About the Parish Council
Parish Councils are the most local level of government in England. They were established by the Local Government Act of 1894, and we expect them to continue after the current round of local government re-organisation. They have a range of duties and powers (things they must do and things they can do), established by many different Acts of Parliament.
What we do
Gressenhall Parish Council:
- cuts the grass and maintains the hedges and trees around the village;
- provide allotments;
- installed and maintain the Play Park;
- provides and maintains the Speed Awareness Monitor (SAM) sign in the village, and collects the data;
- provides the salt grit bin and dog waste bins around the village;
- Provides and maintains the defibrillator at The Reading Room;
- keeps the noticeboards up to date.
Councillors
Gressenhall Parish Council normally has seven councillors, and must have at least three councillors present at a meeting to make decisions.
Councillors have two main responsibilities:
- to represent residents’ views and concerns to the Parish Council and, through it, to the District and County Councils; and
- to report back to residents on issues affecting the parish.
When a councillor takes office, they sign up to a Code of Conduct that requires them to act fairly and honestly, and to use public money in the public interest. In particular, they should not take part in any Parish Council discussion where they have a conflict of interest. Councillors also complete a Declaration of Pecuniary Interests (DPI) that records some potential areas of conflict. These are held by Breckland District Council, and published on their website with some sensitive information removed.
There is a list of councillors with their council roles and links to the DPIs on the Contact Us page
Individual councillors have no power to take decisions for the Council. A councillor may occasionally be delegated by the Council to implement a decision, but this is usually done by the Parish Clerk.
The Parish Clerk
The Parish Clerk is employed by the Council to ensure “the proper discharge of its functions”. They:
- act as the point of contact for the Parish Council;
- provide guidance to councillors on procedure and the law;
- prepare the agenda for the Parish Council meetings (in conjunction with the Chair) and ensure that it is published;
- take the minutes;
- carry out the actions arising from council meetings.
The Parish Clerk generally implements decisions made at Council meetings, but may be given delegated powers to act on behalf of the Council, with guidance from councillors.
Meetings
Members of the public have a statutory right to attend Parish Council meetings as observers, and you are encouraged to come. There is always an opportunity for you to ask questions and raise concerns. The agenda will indicate any items that must be discussed in confidence, where you will be asked to leave. These are usually scheduled for the end of the meeting.
The Parish Council meets each month, except in January. The meeting is held on the first Tuesday of the month. Meeting dates are listed here and on the Parish Council noticeboard and noted in the News & Views.
Each meeting has an agenda, which must be published on the website and on the notice board, at least three clear days before the meeting. The agenda always includes:
- discussion of our response to planning applications notified by Breckland District Council;
- approval of payments from Council funds; and
- discussion of correspondence, including any issues raised by residents.
The Parish Council can only take decisions on items on the agenda, so if you have an issue that needs official action from the Council, please contact the clerk before the meeting so it can be added.
The Parish Council Chair (or the Vice Chair, in their absence) runs the meeting, maintains good order, and ensures that any decisions reflect the opinion of the Council as a whole. In the event of a tied decision, they have a second vote.
The May meeting is the Annual Parish Council Meeting. The first item on the agenda is the election, by the councillors, of a Chair and Vice Chair to serve for the following year. The rest of the meeting is normal.
Also in May is the Annual Assembly of the Parish. This meeting can either be called by the Chair of the Parish Council, two councillors or six electors. This is not a Parish Council meeting, but an opportunity for the Parish Council, District and County Councillors and other local organisations to talk about what they have done and what they are planning.
Complaints
To make a complaint about the Parish Council or the Parish Clerk, you should follow our complaints procedure.
If you believe a councillor has broken the Code of Conduct, you should complain to Breckland Council, either in writing or by using the online form.
Elections
Elections for all Parish Councillors are normally scheduled every four years, and at the same time as other local elections. An election may also be held to fill a vacancy that arises between the regular elections. An election is only held if there are more candidates than councillors needed. (If there are too few candidates, the Parish Council can co-opt members provided there is a quorum of elected councillors).
You can vote if you live in the parish and are registered to vote. The ballot paper will list all the candidates and you get one vote for each vacancy. The candidates with the most votes are elected.
You can stand as a candidate if you are:
- over 18;
- can register to vote;
- have lived in or near the parish, or worked full time in the parish, for the previous 12 months, and
- are not disqualified.
The Electoral Commission has guidance for potential candidates.