INFO
About the Parish Council
A Parish Council is the first tier of local government. This Parish Council is represented by five councillors, four for Pickhill and one for Sinderby. They were all re-elected in May 2022 for a four year term. They are:
Mr Ron Barker (Chairman)
Mr Graham Clarke (Vice Chairman)
Mrs Norma Grubb (also Parish Clerk)
Mr Minty Scaife
Mr James Wadsworth
Our meetings are held as and when required. Notice of a meeting and agenda is published at least seven days in advance, via the website and on the Parish notice-boards located in Pickhill (village green by the post box) and in Sinderby (outside the Village Hall). The agenda will also be offered to local social media sites.
At the next tier, our local authority Councillor is Mr David Webster, on both the Hambleton District Council and North Yorkshire County Council. Under local government reorganisation plans, these two authorities will cease to exist on 1 April 2023 when Cllr Webster will be our representative on the new single unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, representing Bedale Division (covering our Parish).
What does the Parish Council do?
The Parish Council has an overall responsibility for the well-being of your local community. Their work falls into three main categories:
• Representing our local community
• Delivering services to meet local needs
• Improving quality of life
Some services are provided and maintained by the principle authorities - Hambleton District Council and North Yorkshire County Council, up to April 2023 and thereafter by the new North Yorkshire Council. The Parish Council will continue its role as before.
The Role of the Parish Councillor
The Parish Councillor role is an unpaid elected position. Allowances for legitimate expenses can be claimed, at the discretion of the individual council. To be a parish councillor does require time and commitment. A councillor will typically spend several hours a week on parish business.
How Does The Parish Council Work?
The Parish Council must:
- elect a Chair, responsible for the smooth running of meetings.
- elect a Vice Chair.
- appoint a Clerk to the Parish Council (Parish Clerk), as administrator.
- appoint a Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) to manage the finances in a sound and professional manner. The RFO is often the Parish Clerk.
- appoint an independent and competent local Auditor.
- comply with Employment Law (if applicable), including equal opportunities and disability legislation, the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection legislation.
- publish its minutes and financial information.
- hold a minimum of four meetings a year, one of which will be the Annual Meeting, when the Chair and Vice Chair positions are decided. In practice many Parish Councils meet monthly.
Parish Council elections are held every four years (the last was in May 2022). If there are insufficient candidates to fill all places, there is a formal process which can culminate in the Parish Council co-opting members to fill vacant places.
The parish council meet regularly to make decisions, by a simple vote, on the work and direction of the council. As an elected body the parish council is responsible to the people they represent - the local community - so meetings are open to residents and the Press. On this Parish Council there is usually an open session at the commencement of each meeting. Residents and the Press are welcome to remain for the rest of the meeting, though are not entitled to contribute. They would not be allowed to remain for any items marked on the Agenda as “Confidential”.
Are you interested in helping or standing for your Parish Council?
The best way to find out more is to attend a Parish Council meeting, or for more information you can email:
clerk@pickhillandsinderbypc.co.uk.
To stand for election on a parish council, you must be:
- a citizen of the UK, or Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland.
- at least 18 years old.
To be eligible to stand for election in a particular parish, you must:
be an elector of that parish (ie. be on the electoral roll), or;
for the whole of the previous 12 months occupied (owner or tenant), land or premises in the parish, or;
during the previous 12 months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;
for the whole of the previous 12 months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.