The Parish Council

Local councils are at the very heart oftheir communities; giving neighbourhoods a voice and making people more involved in the decisions that affect them. Over 15 million people (35% of the population) live in the communities served by local councils. Local councils want to serve their communities as best they can and make a real difference to the lives of the people that live there. Sandford St Martin Parish Council is no exception.

A Parish Council has powers to provide facilities

Parish councils have powers to provide some facilities themselves, or they can contribute towards their provision by others. For example: –

Support and encouragement of arts and crafts
Provision of village halls
Provision and maintenance of recreation grounds, parks, village greens, children’s play areas, playing fields and swimming baths
Provision and maintenance of public cemeteries and crematoria
Maintenance of closed churchyards
Cleaning and drainage of ponds, watercourses and ditches
Control of litter

Provision and maintenance of public toilets
Creation and maintenance of footpaths and bridleways
Provision of cycle and motorcycle parking
Acquisition and maintenance of rights of way
Provision and maintenance of public clocks
Maintenance of war memorials
Encouragement of tourism

We may also provide the following, subject to the consent of the WODC:

Bus shelters
Signposting of footpaths
Lighting of footpaths
Off-street car parks
Provision, maintenance and protection of roadside verges

Representative powers

The Parish Council must be notified by WODC of:

All planning applications in our area
Intention to provide a burial ground in the parish
Proposals to carry out sewerage works
Footpath, bridleway and ‘rights of way’ surveys
Intention to make byelaws in relation to hackney carriages, music and dancing, promenades, sea shore and street naming

Miscellaneous powers

The Parish Council may also exercise the following powers:

Raise funds
Create a neighbourhood plan
Be guardians of common land
Withhold consent to stop up unclassified highways and footpaths
Consult on appointment of governors of primary schools
Appoint trustees of local charities

The Parish Council

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