WHAT YOUR COUNCIL CAN DO

Whilst the council has only a few duties, Acts of Parliament provide the council with a wide range of powers (what the council CAN do). Councils are under no obligation to use all of their powers and many do not, often for practical and economic reasons. Some of the main powers available to the council are summarised below:

• Power to raise money through the precept to provide services to the parish. The amount raised is uncapped, but councils do try to keep spending within a reasonable level
• Power to provide grants to community projects and organisations through Section 137 of their precept budget, though the amount the Parish Council can allocate is limited by law. For more information click on Grant Funding to your left
• Power to provide and maintain bus shelters, allotments, CCTV, places of entertainment, recreational facilities, War Memorials, bins and street furniture and buildings for public use
• Power to repair and maintain a footpath
• Power to buy and manage land
• Power to provide parking places and cycle racks
• Eligible councils can now use the 'Power of Wellbeing' which enables a local authority to 'do anything it considers likely to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area.'

WHAT YOUR COUNCIL DOES DO

The main activities of your council are outlined below, though this list is by no means exhaustive:

• Holds monthly Full Council meetings
• Represents the Council and the interests of the parish at external meetings and events and sits on local bodies of importance
• Makes representations on planning matters, the Local Development Framework, and any other matters related to the development and upkeep of the parish on your behalf to North Lincolnshire Council
• Employs a trained and experienced Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer to oversee the council's administration
• Employs contractors to ensure the upkeep of public areas and assets owned by the Parish Council
• Raises money from the precept to enable effective service delivery to residents
• Listens to residents' concerns and assists when able
• Makes representations on consultation papers from Communities and Local Government Department of Central Government
• Lobbies North Lincolnshire Council on matters of concern
• Develops and reviews the Community Emergency Plan to deal with emergencies within the parish
• Manages and maintains open spaces, floral displays and play equipment

WHAT YOUR COUNCIL MUST DO

There are very few duties of the council (what the council MUST do) set out in law. The most important duties are as follows:

• The council MUST hold at least three meetings a year in addition to the Annual Parish Council meeting
• The council MUST elect a Chair but there is no duty to elect a Deputy Chair
• The council has a duty of law to keep a record of its meetings in the form as minutes
• There are certain other procedures which the council has a duty to follow in relation to meeting procedure, such as advertising meetings to the public at least 3 clear days in advance of the meeting
• The council has a duty to consider providing allotments if at least six members of the electorate requests that it does so
• The council MUST appoint a Responsible Financial Officer

WHAT YOUR COUNCIL CAN'T DO

Parish Councils cannot do anything that is not outlined in the Local Government Act 1972, the Localism Act 2011 or other relevant Acts of Parliament. If the council attempts to act outside of the remit of these acts it is acting 'ultra vires', 'outside its powers'.

Much of the responsibility for the parish, such as highways, planning and streetlighting lies with the principal authority, in our case North Lincolnshire Council. The Parish Council can lobby the principal authority to carry out works or provide facility but has no power to force them to do so.