Council
What is a parish council?
• The first tier of local government and the elected collective voice of the community helping ensure Pucklechurch’s voice is heard
• Parish councillors are consulted on a range of matters that affect Pucklechurch.
• Councillors actively participate in influencing the provision and delivery of services and facilities that affect you!
• No individual councillor is responsible for any single decisions, democracy at its best!
The 9 councillors of Pucklechurch parish council are responsible for:
• The provision and maintenance of our open spaces and play areas.
• Engaging in planning issues as a consultee to South Gloucestershire Council.
• Provision of allotments and burial ground.
• Projects and initiatives to improve provision and protect biodiversity and against climate change.
• Supporting local groups that benefit Pucklechurch.
What is involved?
• Attend meetings and be part of the decision-making process that affects the community.
• Listen to and understand the views of people in the community.
• Work with key stakeholders such as South Gloucestershire Council to have Pucklechurch’s voice heard.
• Act as an ambassador for the community.
Clerk
The Council employs a part-time Clerk to support them in their work. The Clerk is the Proper Officer of the Council and therefore under a statutory duty to carry out all the Council's functions, and in particular, to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a local authority's Proper Officer. The Clerk is responsible for ensuring that all the Council's instructions are carried out and also advises and assists the Council in the formation of its overall policies and procedures. The production of all the information required for the Council to be able to make effective decisions is also the responsibility of the Clerk, as well the implementation of those decisions. The Clerk is accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its resources and responsible for the careful administration of its finances and financial records as the Responsible Financial Officer.
Meetings
Full council meetings take place on the third Wednesday of every month at The Bungalow Ashfield prison (adjacent to the car park), starting at 7.30pm. Generally, the meeting lasts no longer than two hours.
Public Participation
Although council meetings are meetings in public not public meetings, members of the public are invited to attend meetings to raise issues in person (maximum of 3 minutes per subject) during public participation. Councillors may ask questions for clarification but will not enter into a discussion or respond to the issues raised at the same meeting. Should it be felt necessary, the issue will be scheduled as an agenda item for a future meeting. Where possible members of the public are asked to let the Clerk know 24 hours in advance if they intend to speak.
Electors' Rights
Each year the council’s Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) needs to be reviewed by an external auditor appointed by Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments Ltd. Any person who is interested has the opportunity to inspect and make copies of the Annual Return and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts etc. relating to them. The date appointed for the exercise of these rights for documents relating to the year ended 31st March will be posted here as soon as it is announced. Local Government Electors and their representatives also have the opportunity to question the auditor about the accounts and the right to make objections to the accounts or any item in them. Written notice of an objection must first be given to the auditor and a copy sent to the Council.
Annual Parish Meeting
All Parish and Town Councils throughout England are required by law to hold an annual parish meeting between 1st March and the 1st June (inclusive). The Annual Parish Meeting is a meeting of all the local electors of the Parish, it is NOT a Meeting of the Parish Council. Anyone may attend but only registered electors of Pucklechurch Parish may speak and vote on any parish topics.
The Chairperson of the Parish Council will chair the meeting if in attendance otherwise the meeting will elect a chairperson from amongst those electors’ present.
A written record of the meeting is published on the website.