The Role of Sutton-in-Craven Parish Council

There are three tiers of local government with areas of responsibility in Sutton-in-Craven; North Yorkshire County Council, Craven District Council and Sutton-in-Craven Parish Council

What is a Parish or Town Council?

Parish and Town councils are a level of government closest to the people and have a vital role with responsibilities for representing the whole of the electorate, delivering services to meet local needs and improving quality of life.

Parish & Town Council’s role in the community

Parish councils have a wide range of duties and powers. A council may resolve to call itself a town council if it so wishes. Councils must be given the power by law before they can act.
They are led by the chairman and advised by the clerk. Meetings are open to the public. Time is allowed for residents to give their views and ask questions.
A good council listens to its electors and represents their views. It also works in partnership with other authorities and various organisations to bring benefit to the parish/town.
Councillors must sign a declaration of acceptance of office upon election and must agree to the Code of Conduct before they may act as a councillor.
Money for projects is raised from local taxation (precept) and from grants. That money is spent wholly within the parish/town and will add value to the services provided by principle authorities.

Councillors

Ten local people serve as Councillors on the Parish Council. They are all volunteers and receive no pay for the work they do on behalf of the Parish. Elections to serve as a Parish Councillor are held every four years, unless there is a resignation when the casual vacancy is advertised on the parish notice boards and website.

Meetings

There are full meetings of the Parish council every month throughout the year, which take place at the Community Centre formally known as the Senior Citizens Centre, North Street.  Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month unless it is a Bank Holiday then the second, commencing at 6.45pm. All meetings of the Council are open to the public and there is a period just after the start of each meeting put aside for questions from the public.

Planning Applications

During the Parish Council meeting the Councillors will look at planning applications received by the Planning Authority, Craven District Council and pass their comments. The Parish Council always tries to represent the views put forward by local people in this regard, although sometimes this can prove difficult when an application is controversial and have both vocal support and opposition amongst local residents. Nevertheless, members of the Council take a vigilant approach in representing local viewpoint, and encourage objectors/supporters of planning applications to attend meetings and put forward their views.

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. By an internal and an external auditor.

Parish Assets

Sutton-in-Craven Park is a well used park owned and maintained by the Parish Council. The Park offers Playing Fields, a Multi Use Games Area, Play Equipment Area, Boating Lake, War Memorial, Putting Green, gardens,walkways and toilets..

The Jubilee Pavilion Tea Room opened in 2004 and is managed by the Parish Council with the help of its part time staff to provide a service for the community. It is a non-profit making facility and all funds go towards purely covering overheads

Allotments
The Parish Council rent out allotments on Bridge Road for a small annual fee. There are at present twenty two plots. The allotment site is currently full and we do have a waiting list.

If you would like to add your name to the list, please contact the Allotment Officer Raymond Sonley, 01535 635476.

Lumb Clough
Land six and half acres at Lumb /Sutton Clough, (Sutton Hall Estate) was conveyed to the Parish Council in November 1933 (approved 1934) together with maps and fishing rights dated 1963.

Hangingstone Quarry / Lund’s Tower
The site was chosen by James Lund of nearby Malsis Hall as the site for the construction of a monument, possibly to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. He built a single tower containing a spiral staircase which has become popularly known as Sutton Pinnacle.
Lund’s Tower was conveyed to the Parish Council in 1997.

Street Lighting
We pay for maintenance and energy charges of streetlights in the village. The Council owns 135 of these.

Community Project Support
We initiate and fund (sometimes with the aid of external grants) capital projects that benefit the community.
We support village events, organisations and charities that the council consider essential or beneficial to the community.

Seats, benches and shelters
We maintain the seats, benches and shelters within the village.

Notice boards
There are two Parish Council notice boards one in the Park and the other on Holme Lane which are used for the display of Parish Council agendas for the next meeting.

Safeguarding
We work with the Police to safeguard the village against crime, vandalism and anti social behaviour.

Notifying
We advise the District and County Council on traffic, roads and other miscellaneous matters.

The Parish Council are represented on the following outside bodies:
Craven Associations of Local Councils, Sutton Village Hall, Elderly Initiative

North Yorkshire County Council’s responsibilities include:

• Highways, including roads, footpaths, pavements, alleyways, street lighting, the cutting of grass verges etc
• Education – schools, adult education, etc.
• Social services, including the provision of care homes, etc
• Waste sites                     

Craven District Council’s responsibilities include:

• Housing
• Deciding planning applications
• Rubbish collection from premises in the Parish; provision of recycling facilities
• Street cleansing
• Environmental Health
• Provision of leisure and sports facilities and recreation grounds
• Collection of Council Tax on behalf of all three tiers of local government

The Role of a Councillor

Main purpose:
To bring local issues to the attention of the council, and help it make decisions on behalf of the local community.

• As part of a local council you will have responsibility for running local services which may include: open spaces, play areas, village halls and much more.
• Deciding on how much to raise through the council tax in order to deliver council services.
• Influencing and shaping the long term development policy for the parish, and as part of the planning process, comment on planning applications in the parish.
• Improve the quality of life and the environment in their local area.
• Working to identify issues which are important to the lives of the residents you represent.
• Working to bring about improvements through local projects, lobbying other service providers and working in partnership with other parishes and agencies.