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Parish and town councils
Jayne Purcell - August 2012
jayne.purcell@kirklees.gov.uk
Kirklees Council have carried out a review of the five parish and town councils in Kirklees. This was
called a 'Community Governance Review'. The review covered: Denby Dale, Mirfield, Meltham, Kirkburton and
Holme Valley.
| Parish and town councils |
- Denby Dale Parish Council
Serving Denby Dale, Upper and Lower Cumberworth, Upper and Lower Denby, Birdsedge and High Flatts, Scissett, Skelmanthorpe and the hamlet of Kitchenroyd, Emley and Emley
Moor and Clayton West.
- Holme Valley Parish Council
Serving Holmfirth and Honley, Brockholes, Cinderhills, Hade Edge, Hepworth, Hinchliffe Mill, Holmbridge, Holme, Jackson Bridge, Netherthong, New Mill, Scholes,
Thongsbridge, Upperthong, Wooldale..
- Kirkburton Parish Council
Serving Farnley Tyas, Flockton, Grange Moor, Highburton, Kirkburton, Kirkheaton, Lepton, Shelley, Shepley and Thurston..
- Meltham Town Council
Serving Crosland Edge, Meltham, Helme, Wilshaw..
- Mirfield Town Council
Serving Battyeford, Mirfield, Northorpe, Lower Hopton and Upper Hopton.
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| What local councils do |
Parish Councils are Local Authorities, first created by statute in 1894. Parliament has given Parish and Towns Councils (referred to as local councils), the power to raise and spend money – a power shared by other Local Authorities.
Local councils are the tier of local government closest to the people.
Local councils exist to discuss community affairs and exercise powers granted to them by law. Current powers and duties are wide-ranging. Whilst local councils must carry out any duties imposed on them, they may choose whether or not to exercise powers within their remit. Different councils will, therefore, carry out different activities depending on their area, their members’ choice of policy and their residents’ needs and wishes.
Councils may, for instance, choose to provide, maintain or contribute to:
- Bus shelters
- Cemeteries
- Community buses
- Community centres
- Litter bins
- Play equipment
- Public clocks
- Public conveniences
- Public seats
- Recreation grounds
- Signs of various kinds
- Tourism
- Traffic calming measures
- War memorials
- Waymarker signs
plus many others.
No two local councils will be exactly the same – either in their operation or their choice of activities undertaken.
What is common is that all local councils are made up of councillors elected by local residents eligible to vote, and that each parish will have at least one officer, usually called the Clerk, who acts as Chief Administrative Officer and, usually, is responsible for the council’s financial affairs.
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| Parish Charter |
A parish charter has been agreed between Kirklees MC and the five parish and town councils in the area. The aim of the charter is to improve joint working arrangements and develop an understanding between the two tiers of local government.
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| What pays for the local council |
A local council receives the majority of its funding from an annual charge, called the precept, which is levied on its local electors. This is set each year by the local council, as part of its annual budget setting process and is collected on the council’s behalf by the Local Authority responsible for collecting council tax in that area, in this case, Kirklees MC.
The level of precept set depends on the range and nature of the local council’s activities. In addition to the precept, local councils may receive interest from bank balances or investments, and may also receive income from charges for use of facilities in the council’s ownership, eg village hall charges, car parks, etc.
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