The Duties and Responsibilities of Chilham Parish Council
The Parish Council carries out a wide range of duties for the benefit of the residents and meets once a month to administer parish business. All parish councillors volunteer their time. The only paid employee is the Clerk who sets the agendas, minutes the meetings and implements the actions and decisions. The Clerk also ensures that we operate within the law. Members of the public are encouraged to attend our meetings and have an opportunity to speak to councillors during the Parishioners Questions during the meeting. Questions asked by members of the public, and the responses from councillors will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. The Parish Council is funded by a precept which is collected from residents by Ashford Borough Council as part of the Council Tax. Most importantly, the parish council is elected to meet the needs and represent the views of its parishoners.
Finance
The Parish Council manages the precept referred to above. We produce a budget and report against it on a quarterly basis. There are rigourous rules governing the financial arrangments of Parish Councils which are overseen by the Responsible Financial Officer and the Independent Internal Auditor.
Planning
The Parish Council is included in the consultation process for planning applications.
Insurance
The Parish Council carries 3rd party liability insurance
We recognise that many people in the parish may not fully understand what the parish council can and cannot do. Therefore we hope that this website, social media postings and regular newsletters will keep you informed about what your parish council is doing on your behalf. We welcome feedback, good or bad, so please use the form on the how are we doing page to let us have your views on the website or, for that matter, any issue that you think the parish council should be dealing with.