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Jayne Purcell - January 2006
jayne.purcell@kirklees.gov.uk
Kirklees Council are carrying out a review of the five parish and town councils in Kirklees. This is called a 'Community Governance Review'. The review covers: Denby Dale, Mirfield, Meltham, Kirkburton and Holme Valley.
The review opened on the 6th October 2008 with a first phase of consultation, where we asked people to give their views on whether parish and town councils:
- reflect the identities and interests of the community in their area
- are effective
- are convenient.
The deadline for submitting comments to the first phase closed at 12 noon on Friday 28th November 2008.
During December 08 and January 09 Kirklees Council will analyse the comments and draft a set of provisional options/recommendations. Those options/recommendations will then form the basis of a second 12 week phase of consultation starting February 2009.
| Parish and Town Councils |
| What local councils do |
Parish Councils are Local Authorities, first created by statute in 1894. Parliament has given Parish and Towns Councils (referred to as local councils), the power to raise and spend money – a power shared by other Local Authorities.
Local councils are the tier of local government closest to the people.
Local councils exist to discuss community affairs and exercise powers granted to them by law. Current powers and duties are wide-ranging. Whilst local councils must carry out any duties imposed on them, they may choose whether or not to exercise powers within their remit. Different councils will, therefore, carry out different activities depending on their area, their members’ choice of policy and their residents’ needs and wishes.
Councils may, for instance, choose to provide, maintain or contribute to:
- Bus shelters
- Cemeteries
- Community buses
- Community centres
- Litter bins
- Play equipment
- Public clocks
- Public conveniences
- Public seats
- Recreation grounds
- Signs of various kinds
- Tourism
- Traffic calming measures
- War memorials
- Waymarker signs
plus many others.
No two local councils will be exactly the same – either in their operation or their choice of activities undertaken.
What is common is that all local councils are made up of councillors elected by local residents eligible to vote, and that each parish will have at least one officer, usually called the Clerk, who acts as Chief Administrative Officer and, usually, is responsible for the council’s financial affairs.
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| Parish Charter |
A parish charter has been agreed between Kirklees MC and the five parish and town councils in the area. The aim of the charter is to improve joint working arrangements and develop an understanding between the two tiers of local government.
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| What pays for the local council? |
A local council receives the majority of its funding from an annual charge, called the precept, which is levied on its local electors. This is set each year by the local council, as part of its annual budget setting process and is collected on the council’s behalf by the Local Authority responsible for collecting council tax in that area, in this case, Kirklees MC.
The level of precept set depends on the range and nature of the local council’s activities. In addition to the precept, local councils may receive interest from bank balances or investments, and may also receive income from charges for use of facilities in the council’s ownership, eg village hall charges, car parks, etc.
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| Contact your local council |
| Denby Dale Parish Council |
| Serving: |
Denby Dale, Upper and Lower Cumberworth, Upper and Lower Denby, Birdsedge and High Flatts, Scissett, Skelmanthorpe and the hamlet of Kitchenroyd, Emley and Emley Moor and Clayton West. |
| Holme Valley Parish Council |
| Serving: |
Holmfirth and Honley, Brockholes, Cinderhills, Hade Edge, Hepworth, Hinchliffe Mill, Holmbridge, Holme, Jackson Bridge, Netherthong, New Mill, Scholes, Thongsbridge, Upperthong, Wooldale. |
| Kirkburton Parish Council |
| Serving: |
Farnley Tyas, Flockton, Grange Moor, Highburton, Kirkburton, Kirkheaton, Lepton, Shelley, Shepley and Thurston. |
| Meltham Town Council |
| Serving: |
Crosland Edge, Meltham, Helme, Wilshaw. |
| Mirfield Town Council |
| Serving: |
Battyeford, Mirfield, Northorpe, Lower Hopton and Upper Hopton. |
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