Harlaston Parish Council

Parish Councillors

Chairman Cllr P. Whitehouse
The Old School
Main Road
Harlaston
Tamworth
B79 9HT
Councillor Cllr Sue Forest
Osborne House
Main Road
Harlaston
Tamworth
B79		 Councillor Cllr Peter Timmis
Manor Farm
Main Road
Harlaston
Tamworth
B79 9
Email: Petertimmis40@hotmail.com
Councillor Cllr Louise Joyce
The Greenyard
Main Road
Harlaston
Tamworth
B79 9JX		 Councillor Cllr Alistair Riches
The Forge
Main Road
Harlaston
Tamworth
B79 9JU
Councillor Cllr Tony Armstrong
Mease House
76 Main Road
Harlaston
Tamworth
B79 9HT		 Councillor Cllr Craig Morris
The Old Rectory
Churchside
Harlaston
Tamworth
B79 9HE
Clerk to the Parish Council Ian Van Arkadi
17 Rowley Close
Edingale
Tamworth
B79 9LN
Tel: 01827 383140
Email: ianvanarkadie@yahoo.co.uk

Parish Council Meetings

The next scheduled meeting will take place on Thursday 28th of September at 7.30 pm in Harlaston Village Hall


Public participation takes place during open forum.  This occurs before every parish council meeting.  It gives residents of the parish the opportunity to put their views forward to the parish council or ask questions about parish council business. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                     Minutes of Parish Council Meetings

2014

The Role of Parish Councils

As a tier of local government, parish and town councils are elected bodies with limited discretionary powers and rights, laid down by Parliament, to represent their communities and to provide services to them.


Parish councils, as the tier of government that is closest to local communities, have a central role to play in improving local quality of life.  

The Government expects principal local authorities and parish and town councils to work together to provide an effective local government for local people.

• is representative of, and actively engages, all parts of its community, providing vision, identity and a sense of belonging;
• is effectively and properly managed;
• articulates the needs and wishes of its community;
• upholds high standards of conduct;
• is committed to work in partnership with principal local authorities and other public service agencies;
• in proportion to its size and skills, delivers local services on behalf of principal local authorities when this represents the best deal for the local community;
• works closely with voluntary groups in its community;
• provides leadership to the community through its work on parish plans; and
• working with its partners, acts as an information point for local services.

Parish councils are responsible for local services such as village halls, bus stops and other local facilities.   

Money for the parish council comes largely from a small percentage of the council tax electors pay.  This is called the precept.  The council has to produce accurate financial records. 



List of Parish Council Powers (this is not an exhaustive list)

Function

Powers & Duties 

Statutory Provisions 
 Allotments Duty to provide allotments
Power to improve and adapt land for allotments, and to let grazing rights 		 Small Holding & Allotments Act 1908, ss. 23, 26, and 42.
 Baths and washhouses Power to provide public baths and washhouses  Public Health Act 1936, ss. 221, 222, 223 and 227. 
 Burial grounds, cemeteries and crematoria Power to acquire and maintain
Power to provide 
Power to agree to maintain monuments and memorials
Power to contribute towards expenses of cemeteries		 Open Spaces Act 1906, Ss 9 and 10;
Local Government Act 1972, s.214;
Parish Councils and Burial Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970, s.1
Local Government Act 1972, s 214(6)
 Bus shelters Power to provide and maintain shelters  Local Government (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 1953, s.4 
 Bye-laws Power to make bye-laws in regard to pleasure grounds
Cycle parks
Baths and washhouses
Open spaces and burial grounds
Mortuaries and post mortem rooms		 Public Health Act 1875 s. 164 

