WOODHALL SPA Community Website

Welcome to the Woodhall Spa Parish Council pages

All the Parish Council pages can be accessed from here. Select the bold text to view the page.

What is a Parish Council? www.bbc.co.uk

How to contact your Parish Council & Councillors

Woodhall Spa Parish Plan (incl: Action Plan)

Village Design Statement (May 2010 - Draft)

Conservation Area Appraisal - (Jul 2008 - Draft)

Parish Newsletters

WSPC Meeting dates & agenda items

WSPC Meeting Minutes

WSPC Policy Documents

Council Resources

WSPC Code of Conduct

WSPC Annual Reports

WSPC Standing Orders

This page:

Parish Council Responsibilities (Woodhall Spa)

District Council Responsibilities (East Lindsey)

County Council Responsibilities (Lincolnshire)

Making a difference - What you can do

Woodhall Spa Parish Council has now achieved Quality Council Status. What does this mean?

The Quality Parish and Town Council scheme was launched in June 2003, following the publication of the government's Rural White Paper - 2000. The scheme was designed to provide a benchmark minimum standards for parish and town councils and enable them to better represent the communities they serve. The scheme also aims to give enhanced relationships between local councils, principal authorities and community and voluntary sector organisations.

In order to achieve Quality status, parish and town councils must demonstrate that they have reached the standard required by passing several tests. These tests as summarised below;

• Electoral Mandate
• Qualifications of the Clerk
• Council Meetings
• Communications
• Annual Report
• Accounts and
• Code of Conduct

The tests exceed the statutory duties of parish and town councils and represent the standards that an efficient , well run parish council should achieve. (Further details of the Test Criteria can be found in the Guidance ‘The Quality Scheme Explained’ which can be downloaded from the National Association of Local Councils website: www.nalc.gov.uk/quality

WOODHALL SPA PARISH COUNCIL
CODE OF CONDUCT

Introduction

Pursuant to section 27 of the Localism Act 2011, Woodhall Spa Parish Council (‘the Council’) has adopted this Code of Conduct to promote and maintain high standards of behaviour by its members and co-opted members whenever they conduct the business of the Council, including the business of the office to which they were elected or appointed, or when they claim to act or give the impression of acting as a representative of the Council.

This Code of Conduct is based on the principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Code, a ‘co-opted member’ is a person who is not a member of the Council but who is either a member of any committee or sub-committee of the Council, or a member of, and represents the Council on any joint committee or joint sub-committee of the Council, and who is entitled to vote on any question that falls to be decided at any meeting of that committee or sub-committee.

For the purposes of this Code, a ‘meeting’ is a meeting of the Council, any of its committees, sub-committees, joint committees or joint sub-committees.

For the purposes of this Code, and unless otherwise expressed, a reference to a member of the Council includes a co-opted member of the Council.

Member obligations

When a member of the Council acts, claims to act or gives the impression of acting as a representative of the Council, he/she has the following obligations.

• He/she shall behave in such a way that a reasonable person would regard as respectful.

• He/she shall not act in a way which a reasonable person would regard as bullying or intimidatory.

• He/she shall not seek to improperly confer an advantage or disadvantage on any person.

• He/she shall use the resources of the Council in accordance with its requirements.

• He/she shall not disclose information which is confidential or where disclosure is prohibited by law.

Registration of interests

Within 28 days of this Code being adopted by the Council, or the member’s election or the co-opted member’s appointment (where that is later), he/she shall register with the Monitoring Officer the interests which fall within the categories set out in Appendices A and B.

• A member shall register with the Monitoring Officer any change to interests or new interests in Appendices A and B within 28 days of becoming aware of it.

• A member need only declare the existence but not the details of any interest which the Monitoring Officer agrees is a ‘sensitive interest’.  A sensitive interest is one which, if disclosed on a public register, could lead the member or a person connected with the member to be subject to violence or intimidation.

Declaration of interests at meetings

10.    Where a matter arises at a meeting which relates to an interest in Appendix A the member shall not participate in a discussion or vote on the matter. He/she only has to declare what his/her interest is if it is not already entered in the member’s register of interests or if he/she has not notified the Monitoring Officer of it.

• Where a matter arises at a meeting which relates to an interest in Appendix B, the member shall not vote on the matter.  He/she may speak on the matter only if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting.

A member only has to declare his/her interest in Appendix B if it is not already entered in his/her register of interests or he/she has not notified the Monitoring Officer of it or if he/she speaks on the matter. If he/she holds an interest in Appendix B which is a sensitive interest not already disclosed to the Monitoring Officer, he/she shall declare the interest but not the nature of the interest.

