Terms of Reference

Powers and Duties of Parish Councils

The role played by parish councils varies considerably. Smaller parish councils have only limited resources and generally play a minor role, while some larger parish councils have a role like that of a small district council. Parish councils receive funding by levying a "precept" on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish.

The list below is intended as a summary of the main functions of parish councils. It is not intended to be a definitive list of such functions. Where a function is marked with an asterisk a parish council also has the power to give financial assistance to another person or body performing the same function.

Functions	Powers and duties
Allotments	Powers to provide allotments Duty to provide allotment gardens if demand unsatisfied
Bus Shelters and roadside seats	Power to provide and maintain
Bye Laws	Power to make byelaws for public walks and pleasure grounds
Clocks*	Power to provide public clocks
Closed Churchyards	Powers (and sometimes duty) as to maintain
Commons Land and Common Pastures	Powers in relation to enclosure as to regulation and management and as to providing common pasture
Community Centres and Village Halls	Power to provide and equip premises for use of clubs having athletic, social or educational objectives Power to provide buildings for offices and for public meetings and assemblies
Conference facilities*	Power to provide and encourage the use of facilities
Crime Prevention*	Powers to spend money on various crime prevention measures
Drainage	Power to deal with ponds/ditches
Education	Right to appoint governors of primary schools
Entertainment and the Arts*	Provision of entertainment and support of the arts
Environment	Power to act for the benefit of the community by tackling and promoting awareness of environmental issues
Flagpoles	Power to erect flagpoles in highways
Highways	Power to repair and maintain footpaths and bridleways Power to provide lighting of roads and public places Power to provide parking places for vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles Power to enter into an agreement as to dedication and widening Power to provide traffic signs and other notices Power to plant trees, etc., and to maintain roadside verges Power to prosecute for unlawful ploughing of a footpath or bridlewalk Power to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes
Investments	Power to participate in schemes of collective investment
Land	Power to acquire land by agreement or compulsory purchase, Power to appropriate land Power to dispose of land Power to accept gifts of land Power to obtain particulars of persons interested in land
Litter bins	Power to provide litter bins including receptacles for dog faeces
Lotteries	Power to promote lotteries
Monuments and Memorials	Power to agree to maintain monuments and memorials
Mortuaries and post-mortem rooms	Powers to provide mortuaries and post-mortem rooms
Nature Reserves	Power to designate statutory to the nature reserves and marine nature reserves - English Nature can designate sites of specific scientific interest
Nuisances	Power to deal with offensive ditches, ponds and gutters
Open Spaces, Burial Grounds, Cemeteries and crematoria*	Power to acquire, maintain or contribute towards expenses
Parish Property and Records	Powers to direct as to their custody Power to collect, exhibit and purchase local records
Parks and pleasure grounds	Power to hire pleasure boats in parks and pleasure grounds
Parochial charities	Power to appoint trustees of parochial charities Duty to receive accounts of parochial charities
Planning	Right to be notified of and power to respond to planning applications
Postal and telecommunications facilities	Power to pay the Post Office, British Telecommunications or any other public telecommunications operator any loss sustained in providing post or telegraph office or telecommunications facilities
Public Conveniences	Power to provide public conveniences
Raising of Finances	Power to raise money through the parish precept
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
Swimming pools, bathing places, baths and washhouses	Power to provide
Tourism*	Power to contribute to the encouragement of tourism
Town Status	Power to adopt town status
Transport*	Power to (a) establish car sharing schemes (b) make grants for bus services, (c) provide taxi-fare concessions; (d) investigate public transport, road use and needs; (e) provide information about public transport services Community Transport Schemes
Village greens	Power to maintain, to make bylaws for and to prosecute for interference with village greens
Water Supply	Power to utilise well, spring or stream and to provide facilities for obtaining water therefrom.

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Powers and Duties of Parish Councils

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