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Profile of Colden Common Parish Council

About the Parish Council

Parish Councillors

Role of the Committees

Meetings Procedures

Calendar of Meetings

Today the role of a Parish Council is more important than ever. It is, after all, the closest tier of local government to the people and as such is considered to be in control of many of the basic services that are often taken for granted.

Amongst its main responsibilities are the maintenance of public open space; provision and maintenance of sport, recreation and play facilities; provision and maintenance of allotments; provision and maintenance of seats for public use.

The Parish Council is responsible for the preparation and control of its annual revenue budget; control of its finances and for setting of the level of precept, receivable through local council tax. The council tax for Colden Common (The Parish Precept) is collected by Winchester City Council on behalf of the parish council. Other income is raised via the rents, hire charges, interest, grants and sales.

The Parish Council incurs annual expenditure on the management and maintenance of its sport and recreation facilities; grass cutting on public open spaces; energy and repair costs of some of the street lighting; emptying of dog faeces bins; administration costs (including staff salaries); insurances; publicity; grants to village organisations and special projects.

At the grass roots level of local government, it is vital that the community acknowledges, understands and supports its Parish Council. To this end, provision is made at all meeings of the Council and its Committees for questions to be put by members of the public and for a brief response to be made.

To ensure an informed response, members of the public who wish to put a question are encouraged to do so in writing, to be received by the Clerk to the Council not later than noon of the Wednesday before prior to any meeting.

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Parish Councillors

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The Parish Council has three standing Committees, all of whom have specific responsibilities and play a major part in the running of the Council's affairs.

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE

co-ordination of committee budgets;

preparation of the annual budget and precept for approval by the Council;

control of general administration costs and the making of grants to village organisations;

matters of a legal nature;

consideration of reports from the Responsible Financial Officer.

 

management and maintenance of all areas of public open space within the ownership of the Council;

provision, management and maintenance of recreation, sport and play facilities;

oversight of contracts for the maintenance of public open spaces and recreation areas;

oversight of the provision and maintenance of allotments.

 

ensuring that the planning advice powers of the Council are met through site visits and comments or objections arising from a review of all planning applications;

Monitoring and advising the Highways Authority |(County or District) on matters such as the conditions of roads, overgrown verges and hedgerows;

provision and maintenance of road signs and blocked drains;

the provision and maintenance of street lighting (other than for which the Highways Authority are responsible);

advising providers of transport services on the needs of the parish and to seek additions or improvements;

management and maintenance of footpaths, bridleways and byways (other than those for which the County or District is responsible).

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Meetings of the full Parish Council are held on the first Monday of each month with the exception of the month of August when no meetings are held or where there is a public holiday when meetings are held on the second Monday of the month.

Standing committees of the Council meet at regular intervals throughout the year and report to the full Parish Council on their discussions and decisions.

Notices and agendas of all meetings of the Council and its Committees are published one week in advance and are displayed on notice boards throughout the Parish. A central notice board is located outside the Community Centre for the display of information on decisions of the Council, as well as statutory notices and information.

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