Ashbury Parish Council
Role and Responsibilities of Parish Councils
Parish and Town Councils form the first tier of local government and, as statutory local authorities, have the powers to provide many services and facilities. A Parish Council may not take a decision that involves spending money unless the matter is included on the agenda for a Parish Council meeting. It must make decisions in an open, accountable and transparent way and its accounts are subject to internal and external audit. Each Parish Council is required to set an annual budget or Parish Precept to fund the work it undertakes in the community. The Parish Council has the statutory right to be consulted on local planning applications. It is also consulted on occasion by upper tiers of government thereby making input to higher level decision-making.
Parish Councils have responsibilities for various local amenities; for example:
- Consultation on planning applications
- Provision and maintenance of footway lighting throughout the village
- Grass cutting to open spaces
- Consultation over traffic signing, speed limits and other related matters
- Consultation over street naming
- Parish facilities such as bus shelters, seats, notice boards
- Maintenance of the churchyard#
- Provision and maintenance of trees on Council-owned land
- Maintenance of footpaths
- Allotments
#At Ashbury, the Parish Council maintains the old churchyard around the church, wheras the churchyard extension nearby is maintained by the Parochial Church Council.
The Parish Council must also conduct regular Parish Council meetings, manage elections and represent the interests of residents on appropriate matters.
All Parish Councillors are required to adopt a Code of Conduct which individual Councillors must sign up to. This Code demands that they must:
- declare their interests in a public register
- not bring their Council into disrepute
- leave the room for discussion of any item in which they have a prejudicial interest
Ashbury Parish Council
The following six individuals were elected to serve as Councillors in 2007:
| Marion Turner (Chair |
Claremont, Ashbury (710302) mlt@mltgnt.com |
| Steve Treadwell | Rose Cottage, Ashbury (710369) steve.treadwell@siliconpractice.co.uk |
| Andy England | 1 Cross Trees Cottage, Ashbury (710137) andy@crosstrees.co.uk |
| Peggy Leon | Millstone, Kingstone Winslow, Ashbury (710273) peggy@peggyleon.freeserve.co.uk |
| Christopher Prentice | Ashbury Manor, Ashbury (710821) cnrprentice@hotmail.com |
| Bill Spence | Berrycroft Farm, Ashbury (710032) spence@berrycroftfarm.myzen.co.uk |
| Clerk: James Greenham | Icklestone Cottage, Ashbury (710152) jamesgreenham@btinternet.com |
Ashbury Parish Council Meetings
Ashbury Parish Council meetings are held on Mondays, commencing at 7.00pm prompt in Ashbury Village Hall and they are open to the public. There are four meetings per session, normally in December, January, March and May. Additional meetings may be called at any time at the discretion of the Chairman.
Please note that the Council cannot respond to individual questions without due consideration. This means that all questions need to be submitted in writing in advance to the Clerk, and then put to the full Council at the next meeting.
Notices, Agendas and Minutes of Ashbury Parish Council Meetings
These plus any other relevant documentation will be entered in the Minute Record Book and published on this web site once formally approved.
Contacting the Parish Council
Parishioners are encouraged to contact the Clerk to the Council (James Greenham) if they have any queries or wish to propose items for discussion by the Parish Council at a forthcoming Council meeting.
Ashbury Planning applications
These are discussed by the Parish Council before going forward to the District Council for consideration, discussion and decision. The progress and outcome of individual applications may be monitored here.
Funding Ashbury Parish Council
Ashbury Parish Council is funded through a Parish Precept. This is a charge levied against each resident through their Council Tax. The level of the charge is discussed and decided on an annual basis by the Parish Council.