Ditton Parish Council
Information Leaflet
Role, Duties and Responsibilities of the Council
Role
The Council is a single corporate body and local authority (LGA 1972 s270],
established by the Local Government Act 1894. The decisions it takes are
the responsibility of the council as a whole and it represents and serves
the whole community. It has the power to raise money through taxation
and a range of powers to spend public money and is the tier of local government
closest to the people it serves.
Duties
Law determines the duties of a parish council and it underpins the work
of the council. The duties of a parish council include the following:-
- Provide services
- Create policies
- Raise and spend money on behalf of the community
- Budget & Manage its finances in accordance with the Accounts & Audit Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/533)
- Ensure adequate insurance cover
- Manage Parish land, buildings and property
- Appoint a Proper Officer
- Act Lawfully
- Hold at least three meetings a year in addition to the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council [LGA 1972 Sch 12, para 8(1)
Responsibilities
In addition to the above, a parish council has many responsibilities and
these can be many, varied and wide ranging depending on the size and complexity
of the parish, but all parishes have a responsibility in
- representing the interests of its people
- keeping its people informed
- working in partnership with other bodies
- the Health & Safety of its Employees
- obtaining the best value by working within the spirit of Best Value
Parish Councils
raise money through a precept (the parish council’s proportion of
the Council Tax); they do not get any general government grant. Each January
this Council’s precept is agreed by Members through a process of
setting committee budgets which forecast the expected expenditure and
income for the following financial year. The precept is collected by the
Borough Council on behalf of the parish council in the form of Council
Tax, to which all of Ditton’s 3646 electorate contribute.
If you require any further information on the work of Ditton Parish Council,
please contact...
Ditton Parish Council Office
Ditton Community Centre
Kilnbarn Road
DITTON
Aylesford
Kent ME20 6AH
Telephone: 01732 844749
Fax: 01732 845572
Email: clerk@dittonparishcouncil.gov.uk
Web site by Clive Stanley Associates 01474 822676
© Ditton Parish Council 2005.