WHAT IS A PARISH COUNCILLOR?

WHAT IS A PARISH COUNCILLOR?

A Parish Council is the first tier of governance and are the first point of contact for anyone concerned with a community issue.

Parish councils have unpaid councillors who are elected to serve for four years.

Parish Councils have a variety of duties, all of which impact directly on the community, ie; local environmental, community and amenity issues.

General Spending – Parish councils can spend a limited amount of money on anything they deem of benefit to the community that is not covered by the other specific responsibilities, in other words they provide an enhanced service to the community.

Parish councils are funded by levying a "precept" collected with the council tax paid by the residents of the parish, but

they may raise money from other sources if they so wish. (In addition to providing 'Free' events for the community, Shaw and Crompton Parish Council raise funds via additional events. All proceeds go towards the current Chairperson's chosen charity.)

The administration of the Council is managed by the Parish Clerk, who is a paid employee acting in a combined statutory role as secretary and treasurer of the council.

Planning – Parish councils must be notified of, and display for residents, any planning applications for the area. Any comments submitted to the planning authority by the Parish council must be taken into account, however any final decisions are made by the local authority (Oldham Council)