Location of meeting - who decides?

Question

Who decides on the location of a parish council meeting? Is it the clerk, the chair, or the council?

Context: we have a village hall and another community building. The meetings have historically always been in the hall. It was suggested (outside of a council meeting) that the clerk was going to move the meetings soon. I don’t really mind which building it is but curious whether I as a councillor get to vote on it.

Answer 1

Clerks advise, Councillors decide.  Councillors decide at a properly convened meeting and on a majority vote.

Comments

It is decided by councillors at the annual meeting of the council

Answer 2

If you're using the model standing orders, 5(j)(xxi) refers:

j    Following the election of the Chair of the Council and Vice-Chair (if there is one) of the Council at the annual meeting, the business shall include:

xxi.    Determining the time and place of ordinary meetings of the Council up to and including the next annual meeting of the Council.

Comments

Thanks for this.  I have checked our SO and that (xxi) is indeed included.  However, it was not on the agenda at the annual meeting and has not been discussed in council. However, the morning of the annual meeting the clerk issued by email a meetings calendar showing the dates of the full council meetings up to and including the next annual council.  It doesn't include times or places.  Since the council haven't determined the time and place according to SO, should a councillor table a motion to determine that for the remainder of the year?

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It you want to fix the time and place then yes get it on the agenda otherwise the Clark may change the times to suit them

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I do think sometimes you have to be a little realistic with some of these matters.  If you want to change the venue, put it forward as a proposal but remember that the practicalities of any venue have to be taking into account too.  If a venue isn't available for whatever reason, the clerk needs to have authority to deal with this as and when it arises.  Perhaps one venue is more expensive than another or simply isn't available for the days/times you want your meeting.  You also need to factor accessibility, acoustics, possibly parking etc.  That having been said, where I used to live we had two community centres and alternated between the two until one took a long term booking for a weekly yoga class on the day so the bi-monthly parish council meetings were evicted!

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I think all PC meetings should be conducted as a yoga class. It's so much harder to launch into a verbal tirade as a downward-facing dog!

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Thanks for the responses.  I agree that realism and pragmatism are key, and I really don't mind one way or other - I am more interested in getting the process right.  That said, there are others on the council who I am sure would mind a great deal, given their other roles in respect of the village hall and other building, and the distance from their homes.

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Please explain the "model" with all the strange numbers etc

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The National Association of Local Councils provides Model Standing Orders for local councils to adopt to save them the challenge of trying to write their own. This document is available to any local council that has paid its affiliation fee to their county association of local councils. The county association will provide a username and password to access the documents on the NALC website.

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They well provide Model Standing Order however yet to use any in my part of the world. I find the National and Local Association does not reflect Parish concerns or issues. For example we live on an HS2 route, the biggest Construction contract in Europe. It has caused major destruction to the area for the past three years and will continue for more to come. We as a small Parish pay a small fortune for membership and for this, not one meeting is held by National or Local Association to enquire about local problems. membership is sold on the pretense that one day we may need legal support and the Association will provide Legal cover -  why a Parish Council might need Legal support baffles me