Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council
Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council
Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council has eleven Councillor positions - 6 of which are vacant. The Councillors give their time time freely to help enhance the village and support the village’s other organisations, for the benefit of all residents.
The Parish Council exists to help parishioners and be a point of contact for ideas and suggestions for improvements in the village. We have one employee, the Clerk, who manages all financial and administrative aspects in connection to council business.
Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the values of the community and to enhancing the quality of village life.
By becoming a parish councillor, you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve.
Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, is something that can give a sense of achievement and pride.
What decisions do Parish Councils make?
Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community. Probably the most common topics that parish councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), crime prevention, helping local groups, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.
It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions. But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the borough or unitary council, health authorities, police etc).
In this respect parish councils are extremely powerful. The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.
How much time does it take up?
The Council usually meets every other month for the council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited. Meetings normally last around 2 hours and in addition to the regular meetings, Councillors can attend other meetings representing the council, for example acting as a representative on an outside body, community activities or helping develop a new project for the community. Such meetings won’t happen every day, so it’s not going to take over your life.
How long does a parish Councillor serve for?
Once elected, parish Councillors sit on the council for a maximum of four years. If they then want to stay in the post they can stand for re-election.
Applicants should note that Councillors are expected to attend regular meetings and any additional meetings as may be arranged, and to represent the electors of Bramfield and Thorington in raising and discussing those issues of interest and concern on which the Parish Council is empowered to act.
Am I eligible to be a Parish Councillor?
You have to be:
and additionally you have to be one of the following
You cannot stand for election if you
You don’t have to be connected to a political party.
If you do become a parish councillor you will have to sign up to the Code of Conduct which is available on this website under Policies and Procedures
What powers do parish councils have?
They have a wide range of powers which are essentially related to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, street lighting, bus shelters, car parks and much more. The council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept. The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax. The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the district council, which collects the tax for the parish council.
Parish Duties
Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council currently has 11 Councillor vacancies who stand for election every four years. The duties and functions of a parish council are many and varied.
The Council meets bi-monthly and considers planning applications and any other matters referred to it by local residents, East Suffolk District Council, Suffolk County Council and by central government. All meetings are open to the public and there is a forum at the start of the meeting in which members of the public can raise concerns and ask questions of items on the agenda.
There is also an annual meeting which all parishioners are invited to attend. All meetings are advertised on the council notice boards and on this website. Residents can bring to the attention of the parish council anything that concerns them though the clerk. If matters raised are not the responsibility of the council, the clerk can bring them to the attention of the proper authority.
The best way to find out what it’s like to be a parish Councillor is to talk to someone who’s doing it now.
Come along to a parish council meeting or speak to one of our Councillors and find out what they think of the job.
If you would like to apply please contact the clerk: clerk@bandt-pc.gov.uk
A Chairperson:
Note: The Chairperson on their own has no power to make decisions without the Resolution of the Council
Presiding at the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council:
The retiring chairperson, or in their absence, the vice chair must preside at the meeting for the first item on the agenda (after apologies and checking previous minutes) ‘To Elect Chairperson’. If it is a meeting after an election then the retiring chair or vice chair presides, even if they are no longer councillors. If both are absent then the meeting may appoint another councillor to preside. It is illegal for a clerk to take the chair at a meeting.
Election of a Chair:
If the presiding chair is no longer to be a member of the council then they only have a casting vote. If they are still going to be a member then they have a vote and a casting vote (they can vote for themselves if they want). The chairperson of the council should give a report to the APM on the activity of the council (in this meeting, if they are not an elector in the parish, they only have a casting vote).
Once voted in, the new chair signs their declaration of acceptance of office and presides over the meeting immediately.
What does a good chairperson do?
Plan the meeting with the clerk and ensure that everything on the agenda is legal.
Brief themselves and prepare fully – study all relevant information and anticipate the needs and interests of the members. The Chairperson can then answer questions or deal with requests for information.
Be punctual – the Chairperson should set a good example by arriving early to check the arrangements and welcome members, the public and any visiting speakers.
Conduct the meeting –
Role of the Clerk
A competent Clerk underpins a good Council.
The role of Clerk is to ensure that the Council conducts its business properly and to provide independent, objective and professional advice and support.
All Local Council meetings are open to the press and public. They are led by the Council’s Chairman and advised by a Clerk who is there to see that business is conducted within the law.
A job description will always list the duties in detail but here’s a useful summary:
Typically the Clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer and
The job is no different from large to small councils. What is different however is the amount of time needed to deal with the volume and complexity of business. For small parishes this need be only a few hours each week while for the larger councils it could be a full time commitment.
Most council meetings are held ‘out of hours’ so being a part time clerk is not just a daytime activity.
Pay and Conditions
Most councils operate nationally recognised rates. You should expect-
Skills and attributes needed
Clerks usually pride themselves in having a good deal of common sense, confidence to handle the administrative work, being a good organiser, IT literate and able to get on with most people. Underwriting these qualities is a sense of public duty – of wanting to help others in the community.
The Parish Council ordinarily meets on the second Monday of every other month at 7 pm at Bramfield Village Hall
All residents of the parish are welcome to attend meetings of the Council to observe the proceedings. There is an opportunity at the beginning of every ordinary meeting for residents to ask questions of the council on any item on the agenda or make a statement to the Council, prior to the commencement of its business at that meeting.
Please remember when making any comment that a Council Meeting is a public meeting for which minutes are produced and published. Members of the public cannot take part in the actual business of a council meeting and are asked not to interrupt the proceedings.
We have an Annual Meeting in May to elect the Chair and Vice Chair. If any of the regular meeting dates have to be changed, notice will be given by the Council on the web site and relevant Parish Council notice boards.
If there is a matter that you think the council should discuss you can contact the clerk and ask that it be put on the agenda for the next meeting. Agendas are usually prepared 9 days before the meeting to which they relate so make sure that you ask in good time. Meeting agendas are published on the web site and noticeboard at the Village Hall 3 clear days before a meeting.
Meetings will last a maximum of 2 hours, so if a meeting already has a full agenda, some items may be deferred for discussion to a subsequent meeting, so that a proper and full time allowance can be made for discussion of the item.
The local members of East Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council are invited to all Council meetings. They will often respond to the Parish Council as representatives of local residents. If you have issues with those authorities, and feel we can help with your problem please let us know through the Parish Clerk.
The Parish Councillors and Clerk are regularly invited to attend various workshops and consultation meetings with other organisations & authorities in order to maintain their awareness of proposals and legislation that may affect the community. As the members of the Parish Council are volunteers they do this in their own personal time. Any member expenses have to be approved by the council.
The Parish Council works with East Suffolk District Council on a broad range of matters including Roads, Footpaths, Planning Applications, Litter Bins and Street Cleansing but has very limited powers to act.
The Parish Council is also a member of NALC – National Association of Local Councils.
Why become a Parish Councillor? The Chairperson Role of the Clerk Meetings
