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Parish Council Powers What can local councils do? The powers which have been vested in Parish, Town and Community Councils by Acts of Parliament are summarised here as a guide to Councillors and others. Each description is brief and is intended to be a general indication. Like all powers given to public bodies the powers of local councils are defined in detail in legislation and these details may include a requirement to obtain the consent of another body (for example the approval of the County Council to the provision of a car park). Local Councils must exercise their powers also subject to the provisions of the general law (for example planning permission is necessary for a sports pavilion). Information on all these details should be in the hands of the Clerks of the Councils. |
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Function |
Powers & Duties |
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Allotments |
Powers to provide allotments. Duty to provide allotment gardens if demanded unsatisfied |
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Baths and Washhouses |
Power to provide public baths and washhouses |
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Burial grounds, cemeteries and crematoria |
Power to acquire and maintain Power to provide Power to agree to maintain monuments and memorials Power to contribute towards expenses of cemeteries |
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Bus Shelters |
Power to provide and maintain shelters |
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Bye Laws |
Power to make bye-laws in regard to pleasure grounds Cycle Parks Baths and Washhouses Open spaces and burial grounds Mortuaries and post-mortem rooms |
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Clocks |
Power to provide public clocks |
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Closed Churchyards |
Powers as to maintenance |
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Commons and common pastures |
Powers in relation to enclosure, as to regulation and management, and as to providing common pasture |
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Conference facilities |
Power to provide and encourage the use of facilities |
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Community centres |
Power to provide and equip buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or educational objectives |
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Crime prevention |
Powers to spend money on various crime prevention measures |
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Drainage |
Power to deal with ponds and ditches |
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Education |
Right to appoint school governors |
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Entertainment and the arts |
Provision of entertainment and support of the arts |
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Gifts |
Power to accept |
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Highways |
Power to repair and maintain public footpaths and bridle-ways Power to light roads and public places Provision of litter bins Power to provide parking places for vehicles, bicycles and motor-cycles Power to enter into agreement as to dedication and widening Power to provide roadside seats and shelters, and omnibus shelters Consent of parish council required for ending maintenance of highway at public expense, or for stopping up or diversion of highway Power to complain to district council as to protection of rights of way and roadside wastes Power to provide traffic signs and other notices Power to plant trees etc. and to maintain roadside verges |
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Investments |
Power to participate in schemes of collective investment |
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Land |
Power to acquire by agreement, to appropriate, to dispose of Power to accept gifts of land |
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Litter |
Provision of receptacles |
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Lotteries |
Powers to promote |
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Mortuaries and post mortem rooms |
Powers to provide mortuaries and post mortem rooms |
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Nuisances |
Power to deal with offensive ditches |
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Open spaces |
Power to acquire land and maintain |
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Parish Property and documents |
Powers to direct as to their custody |
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Public buildings and village hall |
Power to provide buildings for offices and for public meetings and assemblies |
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Public Conveniences |
Power to provide |
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Recreation |
Power to acquire land for or to provide recreation grounds, public walks, pleasure grounds and open spaces and to manage and control them Power to provide gymnasiums, playing fields, holiday camps Provision of boating pools |
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Town and Country Planning |
Right to be notified of planning applications |
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Tourism |
Power to contribute to organisations encouraging |
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Traffic Calming |
Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes |
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Transport |
Powers to spend money on community transport schemes |
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War memorials |
Power to maintain, repairs, protect and adapt war memorials |
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Water Supply |
Power to utilise well, spring or stream and to provide facilities for obtaining water therefrom. |
| Taken from web site( www.nalc.gov.uk) of the National Association of Local Councils (representing Parish, Town and Community Councils) 109 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LD and published as "Powers and duties of parish and local councils". | |
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This page was last edited on 13th January 2007 |
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