Parish Councils have been around since 1894 when they were set up by Act of Parliament, but their origins go back to the Middle Ages. Its main governing principles are set out in the Local Government Act 1972 & in particular in Schedule 12 of that Act. This Act sets out some of the minimum requirements for Councils in relation to meetings, conduct & documentation, such as:-
- Councils must meet a minimum of 4 times/year
- They must keep minutes of their meetings
- They must elect a Chairman from among their number
- They must have their accounts audited in accordance with this & subsequent legislation
- Meetings must be publicly advertised in advance within the area served by the Council
- Councillors must, on taking office, sign a Declaration saying that they agree to be bound by a new Code of Conduct. This code came into effect in May 2002, & covers matters such as the declaring of interests, standards & ethics.
Local Council meetings must be open to the Press & Public, but meetings can be closed to both if in the Councils opinion ‘publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest’
PARISH MEETINGS
Parish Meetings are held when the voting population of a parish is below 151. A meeting must be held annually between 1st March – 1st June & on another occasion during the year. Only registered electors of the parish may speak & vote but the meeting is open to members of the public. A Chairman is elected but there are no councillors.
PARISH COUNCILLORS
Parish Councillors are elected for a 4 year term in South Kesteven with the next election 5th May 2011. In order to stand for election as a Parish Councillor, on the day of nomination, a person must qualify by at least 1 category from the following:-
- They are on the current electoral roll for the parish
- They have lived in the parish for the whole of the 12 months preceding nomination day; or has owned land or premises in the parish for the whole of the 12 months preceding nomination date.
- A UK, EU or Commonwealth Citizen
- 18 years or over
A person cannot stand if:-
- An undischarged bankrupt
- Have served a prison sentence (including suspended sentences) of 3 months or more within 5 years prior to the election.
- An Alien (not a British subject)
- A person of unsound mind