Parish Council News
Welcome to information regarding Fairburn Parish Council. Fairburn Parish Council has been awarded the Quality Parish Council status. The quality parish council scheme sets minimum standards that a council has to acheive before it can be considered a quaity council. This was a Government initiative that followed the publication of the Rural White Paper 2000 and requires the council to demostrate competance over and above a non qualifying council in the areas such as:
- Accounts
- Annual Report
- Code of Conduct
- Communications
- Council Meetings
- Electoral Mandate
- Qualifications of the Clerk
According to the National Association of Councils website, the benefits to a parish council with the status is:
- greater credibility in the eyes of the local community, voluntary and private sectors and principal local authorities
- greater civic pride
- more representative of the local community
- better ability to articulate the needs and wishes of the local community
- it will achieve more by working in partnership with other organisations
- able to demonstrate that it is effectively and properly managed which will install greater confidence in the community
- delivery of more local services - if the council wishes to
- greater involvement by the voluntary and community sector and principal local authorities, e.g. developing parish plans, market town health checks etc
- a better informed community
- a well trained clerk, through the Certificate in Local Council Administration (or University of Gloucestershire qualification in Local Policy)
- Possible more powers and funding in the future.
Click on the link to find out more about the code of conduct: Code of conduct for Parish Councillors
Click on the link to find out more about the Standards Board for England, the Local Government Ombudsman; what their duties and responsibilites are and how to make a complaint to them Standards Board Local Government Ombudsman