid by residents through council tax.
• Comment on planning applications and represent local views to the district and county councils.
• Provide grants and support to local community organisations.
• Work with the district and county councils on issues such as highways, planning, environmental matters and local services.

How a Parish Council Works

A parish council is made up of elected local councillors who represent the residents of the parish. Councillors are normally elected by local residents at parish elections, which are held every four years. If there are fewer candidates than available seats, the candidates may be elected without a poll. Vacancies that arise between elections can sometimes be filled by co-option, where the council appoints a suitable local resident. The Council elects a Chairman and Vice Chairman each year from amongst its members.

The councillors make decisions on behalf of the parish. They meet regularly in public meetings to discuss local issues, agree spending, consider planning applications and decide how parish council funds should be used. Councillors are not employees of the council; they are elected representatives who make decisions collectively as a council.

The council employs a Parish Clerk, who acts as the council's Proper Officer and provides advice and administrative support. The Clerk helps ensure that the council follows the correct procedures and complies with relevant legislation and regulations. The council may also appoint the Clerk, or another suitably qualified person, as its Responsible Financial Officer (RFO). The RFO is responsible for the council's day-to-day financial administration, including maintaining financial records, preparing accounts and helping ensure that financial procedures and legal requirements are followed. The RFO is also responsible for preparing and completing the parish council's annual financial reporting and ensuring that the council completes the annual audit and statutory external audit requirements each year, as required by law.

Parish councils receive most of their regular income through the precept. The parish council sets the amount it needs each year, and this is collected from local residents as part of their Council Tax bill. The money is then passed to the parish council to fund local services, facilities, maintenance and projects. The precept is not a separate tax, but a portion of the Council Tax collected on behalf of the parish council.

In simple terms, the residents elect the councillors, the councillors make the decisions, and the Clerk and RFO provide the professional administration and financial management needed to ensure those decisions are carried out properly and within the law.