What is a Parish Council?
Parish or Town Councils are an important tier of Government within the UK; a Parish/Town Council is the smallest and most localised tier of local government in the UK and is a properly constituted local authority.
The powers and duties, and the manner in which a Parish Council operates are laid out in local government statute and regulations; Parish Councils operate at a level below national government and also below Wiltshire Council. Parish & Town Councils are elected and can help on a number of local issues. Select this link to see the Government Definition of the different type of councils
Parish Councils are Statutory Bodies, having powers under a number of different Acts (the Local Government Act 1972, the Public Health Act 1936, etc.). Only a few Councils need to use all their available powers. It is up to each Council to choose what is appropriate for the community they serve.
The Council raises funds by the annual Precept which is set by no later than January of each year. The amount required is guided by the setting of the annual budget. The Parish Council precept is added to the Council Tax bill and collected by Wiltshire Council (on behalf of the Parish Council).
Aldbourne Parish Council
Aldbourne Parish Council has fifteen members, made up of volunteers from across the village who give their time freely to help enhance and support the village for the benefit of all residents. The volunteer members are known as councillors. The Parish Council exists to help residents [sometimes called parishioners] and to be a point of contact for ideas and suggestions for improvements in the village. There is a paid clerk, who manages all correspondence, financial and administrative aspects in connection to council business.
The Parish Council meets on the first Wednesday of each month (excluding August; December or January) at 7:30pm. All parishioners are most welcome to attend these meetings. See the meetings section for more information. Link to the meetings section.
Responsibilities
The Parish Council are responsible for a wide range of services and areas in the village:
- Public toilets
- The pond
- The Green
- Goddards Lane & Claridge Close play areas
- Whitley Field play area
- Rectory Wood
- The football field
- Tennis court on Southward Lane
- Grass cutting of most highway verges within the village
- Maintenance of the Winterbourne along South Street
- Litter bins in the play areas and football field only
Palmer’s Field and the parking area on the edge of the football field are currently leased to Aldbourne Recreation Centre. See the ARC website for more information.
The following areas come under the responsibility of Wiltshire Council. A wide range of issues can be reported via their MyWilts system. You can also view whether the issue you are reporting has already been logged or not. Select this link to access the MyWilts system. There is also an app available for tablets and mobiles.
- Road surfaces, including potholes & white lining
- Footpaths
- Litter bins at the side of the road (usually green or black)
- Street lights
- Trees within the highway verge
- Refuse & recycling collection
- Green waste collection (paid for service)
- Street signs and road signs
- Public Rights of Way (RoW)
- Planning (including enforcement)
- Parking enforcement
- Cutting & maintenance of highway verges outside the village centre
We will endeavour to keep the information provided on our section of the village website accurate and up to date. If you spot any errors or omissions please contact us by email so that we can investigate and correct – aldbournepc@yahoo.co.uk