Should Ramsgate have a Parish Council?
If so, which area should it cover and how many Councillors
should represent the town?
These are the questions that we are asking Ramsgate residents as
part of a Parish Review being carried out by Thanet District
Council under the Local Government & Rating Act 1997.
The Review will cover the following wards:
- Central Harbour
- Eastcliff
- Nethercourt
- Newington
- Northwood
- Cliffsend and Pegwell Ward(excluding the existing Cliffsend
Parish Council);
- Sir Moses Montefiore
If a Parish Council is created, it would lead to the abolition
of the existing Ramsgate Charter Trustees.
Give us your views, write to the Democratic Services Manager,
Thanet District Council, PO Box 9, Cecil Street,Margate, Kent, CT9
1XZ by 18th January 2006.
Once we have your views we will publish the findings.
All the suggestions we receive will be available for you to see
in the Council offices (by appointment)
Frequently asked Questions
What is a Parish Council?
A Parish Council is another tier of local government. Although
Parish Councils are local authorities, they are very different from
County and District Authorities.
What can Parish Councils do?
They can be involved in providing local facilities, such as
sports fields, village halls and open spaces, either on their own
or in partnership with other bodies. As is the case with District
and County Councillors, Parish Councillors can also represent the
views of their community on a range of issues, such as planning,
highways, street lighting and seats.
They are notified of all planning applications within their
Parish boundary, but the decision on planning applications remains
with Thanet District Council.
Small projects, such as providing seats, clearing footpaths,
planting and landscaping work can be done directly by Parish
Councils. Bigger projects, such as village halls, sports facilities
and children’s play areas often only get off the ground if the
Parish Council puts some money in to start with, which can then be
used to possibly unlock grants from organisations outside the
Parish.
There is a cost for such services and money is also needed to
pay for staffing and accommodation. The cost of a Parish Council
would be raised locally through a charge to residents.
What is the role of the Ramsgate Charter
Trustees?
The Ramsgate Charter Trustees have existed since the early
1970’s and are responsible for safeguarding the historical and
ceremonial links of the Town. They represent local people’s views
and control and distribute grants to Ramsgate organisations and
residents for community schemes, although they have no executive
powers.
The Charter Trustees are made up of the seventeen elected
members of Thanet District Council, whose wards lie within the
boundary of the old Borough of Ramsgate. They are responsible for
electing the Town Mayor, who is then Chairman of all Charter
Trustee Meetings and also pay the Mayor a reasonable allowance for
the expenses of office.
The Charter Trustees are funded through Council Tax, with
everyone who lives in Ramsgate paying an additional amount on their
bills.
Isn’t a Parish Council just another talking
shop?
Although Parish Councils do not make major decisions that affect
our lives, they are a body that larger outside organisations can
deal with, so there is an opportunity to make local views known,
similar to the role undertaken by your District Councillor. Where
Parish Councils do not exist, people can still make their views
known through District Councillors and the Charter Trustees.
How are Parish Councils accountable?
The decisions of the Parish Council are made by elected
Councillors who must have a local connection.
Their meetings must generally be open to the public and most
Parish Councils allow a session for the public to comment and ask
questions. The meetings must be advertised in advance. There also
has to be an Annual Meeting for all the electors in the Parish each
year. Usually the Council reports at this meeting on what they have
done and what they intend to do.
Parish Councillors are elected for a four year term of office,
so people can vote out an unpopular or unsuccessful group of
Councillors. Parish Councils are also publicly audited and
have to make copies of a statement of their accounts available.
Doesn’t all this cost money?
No one can pretend that Parish Councils are free. The cost is
paid for by residents living in the Parish. Parish Councils can, in
some instances, have significant costs associated with staffing
andaccommodation.
To raise money, a Parish Council issues a precept which is added
to the Council Tax bills for everyone who pays Council Tax within
the Parish.
Because all their powers are discretionary, the Parish Council
effectively decides how much money it will spend and how much it
needs to raise on the Council Tax.
Not all Parish Councils have high overhead costs. Some of them
only employ someone to act as Clerk to the Council to carry out the
routine administration, often on a part-time basis. Being effective
does not have to involve lots of expensive office buildings or a
small army of staff.
How much could we end up paying?
As an example, Folkestone Town Council was formed in June
2004.
The first annual precept charged by the Town Council in 2004/05
was £116,000. In 2005/06 this rose to £445,700 and had to be paid
for by the residents living in the Parish through the Council
Tax.
It is likely that a Ramsgate Parish Council would cost more to
run than the current amount of money spent on the Charter Trustees,
although it would be up to the Parish Council to decide how much
money they want to spend.
To give you an idea of the likely cost of establishing a Parish
Council for Ramsgate click on the link below and download a copy of
our
Tell us what you think
Do you agree with such a proposal or not? Your views are
important to us.
Please let us know what you think by writing to: Democratic
Services Manager, Thanet District Council, PO Box 9, Cecil Street,
Margate, CT9 1XZ