North Mymms Parish Council

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What is involved in being a parish councillor at North Mymms? What is a parish council? There are about 8,350 parish councils in England. Most of them were established in 1894 by an Act of Parliament which created civil parishes separated from the church. They vary in size with annual spends ranging from under £1,000 to £4m. North Mymms parish is the largest in Hertfordshire with a precept for 2007/8 of £170,800. The precept is part of your Council Tax and is our main source of income. Other income is derived from hiring out the bowling green, football fields etc. Parish councils have legal powers as defined in various Acts, but they have fewer duties than district councils and greater freedom to choose what actions to take. They represent the interests of the local communities and seek to improve the quality of life and local environment, influencing decisions and delivering services to meet local needs. North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC) North Mymms parish includes Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Bell Bar, Water End, Bullens Green and part of Little Heath. Click here for the names and wards of the ten councillors. The full council meets at 8pm on the last Wednesday of each month except August and December. All meetings are open to the public. Click here for details of meetings for the three committees which are Finance, Planning, and Amenities and Buildings. At least one councillor represents NMPC on various committees etc, such as the NM Memorial Hall committee. NMPC employs a full-time Clerk, who has part-time help, and three groundsmen. The groundsmen tend the three recreation grounds at Hawkshead Road Little Heath, Gobions Open Space and Dellsome Lane Welham Green. The latter includes a bowling green, football pitches and the Burns Pavilion, and all three contain children’s play areas. They also tend the village greens at Brookmans Park and Welham Green and the land at the War Memorial, North Mymms Park. The council owns these areas of land together with some allotments, two bungalows (for staff accommodation) and the council office, all at Welham Green. Who is eligible to be a parish councillor? You must be over 18 years old, and a British national or citizen of the Commonwealth or European Union. You must live in the parish or within 5 km (3 miles) of it for at least a year. You cannot be employed by NMPC. Parish councillors must never use their appointment to secure advantage for themselves or their family or friends. Not must they do anything to bring the council into disrepute. Parish councillors are not paid for their parish council activities. How to become a candidate for election Contact the Returning Officer at Welwyn Hatfield Council, Council Offices, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AE (telephone 01707 357000) who will advise you on the procedures. If you are a member of a political party you could be proposed by that party, or you could stand as an independent. If a vacancy occurs between elections, notices will appear on parish notice boards asking if the electorate want a by-election. If none is wanted, the council can co-opt someone from a list of volunteers. After you are elected, or co-opted When you attend your first council meeting you will receive various items of information such as A schedule of meetings for the year ‘Standing Orders’, defining how NMPC conducts its business. The council’s financial regulations including its budget The ‘Standards of Conduct’ defined by Parliament and adopted by NMPC Contact details of councillors and the Clerk. You must sign a register of declarations of acceptance of office of councillor. You must also complete and sign a declaration of any significant interests you have in the parish (not outside), such as any property and business you own which is located in the parish, and certain shareholdings. Because these interests might affect your decisions as a councillor, you may have to leave the room or abstain from debate and any decisions relating to that interest e.g. a planning application for your property. You may be invited to join one or more of the committees, as listed above, avoiding any conflict of interest. For example, you cannot be on the NMPC planning committee if you are also on Welwyn Hatfield Council’s Planning Control Committee. Similarly, you cannot be employed by NMPC since you cannot be an employer and employee. A useful source of information is the ‘Good councillor’s guide’. It is available on the internet on www.nalc.gov.uk. Amongst other things, this 2003-issued booklet sets out the legal powers of a parish council. These that are relevant to North Mymms Parish Council are underlined. The booklet covers such items as: Allotments, Burial grounds and cemeteries Bus shelters Bye laws Charities Christmas lights Citizens Advice Bureau Clocks Commons and common pastures Community centres Crime prevention Drainage Entertainment & the arts Gifts Highways Investments Land Litter Lotteries Newsletters Open spaces Public conveniences Recreation Town and country planning Traffic calming Transport War memorials Water supply Summary As a councillor you can make a difference in the parish. The council is made up of local people who have a genuine interest in their neighbourhood. A parish council is the first rung of local government and is, therefore, closest to local residents. By giving a little of your spare time you will receive back much more. You may be surprised at the truth behind this rather hackneyed expression.