What is the Parish Council?
Burton Fleming Parish Council records date back to 1895 when it was formed following the Local Government Act 1894 (section 6) which transferred certain parish matters originally dealt with by the Church vestry to the Parish Council.
The Parish Council is a statutory corporate body and it must act lawfully and reasonably within its powers. Most procedures are found in the Local Government Act 1972
The Parish Council can make decisions on issues that affect the local community. This may include neighbourhood watch, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities. The Parish Council is also a statutory consultant for the planning process and although it has the ability to negotiate, final decisions lay with other tiers of local government.
In order to delivery this variety of services the Parish Council is responsible for setting an annual budget and precept and is accountable to the electorate of the community it serves. The Precept is the Parish Council's share of the Council Tax. The precept demand is forwarded to the billing authority, East Riding of Yorkshire Council which collects the tax on behalf of the Parish Council
Councillors
Burton Fleming Parish Council consists of nine members including a Chairman and Vice Chairman. Councillors are elected every four years at the ordinary elections, unless there is a vacancy when it is filled either by a by-election or co-option. Councillors must attend meetings, be prepared to make decisions and vote on difficult issues concerning the community and must adhere to the Code of Conduct.
Administration
The administration of Burton Fleming Parish Council is managed by the Clerk to the Council, who is a part time paid employee acting in a combined statutory role as secretary and treasurer of the council.
The necessary financial monitoring and reporting are the Clerk’s responsibility, and in this role the Clerk is known as the “Responsible Financial Officer” (RFO) of the Parish Council. The Clerk is also the "Proper Officer" of the Parish Council. They "enact" (cause to happen) the decisions of the Parish Council, and they receive official correspondence and issue correspondence on the instructions of the Parish Council.
The Clerk also prepares agendas for meetings of the Parish Council and its committees, gives notice of these to the Parish Council members and the public, and records and publishes the minutes of these meetings. They are the formal point of contact with the public, and are a source of information for the public about the Parish Council’s activities.
The Clerk also provides procedural guidance for the Parish Council itself, and ensures that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the Council are observed.
What your Parish Council does
- Looks after the interests of the community and its inhabitants
- Acts as consultee for planning applications
- Prepares Financial Accounts and the Annual Return for auditing purposes
- Manages the Cemetery on Thwing Road
- Liaises with the Local Authority and Riparian Owners re the Gypsey Race
- Looks after the ponds
- Contracts the grass cutting of certain areas within the village, including the ponds, cemetery and churchyard
- Manages White Hill Field, Thwing Hill Field and the Village Green
- Arranges pest control
- Remuneration of the church tower lighting and the energy socket in the churchyard
- Managing the War Memorial
- Arranges for litter bins and village seats
- Community Safety
- Can report on potholes, highways and street lighting issues
What your Parish Council doesn’t do
- Manage the village Hall
- Manage the playground or participate in door to door collections for 'Friends of the Park'
- Cut grass verges or visibility splays at junctions
- Make decisions on planning applications