My experience as a newly elected Parish Councillor

Already involved in the community by participating in various schemes and associations that I believe benefits a person's wellbeing, it was a natural progression to contemplate the prospect of becoming a Parish Councillor at the May 2011 elections. Stepping forward was the least I could do, especially after nominating and persuading others to consider becoming candidates for Parish Council.

I was elected in the May Elections and I am now part of the democratic framework representing the interests of my community, and in time, I hope to become more effective in enhancing the services that I believe we need as a community. A Parish Councillor's role is defined as taking up a civic office that can make a real difference to the community your council represents. However, it can seem very daunting, challenging, and at times frustrating, because the role comes with more questions than answers, and although some believe that Parish Councillors have few powers and responsibilities, I am part of a group of fourteen diverse individuals, who have a budget of more than £400,000 to spend on behalf of the community this financial year!

During my four years service as a Parish Councillor, I hope to achieve and develop new skills by engaging in training and learning opportunities that are offered to all Parish Councillors through various workshop sessions. These sessions are provided by County Association of Local Councils, (ALC), and are tailored to enhance my understanding of what is expected of me in my role. The ALC exists to unite and support local councils and provides assistance with various training courses, for instance the Core Skills for Councillors session is an introduction into the legal, and practical key issues, facing councillors. Other workshops such as the Code of Conduct, Best Practice, Community Engagement, and Planning, are available throughout the year, and by attending these invaluable courses, they help build confidence, and expand my knowledge for decision making.

Recently, I attended a session for Chairman Skills that was designed to help understand the role of leadership. Part of the session highlighted forming good working relationships with the Parish Council Clerk who works closely with Chairmen on issues such as compiling the agenda of relevant items for discussion. This session also focused on the subject of identifying personality types by being mindful of the diversity of all Parish Councillors. It is believed that by understanding different personalities, and what makes us tick, the Chairman is better placed in the role of delegation!

So, my first six months as a Parish Councillor has been an interesting time, not only in getting to know my colleagues, but getting to know how the most local tier of government is organised in order to support their Parish Councillors and to assist them in making a difference in the community that they serve.

Cllr Mrs Pat Wilson
Antisocial Moped Use
Following many complaints from residents of antisocial moped activity in and around the town centre, the Police, in conjunction with the Parish Council, recently undertook an operation to solve the problem.
In order to mount such an operation, a team led by our local Traffic Police based at Fratton together with the Road Policing Unit based at Totton and our own BW PCs has to be coordinated. Bearing in mind these teams cover the whole of Southern Hampshire it is quite a feat to organise.

The Traffic team consists of two bikes, a squad car and an unmarked vehicle. (6 officers) The Road Policing Unit, 2 vehicles (2 officers) BW PCs (2 officers) The idea is not to penalise (except in serious or repeat offences), but to educate the riders on a) the nuisance caused by revving engines and b) the danger to themselves and others by travelling at excessive speeds and/or riding unroadworthy machines.

A moped is classified as a motor bike with an engine capacity of 50cc or less and having a maximum speed of 31mph. This machine can be ridden by a 16 year old providing they have the appropriate licence. (Type P). The police have the right to stop and check/test any moped they believe to be unroadworthy, unduly noisy, travelling at over 31mph or have been tampered with in any way to make it go faster. They can then check the rider is suitably qualified and of the correct age to ride the bike.

All those stopped are told why the unit is there in the hope that this will avoid antisocial use and all those whose machines fall outside the permitted limits face the machine being impounded, as happened in one case on the night. It will cost the rider and/or parents £150 plus to get the machine back and only if the defects etc. are corrected.

The operation will be repeated at random in the future as the situation merits. It should also be noted that a number of other drivers were cautioned due to excessive speed between the Old Station Roundabout and Shore Lane!

Cllr Barry Nicholson Noticeboards
The Parish Council is required to publish a notice of the date, time and place of a meeting in a ‘conspicuous’ place in the locality. The Parish Council places a copy of the agenda for all of its meetings on its 3 noticeboards, one in Cross Street (on the side of the hardware shop), one in Hoe Road (outside the police station) and the third in the Avenue (on the side of the convenience store) and also in the 2 community halls at the Jubilee Hall and Priory Park.

These noticeboards also display details of the Councillors and all the meeting dates for the year. Community noticeboards are situated in Red Lion Street and Houchin Street for the display of details of local events.


What does the Parish Council do?
Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council is responsible for improving the local community. It represents the whole electorate within the parish, delivers services to meet local needs, and strives to improve quality of life in the parish.

The Parish Council has the powers to spend money on community transport, traffic calming, crime prevention, youth projects, tourism activities, leisure facilities, community centres, car parks, recreation grounds, entertainment, street furniture, street cleaning, allotments, bus shelters and land.

The Parish Council comments on planning applications and can be represented at public inquiries. It is likely to be granted more powers to negotiate with the local principal authorities and take on additional responsibilities

How the Parish Council Works
The Parish Council comprises 14 Councillors who are elected every four years. They are unpaid and are governed by a mandatory code of conduct which includes obligations to act in an appropriate manner. Each Councillor serves on one or more committees, as well as attending the monthly Parish Council meetings. The Council has a Chair, who is one of the elected councillors.

Councillors have three main components to their work:
1. Decision making - where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented.
2. Monitoring - the efficiency and effectiveness of services and keeping an eye on how well things are working.
3. Getting involved locally - meetings with individual residents or the wider community, taking up public issues and involvement in local organizations .

The Parish Council has 10 paid employees. The Parish Council Clerk is the principal executive and adviser to the Council, being required to give clear guidance to Councillors before decisions are reached. The other employees are administration and support staff, including groundsmen for the maintenance of the recreational and sports areas and caretakers for the halls.

The Committees
There are 5 committees that serve the Council, each comprising Councillors and co-opted members. They are:

• Finance, Policy and Resources Committee
• Planning Committee
• Sports and Recreation Committee
• Buildings Committee
• Tourism, Community and Environment Committee

Each Committee meets monthly.

Working with Others
The Parish Council works very closely with other authorities, including Hampshire County Council, Winchester City Council and the Police, all of whom have representatives at Parish Council meetings.

The Parish Council also works closely with partner organisations and voluntary groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and local environmental groups, offering support and funding to further improvements to the town and its surrounds.

Engagement with Local Residents
The Parish Council will inform, consult, involve and collaborate with the public to achieve the overall objective of developing improved services to residents. It is committed to:

• listening to concerns and suggestions, providing feedback on how public input influences decisions
• working with the public to ensure concerns and suggestions are directly reflected in the proposals developed
• looking to the public for advice and innovation to incorporate their recommendations into decisions wherever possible

Members of the public may address the Parish Council or any of its committees and are always welcome to attend meetings. Details are published on Parish Council notice boards and on this web-site.