There are some 9,000 Parish and Town Councils in England. They form the tier of local government which should be closest to the people. Elected every four years, the number of members depends on the size of the electorate. In Quainton there are seven and they elect their own chairman annually. Councillors have a statutory code of conduct to follow. Meetings, held every four weeks, are open to the public who may only speak with the permission of the chairman, although the opening quarter of an hour of each Quainton meeting is there for use as a public forum. We do ask that people wishing to use this facility notify the clerk some days before the meeting.
The agenda for each meeting must be publicly displayed some days prior to the occasion. For this purpose we use the notice board at the bottom of the Green, where you will also find minutes of the previous meeting and details for contacting the clerk or council members. There has to be an annual parish meeting, open to all, where an outline of the CounciI's activities during the preceding year must be given. The various local charity accounts are then open for public inspection. Parishioners are able to address this meeting on issues of local concern. Annually, in November/December we settle on our budget for the financial year ahead and this sum per household is collected via the council tax bill.
Major responsibilities of the Parish Council are the provision of allotments and burial grounds, oversight of charity accounts, the powers to provide public buildings and recreational facilities, public footpath, village green,war memorial and bridleway maintenance, some litter clearance, street lighting, commenting on planning applications and the provision of public seats. In any situation not covered by one of these specific powers acouncil may spend a limited amount of money on any purpose which in its opinion is of direct benefit to its area or inhabitants.
Both our District and County Councillors attend some of our meetings and remain in close contact with the Parish Council. As a body we hope to be an asset to you all by being approachable, supportive, diligent and wise in our judgements and actions. We are keen to hear your wishes and views and will do our best to keep Quainton as a happy and caring community.
Access additional pages about the Parish Council from the menu on the left. For more information or to contact a councillor contact the clerk by email ParishCouncil@Quainton.net or by phone on (01296) 651 354.