Role of Parish Councils

Parishes are the smallest areas of civil administration in England and their Town and Parish Councils provide the statutory tier of local government closest to the people. (Civil parishes should not be confused with ecclesiastical parishes and their Parochial Church Councils.)

Within Cumbria there are 269 parishes covering the whole county, except Barrow, Whitehaven, Penrith and the City of Carlisle. Of these 269 parishes, 230 are served by a Town or Parish Council that is elected every four years and the remainder have a Parish Meeting that is required to meet at least twice a year. In Cumbria there are three tiers of local government - the County Council, District/Borough Councils and Town/Parish Councils.

Town and Parish Councils are an essential part of the structure of local democracy and have a vital role in acting on behalf of the communities they represent.
They:

• give views, on behalf of the community, on planning applications and other proposals that affect the parish
• undertake projects and schemes that benefit local residents
• work in partnership with other bodies to achieve benefits for the parish
• alert relevant authorities to problems that arise or work that needs to be undertaken
• help the other tiers of local government keep in touch with their local communities.

Town and Parish Councils have a wide range of legal duties and powers, such as the maintenance of community buildings and land and much more. They have the power to raise money through the local council tax.

The Government introduced the "Quality Council Scheme" in 2003. Quality Councils, tested for efficiency, good organisation and active involvement with their communities, will be given a greater say in how services are delivered in their area and the opportunity to take on some of the services currently provided by other tiers of local government.