Where a matter arises at a meeting which relates to a financial interest of a friend, relative or close associate (other than an interest in Appendix A), the member shall disclose the nature of the interest and not vote on the matter. He/she may speak on the matter only if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting.  If it is a ‘sensitive interest’ the member shall declare the interest but not the nature of the interest.

Dispensations

• On a written request made to the Council’s proper officer, the Council may grant a member a dispensation to participate in a discussion and vote on a matter at a meeting even if he/she has an interest in Appendices A and B if the Council believes that the number of members otherwise prohibited from taking part in the meeting would impede the transaction of the business; or it is in the interests of the inhabitants in the Council’s area to allow the member to take part or it is otherwise appropriate to grant a dispensation.

Appendix A
Interests described in the table below.

*’director’ includes a member of the committee of management of an industrial and provident society.
*’securities’ means shares, debentures, debenture stock, loan stock, bonds, units of a collective investment scheme within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and other securities of any description, other than money deposited with a building society.

Appendix B

• An interest which relates to or is likely to affect:
•  
• any body of which the member is in a position of general control or management and to which he/she is appointed or nominated by the Council;

• any body -
• exercising functions of a public nature;
• directed to charitable purposes; or
• one of whose principal purposes includes the influence of public opinion or policy (including any political party or trade union)

of which the member of the Council is a member or in a position of general control or management;

• any gifts or hospitality worth more than an estimated value of £50 which the member has received by virtue of his or her office.

ã NALC 2012

WSPC Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Under Section 77 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, which came into force on 31st Dec 2008, WSPC has met the criteria for them to use the 'Power of Wellbeing'

What does this mean?

The 'Power of Wellbeing' is the 'power of promotion of economic, social or environmental wellbeing' and allows the council to do anything which they consider likely to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of their area, unless it is prohibited elsewhere in law.

In other words WSPC is eligable to undrtake many more and varied activities on behalf of the local community, including working with the public sector, private sector and individuals if this is beneficial.

It can incure expenditure, give financial assistance to any person or enter into arrangements or agreements with any person, to co-operate with or facilitate or co-ordindate the activities of any person, exercise functions on behalf of any person, and provide staff, goods, services or accommodation to any person.

What sort of initiatives could this include?

This means that WSPC could take action to support and save local amenities should they come under threat i.e the post office, library or pub.

They could introduce new facilities such as health clinics, meals of wheels, gardening or handyman services for the elderly.

Give grants to local schools to provide equipment or other resources; grants or prizes for talented local residents; erect memorials, etc - the possibilities are infinite. Find out more on the Communities & Local Government website

Benefits

Leisure Services

Building Control

Licences & Permits

Dog Wardens

Recycling

Elections & Electoral Registration

Refuse Collection

Environmental Health

Sewage Matters

Home Improvements

Town & Country Planning

Housing

Litter including dog fouling issues

For more information about the services provided by ELDC visit: www.e-lindsey.gov.uk

Education

Police

Fire and Rescue

Public Transport

Highways

Social Services

Libraries

Strategic planning

Museums

Trading Standards

For more information about the services provided by Lincolnshire County Council visit: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk

We can’t leave it to someone else, if we do, we can’t complain when they do something we don’t like, or don’t do something we think should have been done.

So here is a checklist of opportunities to make a difference: Click on bold text for more information

1. Come to the meetings and ask questions

2. Join the Friends of Jubilee Park or Friends of the Library – we can put you in touch.

3. Write to your MP about the bill to exclude gardens from brownfield sites, he will pass your support on. This will help us protect the special character of the Spa

4. Volunteers to champion our footpaths – we need people to walk them occasionally and feed back details of the work that needs doing

5. Tell us if you have a drainage problem, to help us build the picture – we hear the stories, but we need first hand evidence, don’t grumble alone, tell us!

6. Volunteer to deliver parish newsletters on your street- we especially need people in the Kirkby Lane area and the top of Witham Road or anyone willing to fill in when others are ill or on holiday – it’s only 4 times year.

7. Stand for the Parish Council. We need to have have people standing to ensure that we can continue as a Quality Council.

8. Join the Heritage or Tree committees – we can put you in touch.

10. Join Britain in Bloom – we have the Email contact
.
11. Read the Parish Plan, see if there’s anything you can help with, it’s on this website and in the library

12. Comment on the draft Village Design Statement

12. Vote in any local elections

13. Come to the 2010 Annual Parish Meeting

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