Parking permit survey by resident

Question

Our Parish council has got a resident to do a parking permit survey in the parish. He is a relation of 1 parish councillor and buddies with others on the PC. Surely these types of surveys should be done by the County Council as the parish council has no land anyway!!

Is this allowed as it is being seen as biased as they are all 'buddies' together?

They have said that a field may be converted into a car park using money donated by the water board for projects in the village i.e playpark and village hall etc.

Can the parish council take this money and use it for these purposes?

Answer 1

Anyone can carry out a survey. If you think the survey is distorted, you are free to say so in private or in public.

A local council certainly could provide a car park, if it was felt to be in the interests of the parish. It can use its funds to do so. Whether there is any restriction on specific sums received for particular purposes is hard to say without knowing the precise terms.

Comments

Thank you. The Legal services at county hall say that 'donated' money (to the 'people' and in trust to the PC) can be used for capital projects i.e. village hall and playground.
Car parking surely isn't the responsibility of the the parish council with a population  of less that 300,is it?

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Well, I'm not sure what you mean by "responsibility". Local councils have very few obligations, but have extensive powers to make provision for their local community. So hardly anything is a statutory obligation for a local council, but most things are possible. There are specific powers that enable a local council to pay for a playground or a village hall, but it is possible for there to be other expenditure using Section 137. However, there are limits on the amount that can be spent on Section 137 projects. So, on that basis, it may be impossible for the council to pay for a car park, it all depends on the detailed figures. Although even that isn't altogether certain; if the car park was ancillary to another public facility, then it might fall under legislation relating to that facility. The conclusion does depend on the exact facts of the case.