How the Parish Council Works

Blackwell Parish Council comprises of the villages of Blackwell, Hilcote, Newton and Westhouses, and the hamlet of Old Blackwell.

There are three tiers of local authority that directly affect what happens in the parish of Blackwell…

Community Leaders

Councillors are voted into office by the residents and are a point of contact for issues that people are concerned about in the parish.

Parish Councillors are able to effect change in their communities to improve the lives of residents. They can make decisions to put in place or to put forward the case for improved services and provisions.

Duties and Powers

Duties are legal obligations that the Parish Council has to comply with by law. Powers are items in legislation that permit councils to take certain actions. For example, to provide open spaces for public recreation, to provide litter bins and newsletters, to maintain and protect war memorials etc.

Experience

It is beneficial if Councillors have experience or expertise of some description - for example, how to engage with the community, or how to maintain buildings, or planting and tree know-how, or financial and employment knowledge, along with a general interest in helping with the issues that are affecting residents.

Training is available to Councillors who are willing to learn more.

Being a Parish Councillor isn’t a paid role.

Full Council Meetings

Blackwell Parish Council holds one full council meeting on the first Monday of the month (except August). These meetings last approximately two hours.

Committees

The council is introducing a series of committees to cover different aspects of council activities in more detail. These committees will cover:

·        Finance and HR,

·        Parks, Floral and Events

·        Parish Facilities

These committees won’t need to meet on a monthly basis and Councillors themselves will decide who will be the representatives on each committee.

Charities

Blackwell Parish Council is also the sole managing trustee to three charities:

-         Hilcote Community Centre

-         Newton Memorial Recreation Ground (Charnwood Park)

-         Westhouses Memorial Recreation Ground

Meetings are held to manage these charities, which need to be run separately from the council.

Representation on outside bodies

Some Councillors volunteer to represent the council on outside organisations and committees, for example, at the Allotment Association, Patient Participation Groups etc.

Other activities

Other Councillors like to take a hands-on approach to getting involved in council activities – anything from manning stalls at consultation events, helping to litter pick and empty bins when the Parish Ranger is on annual leave, and getting involved in the other projects that require knowledge, research or practical skills.

There are two ways that you can become a parish councillor.

1)   Election

The first is by being elected onto the council. Elections take place every four years. The last election took place on Thursday 4^th May 2023.

Candidates fill in a nomination form, which has to include two nominators and someone to witness the signing of the form. The nomination pack comes with information on what is required.

If you know someone who you think would make a good Councillor, you can nominate them.

Significant dates for standing for the next election is as follows:

Bolsover District Council manages the election process for the district - Voting and elections (bolsover.gov.uk)

You can find out everything you need to know about the local elections on the Electoral Commission website - Home Page | Electoral Commission

Voting in Parish Council Elections

How important is it to vote?

It is very important to vote in Parish Council Elections – it is your opportunity to have a say on who you would like to make decisions on your behalf for the parish. (See the end of this article to find out what Blackwell Parish Council has responsibility for.)

What do I need to vote?

Registration

In order to vote, you need to register. If you haven’t done so already, more information can be found on the Government website – www.gov.uk. You will be asked to provide your date of birth and National Insurance Number.

Photo ID

2023 is the first year that you need to take photo ID when you go to vote. You can find out more by visiting the Electoral Commission website – www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID  

2)   Co-option

The second way to become a parish councillor is to stand for Co-option. Whenever there is a vacancy on the council, the Clerk notifies the Returning Officer at Bolsover District Council and a notice is issued that runs for 14 days which gives residents an opportunity to call for an election to fill the vacancy.

If the call for an election isn’t upheld, there is a process whereby candidates can apply directly to the parish council to be co-opted onto the council. The process is outlined in the Co-option policy, which is available on the parish council website.

To be able to stand as a Parish Councillor, an applicant must:

•      be at least 18 years old on the day of nomination

•      be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any other member state of the European Union

•      meet at least one of the following four qualifications:

1.            They are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the parish from the day of their application onwards.

2.            They have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish during the whole of the 12 months before the day of their application.

3.            Their main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of their application has been in the parish.

4.            They have lived in the parish or within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of their application.

Qualifications and exemptions for standing as a Councillor can be found in the Local Government Act 1972 (LGA 1972) section.79 - Local Government Act 1972 (legislation.gov.uk) or in the guidance for standing for election that Bolsover District Council includes with the nomination forms.

This is what the parish council part of the council tax (the precept) pays for. In 2023/24 the Parish Council part of the precept is £270,000.

Map of Blackwell Parish Council Responsibilities:

Parks and Playgrounds

Bamford Street Playground - North Street/South Street play and recreation ground - Charnwood play and recreation ground, and MUGA - Scanderlands play and recreation ground and skate park - Westhouses Recreation Ground and MUGA, Hilcote play and recreation ground

•      Maintenance – mowing the grounds, repairing broken play equipment, removing graffiti, emptying bins, litter picking, strimming, repairing fences etc.

•      Playground Inspections – ensuring that the equipment is safe to use

Other areas

•      Hedges that are on parish council-maintained land.

•      Bus Shelter at Old Blackwell

•      A number of the parish benches – especially those on Parish Council maintained land

•      Maintenance and support for four Defibrillators in red phone boxes

•      Churchyard maintenance

•      Allotments (two in Newton and one in Blackwell) in conjunction with the Allotment Association

Seasonal Events

•      Hanging Baskets and associated planter watering during the summer and winter planting

•      Remembrance – poppies put on lamp posts, wreaths

•      Christmas – lights put up in Blackwell, Newton (Lights originally provided by Newton Carnival Team) and Westhouses (HELP Group provide lights for Hilcote) by a professional contractor (except the community centre lights), electricity costs for lights and a Panto is booked for the Primary Schools,

•      Lamppost Testing – is required for things attached to lampposts. Blackwell Parish Council would like to add more Christmas light to lampposts, however, the parish was largely missed when Derbyshire County Council replaced concrete lamppost with metal, and Christmas lights cannot be hung from concrete posts.

•      One-off events – such as activities for the Jubilee (in conjunction with community groups) and the upcoming Coronation

•      Summer activities for children and young people

Community Centres and Pavilions

Blackwell Community Centre, Newton Community Centre, Hilcote Community Centre, Charnwood Pavilion, Scanderlands Pavilion

•      Maintenance – the Parish Council maintains three community centres and two pavilions – everything from broken toilet handles to damaged boilers

•      Servicing – the Parish Council pays for professionals to provide checks such as servicing the boilers, fire safety equipment, fire and burglar alarm testing etc.

•      Cleaning/Caretaking – regularly cleaning of centres, caretakers to open and close, window cleaner

•      Utilities – gas, electric and water

•      Larger projects – for example, Newton Community Centre Floor and the new maintenance programme being put in place to upgrade Blackwell Community Centre

Administration

•      Parish Newsletter and website

•      Staff – there is a Clerk, Admin Assistant and Parish Ranger

•      Parish Van and Ranger equipment – the Parish Ranger uses a van to get around the Parish and equipment such as the mower, strimmer, hedge trimmers and leaf blower that require annual maintenance

•      Parish Office – equipment and stationery needed for the office staff to function – including photocopier, stationery, phone and internet, computers and other necessary equipment

•      Training – for staff and Councillors to update skills and knowledge

•      Subscriptions – for example, membership of Derbyshire Association of Local Councils

•      Insurance cover

•      Internal and external audits

•      Elections for Parish Council cost in the region of £7,000 and are paid for by the Parish Council

•      Dog Poo Bags

•      Small Grant Giving to local groups