Northwood Parish Council

Posted by NPC Admin on 23 April 2013, 8:25 pm

After the local Town and Parish Council elections due to be held on 2 May 2013, there will be one vacancy on Northwood Parish Council.

If you feel you have two/three hours a week to spare and want to make a difference locally, please submit an application in writing to the Clerk, Mrs Barbara Herbert of 11 Wyatts Lane, Northwood, PO31 8QB, by Friday, 3 May 2013 or contact her on 01983 290086 for more details.

The Parish Council would welcome hearing from any persons who are interested in standing as a parish councillor, providing they fulfil the eligibility criteria* set out below.
If two or more applications are received then prospective candidates will be asked to make a short presentation on how they can contribute to the Parish Council and the community of Northwood. This would be immediately prior to the meeting of the Parish Council scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 7 May 2013.
* A local councillor must be 18 years of age or over and a British subject or citizen of the Irish republic. He/she must also be a local government elector of the Parish or a person who has:
i. During the whole of the 12 months before nomination occupied land or premises as owner or tenant in the parish or,
ii. During the same period resided in the Parish, or within 3 miles thereof or,
iii. During the same period had his/her principal or only place of work in that area.

To help you in your decision as to whether to stand, I append below some guidance as to what the position entails.

BEING A PARISH COUNCILLOR

What is a councillor?
Councillors are elected to represent the entire parish or town council area. They are generally elected by the public every four years.

What do councillors do?
Councillors have three main components to their work.
1. Decision making – Through meetings and attending committees with other elected members, councillors decide which activities to support, where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented.
2. Monitoring – Councillors make sure that their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping an eye on how well things are working.
3. Getting involved locally – As local representatives, councillors have responsibilities towards their constituents and local organisations. These responsibilities and duties often depend on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available, and may include:
Going to meetings of local organisations
Going to meetings of bodies affecting the wider community.
Taking up issues on behalf of members of the public.
Running a surgery for residents to bring up issues.
Meeting with individual residents in their own homes.
Attending a meeting of Northwood Parish Council or speaking to any of the councillors or clerk is the best way to find out what happens there. Meetings are held on the 1st Tuesday of the month in Northwood Primary School commencing at 6.30 pm. If called, the meeting of the Planning Committee is held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Meetings are generally not held during in August.

How much time does it take up?
Quite often councillors say that their duties occupy them for about two/three hours a week. Obviously there are some councillors who spend more time than this – and some less, but in the main, being a parish councillor is an enjoyable way of contributing to your community, and helping to make it a better place to live and work. Various relevant training sessions, including that on the Code of Conduct are organised by the IW Association of Local Councils

What does the parish council do?
The parish council is the part of local government closest to the people. They serve the smallest area and are responsible for the most local of matters. Very importantly, the parish council can “precept” – raising a sum collected with the council tax each year to improve facilities and services for local people.
Parish councils have a number of basic responsibilities in making the lives of local communities more comfortable. Essentially these powers fall within three main categories: representing the whole electorate within the parish; delivering services to meet local needs; and striving to improve quality of life in the parish.
A full list of powers and duties are available on the website of NALC, the National Association of Local Councils
Parish councils also comment on planning applications and licensing applications- they are statutory consultees (they have to be consulted if they so wish) and can be represented at public inquiries.