Transcript Moving Forward Together

Steve Lugg
H.A.L.C.
New and Potential Councillors Presentation
What’s the Hampshire ALC?
• Hampshire Association of Local Councils
• Serves the 255 (262 from 1st Apr 2010)
councils & meetings across Hampshire
• Information, query support, legal opinion,
project funding signposting, training and
development, representation, networking
• 3 FTE staff, CE only full-time staff member
What is a parish council?
• Nearly 9,000 across the country
• Can be styled parish, village, community or
town council
• First tier of local government
• Part of a national pyramid network
• Diversity is the key, no two councils are
identical!
• Expenditure not capped!
How do you become a town
council?
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By resolution
Chairman becomes Mayor
Civic and ceremonial
All town councils are parish councils
Tend to be more politicised
Tend to be more formal in meetings
What do local councils do?
• Representing the local community
• Delivering services and facilities to meet local
need
• Striving to maintain and improving quality of
life
• Two-way conduit of information
So they could be doing......
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Allotments
Footpaths
Burial grounds
Bus shelters
Commons
Leisure facilities
Crime reduction
Community transport
Tourism
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Litter bins
Youth Projects
Open Spaces
Toilets
Planning
Lighting
Traffic Calming
Seating and much
more!
Powers and Duties
• Duties
• Powers
• S. 137 Local Government Act 1972
• Power of Well-being
Making Decisions
• Council can only make decisions as a
corporate body, in a properly set meeting
• Bounded by Local Government Act 1972 and
successive Acts
• Clerk is impartial officer, Chief Exec
• Code of Conduct
• Agendas and Minutes
Where does the money come
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Precept
Expenditure not capped
Respond to community, not other councils
Robust budget-setting process
Grant funding
Borrowing
Eligibility to become a councillor
• British citizen, or commonwealth subject or
citizen of EU
• 18 years or older on the day you are
nominated
• Resident or work in the area
• Cannot stand if subject of bankruptcy or
interim order, or criminal conviction or if you
work for the council you want to be a Cllr for
What does a Cllr do?
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Decision making
Risk management and monitoring
Local involvement
Representation and engagement
Lead Projects and Services
How much time?
• NALC believes an average is around three
hours a week? Diversity again. The more
committees.....
• Concentrate on making a difference
• A better place to live and work
• Remember you are representing your
electorate not yourself
Keys to success
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Listen to your Clerk
Adopt a learning attitude
Training and development vital to grow
Understand your priorities
Work within the Code of Conduct
Get involved with the networks
Don’t feel intimidated, enjoy it!
Web resources
• www.hampshire-alc.gov.uk
• www.nalc.gov.uk
• www.dopolitics.org.uk
• www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
Contact details
Hampshire ALC
02380 263 438
[email protected]
121a Winchester Road, Chandler’s Ford
SO53 2DR