Do you need a parish meeting if your precept will be set at zero for the coming year?

Question

Its that time of the year when we are ask to submit our precepts for the year. With the exception of last year, we have been lucky enough to be able to set our precept at zero. This year will be the same. Do I need to call a meeting to so this or, knowing it will be zero, inform the parish electronically that this will be the case unless I receive information from them that it should be otherwise!

I have an aging parish and calling them all out for a 5 minute meeting seems a bit rough on some of them.

Thank you as always.

Answer 1

Yes, setting a precept at zero is still setting a precept, so it has to be a formal meeting.

Comments

Many thanks for your reply. I hoped it could be dealt with electronically, as our 'financial' movements are none existent. It would certainly help little Parishes like ours if things could be done without the need of a meeting! Thank you again.

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Setting a precept at zero has to be done by full Council, it can't be done at a Parish Meeting. which is not a Council meeting, but a meeting of local government electors registered for the area for which it is held. It must be held between 1st March and 1st June.

Answer 2

Are there services that you should be providing?  Are some services not being performed well?  What are your long term plans for the parish?  All questions that might be asked at the annual meeting?

Comments

Many thanks for your reply. Our Parish is very small and to give you some idea, we had a total movement of £5 through our accounts that had to be audited! and that related to bank interest only!! It would be lovely if someone high up looked at smaller Parishes and simplified what they have to do.  No assets, no paths, no facilities, no schools, no children and no bus service!

Thank you again.

Answer 3

First point, setting  the precept must be a full council decision, and it is not a decision that can be taken by a Parish meeting, , even though they could make their collective thoughts known at such a  meeting. A Parish Meeting is not a Council meeting, but a meeting of local government electors registered for the area for which it is held. It must be held between 1st March and 1st June, normally outside  the time you would have needed to set your precept..
Second Point: The purpose of a Parish Meeting is more than just to discuss the precept as exemplified by Pithead.   Be aware that if you don't call a Parish Meeting, electors could in theory call one and set their own agenda, and chair (If nobody from the PC wanted to do it)..

Comments

Thank you for the reply. Our precept or precept submission needs to done by the 10th January or the 22nd if an extension is requested. I appreciate the council makes the final decision, but they will always be guided by us and would guess if we didn't want money they would be more than happy!

Just feels silly to call a meeting, that only a handful will attend, then explain that we didn't have any need as a Parish to request money, they will all agree and we all go home!

I thought there would be a facility for Parishes in the same situation or maybe we are unique!

Many thanks again.