Blog-August 21
Parish Council Blog
August 2021
Hello again, this month we are going to have a peek behind the curtain and find out what Parish Councillors do.
On our website grettonparishcouncil.co.uk we have a list of principal roles for a Councillor, these are
- To understand and communicate the views, needs and aspirations of residents to statutory and non-governmental bodies as required.
- To retain the existing character and community spirit of the village while encouraging the development of a strong, inclusive and vibrant community.
- To preserve and enhance the rural, built and natural environments of
Gretton in accordance with the Gretton Neighbourhood Plan 2019-2031.
- To offer advice and assistance on Council services.
- To manage the council’s assets and finances effectively and in accordance with statutory requirements.
- To respond to planning applications and other statutory consultations on time, ensuring that the recommendations adhere to statutory regulations and the interests of the community.
- To decide Council policy, monitor performance and scrutinise decisions made.
- To keep informed of changes to legislation and ensure that procedures and Parish Council policies are reviewed and line with such changes.
At our heart we want to do what is best for Gretton and to keep it as the village that we all love.
The Parish Council is classed as the first tier of local government, we come under the umbrella of North Northants Council. So if, for example Potholes need filling or Road Markings need repainting, they are reported to the Council and then we have to wait for the work to be allocated and completed. This process, at times, can be frustrating for us as Councillors and for you as residents. Although reported again and again sometimes work is just not completed, recently Gretton Brook Road was a prime example of this.
Planning Applications are dealt with on the same basis, we will discuss all applications and ensure that they fit within our Neighbourhood Plan, our response will go back to North Northants Council and then they will make the final decision.
As councillors we will each have a particular responsibility that we work on, mine as you might guess is communications including website, newsletters and press. Each councillor will report on their responsibility every month, you can find the list of these in the minutes, they cover all things from Police Liaison to Environment to Community to Highways.
Parish Council meetings are help every month on the second Monday, members of the public are welcome to attend, to discuss an issue or just to see what happens. If you are not sure what happens in the meetings our meting minutes are public record and can be viewed at any time on our website.
Hopefully this has given you a bit of insight into our roles as councillors and what we do.
As always, if you have any questions, views or concerns regarding anything, the Parish Council would love to hear from you, please email our Clerk Jackie on clerkgpc@btinternet.com