PARISH COUNCILS:

• Are corporate bodies / civil local authorities, and are the first tier of local government.
• There are 9,000 civil parish councils in England.
• Civil parish councils were formed in England under the reforming Local Government Act 1894 to take over local oversight of civic duties in rural towns and villages from the Vestry committee.

STAPLE PARISH COUNCIL:

As with all parish councils, Staple Parish Council's activities fall into three main categories:

Representing the local community

Delivering services to meet local needs.

Improving quality of life and community well being.

Staple Parish Council is funded by levying a "precept" collected from within the council tax paid by the residents of the parish.

Staple Parish Council is made up of seven, unpaid councillors who are elected to serve for four years. (Casual vacancies being filled by by-election or co-option.)

Staple Parish Council consists of the chairman and six other elected, unpaid councillors.  A quorum of the main council committee is at least three members.

Every meeting is open to the public, who are encouraged to attend, except for those items where the Council formally resolves to exclude the public (and press) on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest. This would have to be due to the confidential nature of the business.

Staple Parish Council is required to give at least three clear days notice of its meetings, by posting the time, date and venue in a ‘noticeable place'.  In Staple's case this means on the Parish's notice boards.

(One is located opposite the Church, and the other in Lower Road near Jubilee Cottages).

The minutes of the meeting are taken by the Clerk, and are ratified at the next meeting of the council.

These are displayed on the notice boards, published in the parish magazine, The Escallop; and put on the Parish Council's web site.

The meetings of Staple Parish Council, are held on the second Wednesday of each month, (except August), in Staple  Village Hall.