QUALITY PARISH COUNCIL SCHEME

 

Parish and town councils are the democratic bodies with the closest direct links to their communities and as such are ideally placed to contribute to the long-term vision and the priorities contained in the community strategies prepared by principal (Durham City and County Councils) authorities.  It is expected that principal and parish councils will work together to provide an effective local government for local people.

 

The scheme is voluntary but its aims are to provide leadership in promoting an inclusive community e.g. through supporting community transport schemes, childcare provision, developing youth activities and services for the elderly.

 

A Quality Parish Council will work with others, including the voluntary and community sector, to undertake services funded from its own resources to look after the parish environment and provide public facilities and may take on the delivery of some services on behalf on principal authorities thereby making services responsive to local needs.

 

A Parish Plan should inform and ideally feed into community strategies developed by the Local Strategic Partnership and the planning authorities’ local development plan.  Coxhoe Parish Council is at a stage where the parish plan has been in place for some time, built on the village appraisals carried out in 2004.

 

Many Quality Parish Councils will become the local access point for information about itself and principal local authority services and further advise on these services.

 

A Quality Parish Council will play an enhanced role in the community as an integral part of all consultation and co-ordination arrangements set-up by principal authorities on how services are to be provided in its area.  This enhanced role will be achieved through negotiation of charters with principal authorities.  It should mean additional roles and responsibilities with proof to the local community that the parish council can make a difference.  It will provide an assurance that principal authorities’ will consult and involve the parish council in all matters that affect the local community. With increased responsibility should come money from principal authorities to fund newly delegated roles.

 

To attain quality status the parish council must be able to demonstrate that it:

  • Is representative of, and actively engages with, all parts of the community, providing vision, identity and sense of belonging;
  • Is effective and properly managed; and
  • Has the ability and capacity to take on an enhanced role and responsibility.

 

Tests have been devised to measure this criteria and a parish council must pass each test to be awarded quality status.  The tests cover the following issues:

 

·          Electoral mandate

·          Qualifications of the clerk

·          Council meetings

·          Communications

·          Annual report

·          Accounts

·          Code of conduct

 

These tests exceed the statutory duties with which all parish councils should be complying as a matter of course, and represent standards which an efficient, well-run parish council that actively engages with and works for its community should be meeting.

 

The Tests will look at the quality criteria detailed above as follows:

  • Electoral mandate: at least 80% of all council seats must be filled at the beginning of a four year term by members who stood for election
  • Qualified clerk: the Clerk must possess the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies to carry out duties correctly and must hold the Certificate of Local Council Administration
  • Council meetings: must hold one annual meeting of the Parish Council and at least 6 other meetings (an annual parish meeting is also required) with time allowed at each meeting for public participation.
  • Communication: demonstrate effective communication and active engagement with the community
  • Annual report: production of an annual report is an important link between the council and its electorate and demonstrates that the council is open and accountable.
  • Accountability: crucial to maintain accurate and transparent financial arrangements and comply with Accounts and Audit regulations.
  • Conduct: requirement to adopt a code of conduct that all councillors have signed up to and registered their interests.

 

Further details about quality status are available at www.nalc.gov.uk/Toolkits/Quality_Status and through the booklet issued by DEFRA ‘The Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme’ ‘The Quality Scheme Explained’ or from the Clerk to the Council email nk.coxhoe@tesco.net