Parish Council Powers

Local Council is a statutory local authority in its own right, having a fairly wide variety of powers conferred by many statues. Although its powers are not as extensive as those of County and District Councils, a local council should not be regarded as being subordinate to either of those tiers of local government.

A local council, being at grass roots level, has an important role in the local government field, representing the community, which it is elected to serve in the following:

Provision and management of ALLOTMENTS
Development of the ARTS
Provision and management of public BATHS and WASH-HOUSES (including launderettes)
Provision and operation of BURIAL GROUNDS, cemeteries and crematoria
Provision and maintenance of BUS SHELTERS
Provision of BYELAWS relating to pleasure grounds, public walks, open spaces, baths, wash-houses, swimming pools
Matters relating to CHARITIES
Provision, maintenance and lighting of public CLOCKS
Maintenance of closed CHURCHYARDS
Provision, equipment and management of COMMUNITY CENTRES (including village halls)
Payment of expenses for attendance at CONFERENCES and courses
CONTRACTS for discharge of functions
Draining, cleansing and treatment of DITCHES and DRAINS (including ponds, pools, streams, gutters)
EMPLOYMENT of persons
Provision of ENTERTAINMENTS (eg theatres, concert halls, dance halls and maintenance of bands or orchestras
Erection of FLAGPOLES
Public FOOTPATHS and bridleways (including creation ? by agreement with landowner, repair and maintenance, erection of direction posts, erection of notices warning of local dangers, prosecution for unlawful ploughing of a path or failure to restore after ploughing
HIGHWAYS: agreements for dedication of highway over land, planting of trees, shrubs, etc, and laying out grass verges in highway
Provision of INFORMATION on services
LAND: acquisition, appropriation and disposal; acceptance of gifts of property
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS: prosecution, defence and appearances, for promotion or protection of the interests of inhabitants
Provision of certain LIGHTING
Prosecutions for dropping LITTER in public places
Provision of LITTER BINS
Organisation of LOCAL LOTTERIES
Provision and maintenance of PARKING PLACES
Financial support for maintenance of local POSTAL and telephone facilities
Provision and maintenance of PUBLIC CONVENIENCES
Appearance at PUBLIC INQUIRIES
Contributions to MUSEUMS and art galleries
PUBLIC OFFICES: provision, use and letting for the parish
Provision of RECREATION including pleasure grounds, parks and public walks, playing fields, recreation centres, tennis courts, squash courts, boating
Provision and maintenance of roadside SEATS and SHELTERS
Making of STANDING ORDERS for regulation of proceedings and business as to contracts
Promotion of TOURISM
Maintenance, repair and protection of WAR MEMORIALS
Limited powers to provide WATER SUPPLY