What is a Town or Parish Council?

NPC Home Page   |  Code of Conduct   |   Freedom of Information  |  Standing Orders  |  Minutes  |  Contact  |   Links   |  Village Home

Town and Parish Councils

Parishes are the smallest areas of civil administration in England and provide the statutory tier of local government closest to the people. 

It is a statutory local authority set up under the Local Government Act 1972.  It operates in the area of a defined civil parish or group of parishes. 
A Town Council has the same powers as a Parish Council, it is simply that the Council has decided to take on the title ‘town’ as more appropriate.  Elections to parish councils are held every four years.

Town and Parish Councils are an essential part of the structure of local democracy and have a vital role in acting on behalf of the communities they represent.  They -

• give views, on behalf of the community, on planning applications and other proposals that affect the parish;
• undertake projects and schemes that benefit local residents;
• work in partnership with other bodies to achieve benefits for the parish;
• alert relevant authorities to problems that arise or work that needs to be undertaken; and
• help the other tiers of local government keep in touch with their local communities. 

What powers do Town and Parish Councils have?

They have a wide range of powers which essentially relate to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, street lighting, bus shelters, car parks and much more.  The Council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept.  The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax.  The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the District Council, which collects the tax for the Parish Council.

The Government introduced the Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme in 2003 with the aim of encouraging Councils, on behalf of their communities, to have a greater say in the running and improvement of local services.