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s. 57(7)
Public Health Act 1936, s.223
Open Spaces Act 1906, s.15
Public Health Act 1936, s. 198
 Clocks Power to provide public clocks  Parish Councils Act 1957, s.2 
 Closed churchyards Powers as to maintenance  Local Government Act 1972, s.215 
 Common pastures Powers in relation to providing common pasture  Smallholdings and Allotments Act 1908, s.34 
 Conference facilities Power to provide and encourage the use of facilities  Local Government Act 1972, s.144 
 Community centres  Power to provide and equip buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or recreational objectives Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 s.19 
 Crime prevention  Powers to install and maintain equipment and establish and maintain a scheme for detection or prevention of crime  Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.31 
 Drainage Power to deal with ponds and ditches   Public Health Act 1936, s.260 
 Entertainment and the arts Provision of entertainment and support of the arts  Local Government Act 1972, s.145 
 Gifts Power to accept  Local Government Act 1972, s.139
 Highways Power to maintain paths and bridle-ways 
Power to light roads and public places
Provision of litter bins
Powers to provide parking places for bicycles and motor-cycles, and other vehicles
Power to enter into agreement as to dedication and widening
Power to provide roadside seats and shelters
Consent of parish council required for ending maintenance of highway at public expense, or for stopping up or diversion of highway 
Power to complain to highway authority as to unlawful stopping up or obstruction of highway or unlawful encroachment on roadside wastes
Power to provide traffic signs and other objects or devices warning of danger
Power to plant trees and lay out grass verges etc. and to maintain them
 Highways Act 1980, ss.43, 50
Parish Councils Act 1957, s.3
Highways Act 1980, s.301
Litter Act 1983, ss.5,6
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, ss.57, 63
Highways Act 1980, ss. 30, 72
Parish Councils Act 1957, s.1
Highways Act 1980, ss.47, 116
Highways Act 1980, s.130
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s.72
Highways Act 1980, s.96
 Investments  Power to participate in schemes of collective investments Trustee Investments Act 1961, s.11 
 Land Power to acquire by agreement, to appropriate, to dispose of
Power to accept gifts of land 		 Local Government Act 1972, ss.124, 126, 127
Local Government Act 1972, s139
 Litter Provision of receptacles  Litter Act 1983, ss.5, 6 
 Lotteries Power to Promote   Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976, s.7 
 Mortuaries and post mortem rooms Powers to provide mortuaries and post mortem rooms  Public Health Act 1936, s.198 
 Open spaces Power to acquire land and maintain  Public Health Act 1875, s.164 Open Spaces Act 1906, ss.9 and 10 
 Parish documents Powers to direct as to their custody  Local Government Act 1972, s.226 
 Telecommunications facilities Power to pay public telecommunications operators any loss sustained providing telecommunication facilities  Telecommunications Act 1984, s.97 
 Public buildings and village hall Power to provide buildings for public meetings and assemblies  Local Government Act 1972, s.133 
 Public conveniences Power to provide  Public Health Act 1936, s.87 
 Town and country planning  Right to be notified of planning applications  Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Sched. 1, para. 8 
 Tourism Power to encourage visitors and provide conference and other facilities   Local Government Act 1972, s.144 
 Traffic calming Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming measures   Highways Act 1980, s.274A 
 Transport Powers in relation to car-sharing schemes, taxi fare concessions and information about transport 
Powers to make grants for bus services		 Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.26, 28 and 29 
Transport Act 1985, s.106A
 War memorials Power to maintain, repair, protect and alter war memorials  War Memorials (Local Authorities' Powers) Act 1923, s.1; as extended by Local Government Act 1948, s.133 
 Water supply Power to utilise well, spring or stream and to provide facilities for obtaining water from them   Public Health Act 1936, s.125

(reference: Department for Communities and Local Government (2002) The Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme - The Quality Scheme Explained

Notes on Harlaston  Parish Council Meetings


Public participation takes place during open forum.  This occurs for up to 15 minutes, at the beginning and at the end of the General meeting.  It gives residents of the parish the opportunity to put their views forward to the parish council or ask questions about parish council business. 
 

Some items raised at open forum might be discussed at the council meeting immediately following the forum.  However, in some instances they may be discussed at the next meeting. 

Parish councils must be notified of all planning applications.  The council can make comments, observations and recommendations. The final decision on approval or otherwise, however, rests with Lichfield District Council.

Suggestion box:

There is a new suggestion box next to the village notice board. If anyone in the village has any suggestions, please leave a comment in the box and the Parish Council will discuss it at the next Parish Council meeting.

 

Parish Council meeting dates:

The Parish Council will be meeting at the Village Hall on the last Thursday of each alternate month. The dates are as follows:

- 24 November 2016

- 26 January 2017

- 30 March 2017

- 25 May 2017

- 28 September 2017

- 30 November 2017



 

All villagers are welcome to attend.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News2017-05-30       

                                         Harlaston Parish Council Audits 


The latest audit report can be viewed here: