Ashdon Parish Council

Ashdon Parish Council has seven councillors who are elected every four years to represent the Parish population. Those interested in serving on the Parish Council are particularly welcome to attend meetings and should contact the Clerk for further information. Vacancies sometimes do become available between election times. The Councillors elect their Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council annually in May.

Parish Councillors give their services free of charge and receive no remuneration for representing the community. Parish Councillors are required by the Localism Act 2011 to register their pecuniary and other interests within 28 days of their election or appointment to office. Registers of Members' Interests are maintained by Uttlesford District Council.

The Parish Clerk is the primary point of contact for the Council and all correspondence and queries relating to the business of the Council should generally be addressed to the Clerk.

What the Parish Council Does

In general the Council has the right of representation on planning matters, which includes all planning applications and structure plan proposals. The Council considers planning applications and submits its comments on these to the Planning Authority, Colchester City Council, who are responsible for making the decisions in such matters. The Parish Council also monitors the state of highways, signs, footpaths, bridleways and rights of way within the Parish and reports problems to Essex County Council's Highway Authority for action.

Meetings and Administration

The Council normally has a part-time Clerk to deal with all correspondence, take minutes, and execute Council decisions. Anyone who wishes to attend even part of a meeting will be most welcome, especially if the Parish Council is discussing an issue which affects them. The Chairman can invite members of the public to speak if they indicate that they would like to. Parishioners are welcome to attend any meeting, and time is made available for them to voice any concerns. Councillors may respond and ask questions but no decisions may be taken in this period. The public may not speak once the meeting proper has started. If the item they are concerned about appears on the agenda, their points will be taken into consideration while that item is discussed. 

Grants

The Council will support local voluntary organisations through its Grant Scheme. Applications are considered annually by the Council, and should be submitted to the Parish Clerk no later than the end of September. Details of the Council's Grants Policy can be found in the policy and procedures section.

Audited Accounts

Like all public bodies the Parish Council must prepare Accounts each Financial Year (1 April to 31 March), and these have to be independently audited. The Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) is produced each year and published in our Financials section.

The Parish Council's Policies & Procedures

Ashdon Parish Council has a number of established policies and procedures, the texts of these are reproduced in the relevant section.