Role of the Council

Parish councils can provide allotments, run play areas, look after rights of way, provide seats and shelters, publish newsletters, support rural transport initiatives, give grants to local groups, and comment on planning applications within the parish — to name just a few of the issues they can deal with.

Lynemouth has an active parish council determined to make a real difference to the village. The key objectives are to improve village facilities, encourage and support an active events and activities programme, improve the village’s appearance, and represent the village’s interests.

Lynemouth Parish Council works closely with Northumberland County Council and other bodies to ensure the needs of the parish and its residents are not overlooked. The County Councillor attends the meetings, reports on matters of interest, and often liaises with Northumberland County Council on behalf of the Parish Council.

The Parish Council is a group of local people elected as community leaders to represent the views, opinions, and interests of residents living in the parish. Parish Councils are the most local tier of statutory representation in England, the first tier of local government. They are non-party political. They bridge the gap between local authorities and communities and help make public bodies aware of the opinions and needs of the communities they represent. Their primary purpose is to ascertain and express the views of the community to the local authority and other public bodies.

Many parish councils also involve themselves in a wide range of other activities, including fundraising, organising community events, undertaking environmental and educational projects, and much more.

The Parish Council is a statutory local authority in its own right, having a wide variety of powers and duties conferred by many statutes and, as such, undertakes a vital role within the local government system.

Briefly, the Parish Council’s role can be described as follows:

Executive:
The power of decision in accordance with statutory functions and duties.

Representation:
For example, expressing views about planning issues and consultation documents both locally and countywide.

Promotional:
Taking the lead on issues affecting the interests of the area, e.g., highways, footpaths, general maintenance, trees, etc.

Financial:
The power to raise a precept from the local inhabitants and make financial decisions which will benefit the community. The precept is collected with the Council Tax by the County Council. The Council’s income and expenditure is very closely monitored, and the accounts are audited annually by independent auditors.