About Higham with West Close Booth Parish Council
What is a Parish Council?
Parish councils are the first tier of local government in England and Wales and are closest to the people. They serve the smallest area and are responsible for the most local of matters. In England they are called parish councils or town councils if they cover a largely urban area.
In Wales they are known as community councils. In both England and Wales they are elected units of local government whose activities are controlled by Acts of Parliament.
How Parish councillors are elected
The parish council is an effective way to get involved in community life. It deals with local people and local matters on a day to day basis and welcomes help and interest. One way to get involved is to stand for election to the council.
Parish councillors are elected by the public and serve four-year terms. Following elections, councils appoint a chair, or town mayor in town councils.
To be a parish councillor requires time and commitment. A councillor will usually spend a couple of hours a week on parish business and this will increase if they are a member of a permanent or short-term committee. Most councillors serve on at least one committee.
You do not have to have had experience of local government to get involved with your parish council, and the vast majority of councillors are independent of political parties. To become a councillor you would generally need to stand at the main election, which happens every four years.
But, volunteers can serve on the council without having to go through the formal process of campaigning and standing for election. People can be appointed to the council in two situations:
- If there are not enough candidates to fill all council seats at election time
- If a seat becomes vacant mid-term and the council chooses not to hold a by-election
In either of these situations the council can choose to 'co-opt'. This is when they collectively appoint the new council members from a list of people, filling the vacant seats. You may add your name to this list at any point by simply contacting your parish council. If you join the council this way you will, in most cases, be eligible to vote and therefore part of local decision-making. For example you could help provide such public services in your community as allotments, shelters and transport.
The responsibilities of a parish council
Parish, town and community councils in England and Wales have a number of basic responsibilities, including: representing the whole electorate within the parish; delivering services to meet local needs; and striving to improve quality of life in the parish.
Many county and district councils and unitary authorities are also responsible for providing and maintaining some of the services. Residents, however, may prefer to contact their parish council in regards to such local matters because of their smaller, less intimidating size and because they may be more in touch with their community's needs.
The council is also the first point of contact for aspiring local projects. It is their responsibility to help get schemes underway by providing initial funding and space for public use, for example for the local scout troop or a one-off jumble sale.
The parish council must be notified of any planning application or highway development planned for the area if they so wish. On some occasions the council's approval is also needed for any work to go ahead.