CouncillorsParish Council
Parish Charter
PARISH CHARTER
Between Elmbridge Borough Council and Claygate Parish Council
1. This Charter is intended to indicate the ways in which the Borough Council and Parish Council would wish to develop their partnership relationship. Whilst each authority will use its best endeavours to comply with the principles and practices described in this Charter, each authority reserves the right to manage its affairs in accordance not only with the law but also in whatever it considers to be the best interests of its area and to depart from these principles and practices if that is considered to be the best course of action at any time. The Charter does not apply to services provided to individual persons or any matters that are subject to a statutory complaints procedure.
2. Elmbridge Borough Council and Claygate Parish Council have agreed to publish this Charter to set out how they aim to work together across the two tiers of local government.
3. The County, Borough and Parish Councils are partners in a multi-tiered system of democratically elected local government that exists for the benefit of the people of Surrey. The Councils, represent all levels of democratic local government, and are keen to see efforts made to improve their system of local democracy and to encourage greater public participation in local affairs.
4. Elmbridge Borough Council acknowledges and recognises that Parish Councils are a part of the grass-roots level of local government. By working with them Elmbridge aims to act in partnership with local communities, whilst balancing the needs of the whole borough. Councils in each tier have statutory responsibilities entrusted to them by Parliament for the whole community within their area.
5. In their role as democratically accountable bodies, Parish Councils offer a means of shaping the decisions that affect their communities. They offer a means of decentralising the provision of certain services and the revitalisation of local communities. In turn they recognise the role of District Councils and the equitable distribution of services they must provide.
6. This Charter reflects the increased importance attached by Central Government to partnership working and the development of Quality Status for Parish Councils. It is the aim of Claygate Parish Council to achieve quality status in due course.
7. Elmbridge Borough Council will involve the Parish Council in the preparation and delivery of the Community Strategy, specifically as to how, the Community Strategy affects the parish of Claygate.
8. Elmbridge Borough Council will hold liaison meetings with Claygate Parish Council at least twice a year, and when issues of mutual importance require discussion.
9. Elmbridge Borough Council will help organise and administer Parish Council elections and will work together to limit the costs of holding such elections.
10. Elmbridge Borough Council will consider the views the Parish Council has expressed when making a decision that affects the local community. In furtherance of this Elmbridge will circulate its reports to Committees and Sub-Committees to the Parish Clerk at the same time as they are sent to members of the Council, so that the Parish Council can respond directly or through the Borough Councillors. Subject to the statutory provisions for confidentiality under the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 , the need for commercial confidentiality and the requirements of contractual arrangements, the Borough Council will provide , at the request of the Parish Council, information relating to activity by them which may affect the Parish Council.
11. Elmbridge Borough Council will not always be able to follow the Parish Council’s express wishes, because of their responsibility to the wider community and greater range of considerations to be taken into account. In such cases, the Borough Council will aim to give full consideration to the views of the Parish Council which will be reported to Committee before they make a decision. Where a Committee, Sub-Committee or Chief Officer or his/her representative acting under delegated powers, has made a decision contrary to the wishes of the Parish Council, the Parish Council will be given a copy of the committee report.
12. To help achieve the objectives laid down by this Charter, liaison and consultation will be further developed at parish level through regular meetings and consultation at officer level, individually or through working parties and groups. Elmbridge Borough Council will provide a liaison officer to act as a point of contact for the Parish Council, and ensure they are signposted appropriately.
13. Claygate Parish Council will send all agenda and minutes to Surrey County Council and local Elmbridge ward councillors and officials, who will be given the opportunity to speak at Parish Council meetings on matters of mutual interest, if they request to do so and as agreed with the Chairman of the Parish Council.
14. When Elmbridge Borough Council consults with the Parish Council it will provide sufficient information to enable an informed view to be expressed, and give adequate time to respond, in accordance with statutory requirements where appropriate.
15. Elmbridge Borough Council will supply to the Parish Council, free of charge, a limited number of Council publications as are reasonably requested.
16. Elmbridge Borough Council and the Parish Council will aim to acknowledge letters within three working days and to answer all correspondence within ten working days.
17. Both authorities have adopted codes of conduct based on the national model code. A representative of the Parish Council has a seat on the Standards Committee.
18. Should the Parish Council wish to take on delegated responsibility for service delivery and having regard to equitable respective levels of council tax, Elmbridge Borough Council will consider this and the consequential funding arrangements, where they are mutually beneficial. Where it is considered that the proposed course of action does not represent best value, is not in the interests of the whole Borough or is either inappropriate or impracticable, Elmbridge Borough Council will, in consultation with the Parish Council, consider alternative solutions to encourage more local level input into service delivery.
19. Elmbridge Borough Council will, where practical, offer Claygate Parish Council access to certain support services, (to enable them to take advantage of facilities such as printing), at a mutually agreed price. Assistance will be offered where appropriate and practicable to do so, in identifying and helping to meet the training needs of the Parish Council. The Borough Council will arrange for the Parish Clerk and Parish Councillors to participate in relevant training courses run by the Borough. The Borough Council will according to the exigencies of the services it provides give advice, assistance and support upon request, assuming such a request to be reasonable in nature and that it cannot be met by the Surrey County Association of Parish and Town Councils.