Singleton Parish Council
CONSTITUTION
Updated 20 July 2017
SINGLETON PARISH COUNCIL
Working to enrich our environment
PARISH COUNCIL CONSTITUTION
1. The Parish Council is the body corporate which represents the first tier of local government for the Parish of Singleton, Lancashire.
2. Originally established by the Local Government Act 1894, the Parish Council’s powers and activities have been increased by many subsequent Acts of Parliament but are now governed together with the Localism Act 2011. The business of Singleton Parish Council is regulated by the Local Government Act 1972.
3. Singleton Parish Council consists of five unpaid Parish Councillors democratically elected by the registered voters who reside within Singleton Parish. Elections take place every four years in May. All Councillors must live or work within the boundary of the Parish of Singleton.
4. A minimum of three Councillors need to be present to hold a meeting and form a quorum, voting is by a show of hands or a written ballot if requested. A majority vote by Councillors is required to pass a motion put before the Council, always providing that at least three Councillors are in agreement with the motion.
5. Parish Council meetings are held every month throughout the year. The time and venue of these meetings are publicly advertised in advance on the noticeboards and internet and are open to members of the public to observe and listen to the proceedings. Members of the public who attend any meeting will be asked at the start of the meeting, by the Chairman, if they wish to raise any matter for the Parish Council to discuss. A period of 15 minutes is made available to members of the public in every monthly meeting for them to raise any issues. Thereafter, members of the public will not participate in the Parish Council’s proceedings unless invited to do so by the Chairman. The Parish Council operates a Freedom of Information Policy and official Parish Council business is available to members of the public. In the main this is covered by the published minutes of the meetings.
6. The Parish Council may set up committees to deal with specific matters that require either more extensive consideration of a matter or more dedicated on-going support of an established local facility/amenity. At least one nominated Councillor must be a member of such committees but all other members may be persons from the local community who are interested in the activities of the committee. Regular reports on the progress and activities of such committees must be given at the routine Parish Council meetings.
7. The purpose of Singleton Parish Council is to work within its statutory powers to maintain and enhance the public amenities within the parish and to help the people of Singleton improve their quality of life by working in partnership with Fylde Borough Council and Lancashire County Council.
8. Singleton Parish Council will exercise all its powers and duties in accordance with the law without favour or prejudice and utilise its limited funding to achieve the greatest good for the community. The funding is obtained by levying a precept on the Council Tax paid by residents of the Parish, the amount being collected by Fylde Borough Council.
9. Councillors must follow the Parish Council’s Code of Conduct, which is overseen by Fylde Borough Council.
10. The Council’s financial and administrative affairs are dealt with by the Parish Clerk who is a part-time employee of the Parish Council. All expenditures require signatures from two Parish Councillors after agreement at the Parish Council meetings. Due to recent Transparency Legislation, the annual accounts are subject to both internal and external audits and are made available to members of the public to examine. The dates for the examination of the accounts are publicised on the noticeboards and internet.