SULGRAVE PARISH COUNCIL
THE POWERS OF PARISH COUNCILSSome of the more important powers of parish councils are listed alphabetically below. Where a power is marked with an asterisk a parish council may, in addition to exercising the power itself, help another body to act by giving financial assistance. |
FUNCTION |
POWERS |
Allotments |
Power to provide and maintain allotments for cultivation |
Borrowing |
Parish and Town Councils can borrow money for up to a maximum of 25 years, provided official consent has been obtained. |
Burial Grounds, Cemeteries and Crematoria - see also Churchyards * |
Powers to provide and maintain and power to agree to maintain monuments and memorials. |
Bus Shelters * |
Power to provide and maintain bus shelters |
Bye Laws |
Power to make bye-laws in regard to: |
Charities |
Duty to receive accounts of parochial charities |
Churchyards - see also Burial Grounds, Cemeteries and Crematoria |
Power to contribute to the costs of a churchyard in use |
Clocks * |
Provision and maintenance of public clocks, on churches or elsewhere. |
Community Centres - see also Halls, Public Buildings and Village Halls |
Power to provide and equip buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or educational objectives |
Conference Facilities |
Power to provide and encourage the use of conference facilities |
Crime Prevention * |
Powers to spend money on various crime prevention measures |
Drainage |
Power to deal with ponds and ditches |
Entertainments and the Arts * |
Provision of entertainment and support of the arts |
Footpaths - see also rights of way |
Power to repair and maintain public footpaths and bridleways |
Gifts - see also land |
Power to accept |
Halls - see also Community Centres, Public Buildings and Village Halls * |
Provision of buildings for public meetings and functions, for indoor sports or physical recreation, or for the use of clubs or societies having recreational, social or athletic objects. |
Highways |
Power to light roads and public places |
Land |
Power to acquire by agreement, to appropriate, to dispose of |
Legal Proceedings |
Power to prosecute and defend any legal proceedings in the interests of the inhabitants. Power to take part in any public local inquiry. |
Lighting |
Provision and maintenance of any footway lighting which lights roads or pavements provided the columns are not above specified heights. |
Litter * |
Provision of litter-bins in streets and support for anti-litter campaigns. |
Open Spaces - see also Parks, Playing Fields, Recreation and Village Greens |
Power to acquire land and maintain open spaces for the benefit of the public |
Parking Places |
Provision and management of car and cycle parks. |
Parks - see also Open Spaces, Playing Fields and Recreation |
Provision and maintenance of public parks and appropriate facilities. |
Planning |
Local councils have a right to be notified of any planning application affecting their area and to make comments which the planning authority must take into account. |
Playing Fields - see also Open Spaces, Parks and Recreation * |
Provision and maintenance of land for any kind of outdoor recreation, including boating pools. |
Postal and Telecommunication Facilities |
Power to pay a public telecommunications operator any loss sustained in providing post or telegraph office or telecommunications facilities |
Public Buildings and Village Halls |
Power to provide buildings for offices and for public meetings and assemblies |
Public Conveniences |
Provision and maintenance of public lavatories. |
Recreation |
Power to acquire land for or to provide recreation grounds, public walks, pleasure grounds and open spaces and to manage and control them |
Rights of Way |
Maintenance of public footpaths and bridleways. |
Roadside Verges |
Power to plant and maintain roadside verges. |
Seats * |
Provision and maintenance of public seats |
Signs |
Power to erect signs which warn of dangers or announce a place name, or indicate a bus stop. |
Swimming * |
Provision of indoor or outdoor swimming pool or bathing places. |
Tourism * |
Power to contribute to organisations encouraging |
Traffic Calming |
Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes |
Transport * |
Powers to spend money on community transport schemes |
Village Greens - see also Open Spaces * |
Power to maintain the village or town green |
War Memorials |
Power to maintain, repair, protect and adapt war memorials. |
General Expenditure Power |
In any situation not covered by one of the specific powers described above a council may spend a limited amount of money on any purpose which in its opinion is of direct benefit to its area or to the inhabitants. |