Stratford St Mary Parish Council has nine available seats

Parish councillors are volunteers and receive no pay, except for the chairman who receives a small allowance to cover external representation duties.

Parish Councils are responsible for (where applicable):

  • Allotments, common pastures and letting of grazing rights
  • Baths and washhouses
  • Burial Grounds, Cemeteries and Churchyards
  • Bus Shelters
  • Bye-laws – the power to make bye-laws concerning: baths and washhouses (swimming pools), burial grounds, cycle parks, mortuaries, open spaces and pleasure grounds
  • Public Clocks
  • Maintenance of closed churchyards
  • Community centres, Conference facilities, Halls, Public Buildings
  • Crime prevention – power to establish a scheme for detection and prevention, including monitoring equipment; power to contribute to police services, e.g. PCSOs
  • Drainage – of ditches and ponds
  • Entertainment and the Arts
  • Public conveniences
  • Power to take enforcement action against flyposting and graffiti
  • Highways – lighting, parking places, right to enter into discussions about new roads and road widening, consent of parish council required for diversion or discontinuation of highway, traffic signs and other notices, tree planting and verge maintenance
  • Public seats and shelters
  • Signs – danger signs, place names and bus stops signs
  • Litter – provision of litter bins and support for any anti-litter campaigns, power to take enforcement action against littering
  • Planning – right to be notified of any planning applications for the area
  • Public buildings for meetings and assemblies
  • Recreation – provision of recreation grounds, public walkways, pleasure grounds, open spaces, village greens, gymnasiums, playing fields, holiday camps and boating ponds
  • Rights of Way – footpath and bridleway maintenance War Memorials
  • Water Supply – power to utilise stream, well or spring water and to provide facilities for general use
  • Raise money by precept
  • General Spending – parish councils can spend a limited amount of money on anything they deem of benefit to the community that is not covered by the other specific responsibilities described in this list, and enter into investment schemes
  • Land – acquisition and sale of
  • Legal proceedings – power to prosecute and defend any legal proceedings in the interests of the community, power to take part in any public enquiry
  • Postal and Telecommunication Facilities – power to pay a public telecommunications operator any loss sustained in providing services in that area
  • Tourism – financial contributions to local tourist organisations

Link here for a blog The Role of the Parish Council

 

More here on the responsibilities of the various councils

Councils are governed by many laws and the Standing Orders outline some of the rules. These are adopted each year.

 

Some more infomation:

Code of Conduct

Good Councillors' Guide

All about Local Councils