Parish Councillors

The Council is the lowest tier of local government. The Council has little power but a reasonable amount of influence. One of their leading roles is to exert influence on the decisions of District and County Councils. They are consulted on local Planning Applications, Highway/Road Safety issues, long term planning and wider community involvement strategies. A Parish Council is a local authority whose councillors are voted on by the electors in the

Parish area and serve for four years.

West Dereham Parish Council is made up by councillors that live or work in West Dereham. They are elected to serve and administer the residents of West Dereham. The Parish Councillors determine and set policy to cater for the social, cultural,

welfare and environmental needs of West Dereham.

Powers are mostly discretionary,

i.e. they can be used to as great or little extent as their community wishes.

All councillors adhere to the Parish Council Code of Conduct and complete a register of interests.

King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council take planning decisions. They give details of every planning application to West Dereham Parish Council for the Council to review. They consider the Parish Council’s views and comments on planning applications.

What can Parish Councils do?

Parliament has given various powers to Parish Councils. These powers relate to planning, provision of recreational facilities, community centres and public buildings, crime prevention, community transport, public toilets, tourism, allotments, footpaths, street lighting, certain aspects of highway maintenance, litter, open spaces, traffic calming etc. Powers were recently increased. They also act to represent residents of the parish on issues such as the Local Plan, problems with highways and waste, and with local businesses.

West Dereham Parish Council is directly responsible for a number of things in the village:

Maintaining the Cemetery and Green spaces

Providing Allotment Space

Street lighting

Looking after the village bus shelters

Commenting on all planning applications

Supporting village organisations

Providing a focus within the village for action/representations on key issues

Monitoring Public Rights of Way

Where do Parish Councils get their money?

The Parish Council sets a budget every year known as the Precept. The money is collected for them by King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council through the Council Tax bills. This is paid by the electors in the Parish. The Parish Council may also receive grants and income in other ways. They use this to help improve life for their local community .

The role of a Parish Councillor

A councillor is a member of the council and is normally elected for a term of four years.

People of any political or religious persuasion are eligible to become a councillor, although their personal views should not extend into their parish council work. A councillor is an unpaid voluntary role.

They are elected to represent the interests of the local community as a whole and promote a harmonious local environment. The number of elected councillors depends on the size of the area. In West Dereham we are able to have 7 councillors.

Local councils are the first tier of governance and are the first point of contact for anyone concerned with a community issue. They are democratically elected local authorities and exist in England, Wales and Scotland. The term ‘local council’ is synonymous with ‘parish council’, ‘town council’ and ‘community council’.

The role of a parish councillor picture depicts job role

Becoming a Parish Councillor

Are you interested in joining the Parish Council?

Becoming a parish councillor is a rewarding and valued form of public service.

All councillors contribute to the work of the Parish Council by: -

Having a say about the things they care about

Putting forward ideas for better services

Responding to the needs and views of parishioners

Seeking the best outcome to local issues

Getting involved in decision making

Helping to make West Dereham a better place to live!

We normally meet on the first Thursday of every month except for August

Meetings commence at 7.00pm lasting around 2 hours at the West Dereham Village Hall,

Councillors are expected to attend meetings on a regular basis.

The Role of a Parish Clerk / RFO

The Clerk is the ‘Proper Officer’ of the Council, who is responsible for the smooth running of the Council’s business.

He/she is the first point of contact for the Council, and all correspondence comes to the Clerk. Responsibility for implementing the decisions of the Council rests with the Clerk, along with giving professional guidance where necessary, whilst remaining neutral and discreet.

The Clerk is also responsible for financial management.

The Clerk prepares, circulates and displays agendas in public places.

He/she signs notices and summonses with a list of business to be transacted, but does not have the power to fix the meetings of the Council.

The Clerk is required to attend meetings, take minutes, keep Council minutes in a book and hold other documents.

A member of the Council may be appointed as Clerk without remuneration, but nowadays it is more usual to appoint someone who is not a councillor to be paid for the work they undertake.

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The Clerk / RFO to West Dereham Parish Council -

Mr Rob Shaw, PSLCC

Clerk@westderehamparishcouncil.uk

01366 666782