Who are we?
Working within a legal and development framework, Parish Councils form the first tier of local government.
Parish Councils:-
- are the democratic voice of the community
- have legal powers to provide community services and facilities
- influence the decisions made by others on the way our community is developed
- have a statory right to be consulted on local planning applications
The Parish Council is not answerable to the other two tiers of local councils (Malvern Hills District Council & Worcestershire County Council), but we must make decisions in an open, accountable and transparent way.
An annual budget is set each year and accounts are subject to internal and external audit. To fund the budget the Parish Council sets a precept, which is an amount of money included in your council tax bill for financing the work undertaken in the community.
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Introduction
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 grants to members of the public rights of access to all kinds of recorded information held by a wide range of public authorities. Information about the Act is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.gov.uk
Publication Scheme
The Act requires every public authority to adopt and maintain a generic model "publication scheme" which should be adopted and operated by all public authorities from 1 January 2009. It is intended to provide everyone interested in the Council with a comprehensive guide to the information that the Council will automatically or routinely publish or otherwise makes available to the public.
Freedom of Information Requests and the Publication Scheme
It is important to note that a publication scheme simply sets out the information that is routinely available. Information that is not listed in the Information Available guide of the document can still be requested and it will be made available unless it can be legitimately withheld. This can be done by making a written request to the Parish Clerk who will reply within 20 working days after receipt of the request.
The Council’s Commitment to the Act
The Council is committed to openness and accountability and already makes large amounts of information available to the public, through the website, via the telephone and by post. Should a personal visit to view information, an appointment will be necessary.
For a copy of the Publication Scheme and a list of information available, please click here.
Standing Orders
What are Standing Orders
Standing Orders are a set of rules governing the procedures that a Local Town or Parish Council and Councilors should follow. Standing Orders, once created, are amended, as and when necessary, to reflect any changes in the Local Government Acts on which they are based.
For a copy of the current Standing Orders adopted by Powick Parish Council, please click here.
Note, these are based upon the NALC publication "Standing Orders and Chairmanship (July 2003)", which provide a complete model set of standing orders with amendments as detailed within.
Conduct of Parish Councillors
Parish Councils are required to adopt a Code of Conduct which individual Councillors must sign up to. This code demands that Councillors must declare their interests and must not disclose confidential information.
(Updated: 19 May 2010)