A Quick Summary
A parish council is a civil local authority found in England and is the first tier of local government. They are elected corporate bodies, have variable tax raising powers, and are responsible for areas known as civil parishes. A parish council serving a town may be called a town council, and a parish council serving a city is styled a city council; these bodies have the same powers, duties and status as a parish council.
Parish and town councils vary enormously in size, activities and circumstances, representing populations ranging from less than 100 (small rural hamlets) to up to 100,000 (e.g. Sutton Coldfield Town Council). Most of them are small: around 80% represent populations of less than 2,500. [1] ; and two thirds spend under £25,000 per year.
There are 9,000 parish and town councils in England. Over 16 million people live in communities served by these local councils, which is around 25% of the population, and about 80,000 councillors serve on these councils. It is calculated £1 billion is invested in these communities every year. [2] .
Parish Council activities fall into three main categories: representing the local community, delivering services to meet local needs, and improving quality of life and community well being. [3] .
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. Two principal Acts of Parliament have increased the general powers of parish councils:
The Local Government Act 1972 and
The Localism Act 2011 .
Staveley & Copgrove Parish Council represents the two civil parishes of Staveley and Copgrove.
