What the Parish Council does and how it operates

Premises management of village facilities
Liaison with the other authorities that have duties to provide services to the village
Liaison with other village organisations
The representation of parishioners with other authorities
Providing a forum for village affairs and to encourage involvement for the benefit of the whole community.

Parish councillors take on various roles and responsibilities - Click here to see tasks undertaken by each parish councillor

The Parish Council office is at 6a Back Street (rented from the Ashwell Housing Association).

The office is usually open from 9.30 to 2.30 Monday to Thursday (01462) 743706.

Sally Roberts is the clerk, clerk@ashwell.gov.uk

Nicky Forrester is the deputy clerk with particular responsibilities for premises management. deputyclerk@ashwell.gov.uk

The Parish Council welcomes volunteer input - please get in touch.

There are a number of active working groups that include parishioner volunteers as well as parish councillors. They meet informally to undertake various projects of benefit to the village - see minutes for details and/or come to a Council meeting.

Current groups include:

Zero Carbon Ashwell

Litter Picking

Trees & Hedges

Village Sports Day

Yearbook

Planning Advisory

If you would like to start a new group please get in touch.

clerk@ashwell.gov.uk or speak to any parish councillor.

Policies and Procedures

Following the election of the new Parish Council in May 2023 these have been reviewed; the latest versions are available using the links below.

The scheduled review date for all policies and procedures is following the election of a new council or when agreed to be necessary, or prompted by external bodies. For all policies and procedures the option exists to refer matters to external parties for advice and/or determination where this is appropriate. The default being HAPTC (Hertfordshire Association of Parish & Town Councils) and/or the body that created the model document. In the case of the Code of Conduct this would be the Monitoring Officer at NHC (North Herts Council).

The Parish Council operates according to adopted Standing Orders and Financial Regulations that are based on model documents from NALC (National Association of Local Councils) .

Click here for the Standing Orders

Click here for the Financial Regulations

Click here for the NALC Good Councillor’s guide to finance and transparency

The Parish Council is required to adopt a Code of Conduct that applies to all parish councillors. At the September 2023 Council meeting (minute 63.4.7) they agreed that they would adopt a new version consistent with that used by NHC and based on the LGA (Local Government Association) model. The final version was formally adopted at the October 2023 Council meeting -see link below.

Click here for the Code of Conduct

Click here for the LGA Guidance adapted for local town and parish councils as part of the civility and respect project in October 2022

Every parish councillor must submit their Register of Interests to the NHC Monitoring Officer

These can be seen on the NHC website -see link below

https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/ashwell-parish-council

Under certain circumstances parish councillors who have declared an interest may apply for a dispensation

Click here for the Hertfordshire Association of Town & Parish Councils (HAPTC) guidance

Click here for the Ashwell Parish Council application form

Meetings of the Parish Council are held in public and all are welcome to attend. There is an agenda item when the public can speak to raise issues and ask questions shortly after the start of the meeting.

A council meeting is not a public meeting, it is a meeting conducted in public, and there is no requirement in law to provide a public forum.

As the council meets and makes its decisions in public and is committed to community engagement, it warmly invites members of the public, the press, the police and district/county councillors to attend its meetings and contribute within the public forum. Please respect the fact that a meeting is to conduct council business and interjections during council business are not permitted.

Click here for the protocol for public participation based on the HAPTC model.

Click here for the SLCC (Society of Local Council Clerks) guidance on Public Admission to Meetings

The Parish Council is committed to providing a quality service for the benefit of the people who live or work in its area or are visitors to the locality. If you are dissatisfied with the standard of service you have received, or are unhappy about an action or lack of action, and wish to make a formal complaint there is a procedure for this based on the SLCC model (Society of Local Council Clerks).
The Complaints Procedure sets out how you may complain to the Parish Council and how we shall try to resolve your complaint.

Click here for the Complaints Procedure

The Parish Council also adopted an Unreasonable Complaints Procedure in February 2024. This is based on an SLCC model and would only be implemented following a resolution by the full council.

Click here for the Unreasonable Complaints Procedure

For Data Protection and Freedom of Information:-

Information & Data Protection Policy

FOI Guide to information available

Data Breach Policy

Retention and disposal policy

Appendix A

Privacy Notice

Other policies include the following -please ask for any further information you would like.
Volunteer Policy

Health & Safety Policy

Co-options - Qualifications & Appointment Process

Safeguarding Policy

Terms of Reference