Payment to a parish Councillor

Question

Can a Parish Councillor be paid as a contractor for cleaning bus shelter and sweeping pavements

Answer 1

A Parish Councillor cannot receive payment for work carried out but that can receive an allowance towards expenses or cost in connection with their duties. Cleaning a bus shelter( or more) could be carried out by a councillor on the instruction and agreement of the council and cost and provision of tools and ancillary requirement supplied by the council. Of course before agreeing to do such a thing the insurance implications would need to be looked into especially if the bus shelters were on highways land. They may also require a road working licence as well.

Much better to hire a lengthsman

Comments

A rare occasion of disagreement with MM.
https://towncouncillor.com/4558/can-the-chair-of-the-parish-council-be-paid-for-works

A parish councillor may quite reasonably also be a business owner or sole trader.

They are just as eligible to quote for works as any other business entity may - but they must declare any "interests" and distance them self from any decision making process in regard to awarding the works.

The 'optics' of a Cllr being paid can be uncomfortable but if proper scrutiny, diligence and transparency are applied, it may well be that the council receives a far better VfM from a Cllr than they would an independent contractor.

Answer 2

It is possible for a parish councillor who is (genuinely) a contractor to be awarded a contract by the parish provided that the tender process is open and transparent, that the parish councillor contractor is treated in the same way as other contractors bidding for the contract and that the parish councillor himself does not take part in any way in the awarding of the contract (e.g. declaring an interest, leaving the room and not taking part in the debate etc.).

Comments

I took it from the question that the said councillor was carrying out these works as an individual ( paid volunteer) rather than someone with a business. Perhaps Jennifer can enlighten us so she can get an accurate answer