Parish meeting

Question

1. The agenda states the Parish Council has invited representatives from groups to speak and give info. The last minutes had no details other than they spoke. The PC never minuted that they were going to invite anyone and as it is not a PC meeting do not feel that they should invite anyone. The chair can as he calls the meeting. Am I right that the PC should not be inviting people but the Chair of the PC is the one who should as he called the meeting?

2. At this meeting we are all residents so why are apologies accepted from councillors and they are given their title? The names of residents are not given. This to me smacks of making this meeting a part of the PC when I understand it to be for residents to meet and discuss local issues, not even to question the council as they can do that at any council meeting.

Answer 1

You describe what is  a widespread misunderstanding (by the PC (clerk)) of the history, legislation and purpose of a parish meeting…

You seem to grasp it, your council seems not to….

Answer 2

It is quite normal for the parish council to present to the electorate a summary of what they have achieved during the year and as the RFO ( clerk ) to be present to give a financial summary and both the chair and clerk to field questions from the floor. In some parishes reports from such bodies as village or parish halls are sought as well. It has also been known for guest speakers to be introduced sometimes to encourage attendance at a meeting that, as  is stated is of little interest to a lot of people.

What must NOT be lost is that the calling of a parish meeting (at any time) is a very powerful tool open to the electorate to highlight failings of a misguided council and you cast it aside at your peril.

The minutes of the meeting are not the domain of the council ( even though the clerk may act in taking them) and the meeting can elect anyone qualified to take and publish minutes. Also minutes are not confidential and can be voted to be passed to interested parties (say the press) without any required authorisation or exclusion by PC or councilors.

Councillors have no bearing or power( and therefore should not be referred to)  and only attend a parish meeting as a member of electorate

Other that their legal obligation to organise finance and advertise  an annual Parish Meeting the Parish Council have no powers in Parish meetings. Too many attempt to treat it as a PC meeting and must be challenged at every opportunity

Comments

The truth is that very few know what the meeting is or what it is for as it stems from a period when the only way residents could find out what is happening in their parish was via that meeting.  Nowadays with social media and the public having access to council meetings, there are lots of opportunities to engage with the public in a way which is more effective so where parish councils do take the initiative, they try to make it something the public would want to engage with.  We, as a council, invite local community groups to use it as a means of advertising what they do and as part of that the council chair gives a presentation on what the council has done over the preceding year and we run a village award scheme for members of the public to nominate those who have gone above and beyond for their community.  To be honest, it is often only the families of the award winners who attend.  We don't note apologies from councillors as its not a council event but we do ask that they identify themselves through a name badge so that the public can see who they are in case they don't know!

Answer 3

I attended tonight. All the groups spoke. When it came to the last item, residents comments and questions, to start with the chair thought it was just speaking to your neighbour in a private conversation. He then started to draw the meeting to the close until I insisted that the meeting continue and people could be heard by the whole meeting. As a result some issues were discussed by those people there. I also asked the meeting to vote on who could take the minutes as without that surely anyone could take the minutes and declare that they are the minutes. I did object also that the minutes and the Agenda had the title Parish Council at the top. However some people who were there have gained an understanding that it is their meeting. A Parish meeting is the last real democracy in that everyone who is an elector can propose things, comment on things and vote on things. It has very little power but it is to be cherished.