A Clerk’s view…

… by Dave Ellis – Clerk to Glinton Parish Council

We have been resident in Glinton since 1990. My wife Brenda worked at the Edith Cavell Hospital and our children attended the primary school and AMVC. On retiring from the Royal Air Force in 2004 after a 39 year career as an aircraft engineer I wanted to get more involved in village life.

Dave Ellis

Before taking up my present position as Clerk in 2005 I, probably like many of you, had a mind’s eye view of the Parish Council as a ‘Vicar of Dibley’ outfit that we all knew existed but rarely understood its full role. Well, in the last year-or-so my eyes have been completely opened, and through embarking on and successfully gaining a Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), as well as other training, I now fully understand what’s involved. Here is just some of it:
The parish council acts within the framework of legislation conferred on it by Parliament and has 4 main roles:
1) As an executive body, it has statutory functions such as providing and maintaining recreational areas within the Parish, footpath maintenance, and much more. As the elected body of the parish, it has powers of decision.
2)  It often voices the views of its inhabitants on many issues, ie it makes representation on planning applications.
3) Several bodies including the City Council consult with the Parish Council to gather local opinion and concerns, ie when a Local Plan is being drafted it will be asked to consider its impact on the Parish.
4) Take a lead on issues affecting the interests of its area.

The Parish Council is also the ‘first port of call’ for many residents enquiring about public services and it endeavours to answer these queries as efficiently as possible. As a local government body the Parish Council deals with local issues and concerns through its principal powers and duties.
It also involves fixing a budget. Preparing the budget rests primarily on the clerk, but the council must approve the final version. Most policy decisions of the council have, or may have, financial implications and these need to be considered at the same time.
While I have the prime responsibility for the administration of the council and for carrying out it’s decisions, I am not simply a secretarial officer whose role is merely to produce agenda and minutes, although this is a major task as there are meetings at least once a month.
As with the chief executive of a council, the clerk also has the responsibility of advising the council before it takes a decision and warning it against proceeding with a course of action which is unlawful. I am an employee of the council (the only employee) and, as such, covered by extensive legislation relating to employment rights and protection.
I am designated the “Proper Officer” of the council and have certain statutory duties to perform when the relevant legislation so provides (ie to be in charge of any ballots to fill casual vacancies which do not call for an election).
I am also the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) with responsibility for preparing the budget and managing the daily income and expenditure of parish council funds. Additionally, I am required to administer the Lawn Cemetery and process planning applications.
The future holds many changes and almost certainly more responsibility will be devolved down from the City Council to the parish. Where a council has ‘Quality’ status it can be assured that it is well run and able to take on a stronger role within the community and be afforded further decision making and funding.
Your parish council already meets most of the requirements including; all our councillors are elected (by you) and I am suitably qualified. But of course another major requirement is community involvement, and that is where you can play your part.
All council meetings are held in public and are preceded with an ‘Open Forum’ where you can make your views known about matters that appear on the agenda for that meeting. The agenda for each meeting is displayed (by law) on the notice board at the junction of Rectory Lane and High Street at least 3 full working days prior to the meeting and also on the council’s web pages at www.glinton.net the village website. Copies of the minutes of previous meetings plus information about other parish matters are also posted here.
The affairs of the parish council have never been so open but if you still cannot find what you are looking for you can always contact me; preferably by email: clerk.glintonpc@btinternet.com or by telephone on 01733 253360.
Parish Council meetings are usually held in the village hall on the third Tuesday of every month at 7pm.
An Annual Parish Meeting (this is not a council meeting but a meeting of the electorate) is required by law and usually takes place in May, additional parish meetings may be held when necessary such as the meeting a few months ago to discuss parking in Helpston Road and the High Street.
The annual meeting of the Parish Council which is held in conjunction with the Annual Parish Meeting is where the Chairman and Vice Chairman are elected.
I hope that this article has explained some of the workings of the council and that you might choose to get involved and come along to a future meeting.