What does 'Quality Status' mean for the 'Town Council'?
These are the main issues:
What is a Quality Town Council?
- is representative of, and actively engages, all parts of its community, providing vision, identity and a sense of belonging;
- is effectively and properly managed;
- articulates the needs and wishes of its community;
- upholds high standards of conduct;
- is committed to work in partnership with principal local authorities and other public service agencies;
- in proportion to its size and skills, delivers local services on behalf of principal local authorities when this represents the best deal for the local community;
- works closely with voluntary groups in its community;
- provides leadership to the community through its work on parish plans; and
- working with its partners, acts as an information point for local services.
*A Quality Parish Council provides leadership in promoting an inclusive community through, for example, supporting community transport schemes and childcare provision and helping to develop youth activities and services for the elderly.
*A Quality Parish Council works with others, including the voluntary and community sector, to undertake services funded from its own resources to look after the parish environment and provide public facilities such as playgrounds. Quality Parish Councils, with the agreement of their principal local authorities, may take on the delivery of some services on their behalf, where this gives the local community the best deal.
* Development of a Town Plan in partnership with its local community. These plans, the preparation of which can be grant aided by the Countryside Agency, are designed to help rural communities have a greater say in their own affairs. There is an action plan with details of how to realise the objectives by addressing the needs of the entire community, including local businesses. Everyone in the community will have had an opportunity to contribute to the plan.
* Parish Plans inform and feed into the Community Strategies developed by Local Strategic Partnerships as well as into the policies of the local planning authority's local development plan
* A QualityTown Council is in a better position to represent the views of local people and to ensure that principal local authorities and other service providers listen to and respond to the needs of local people.
* Through Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the town council becomes the local access point for information about parish council and principal local authority services and further advice on these services.
Powers of Town Councils: see more....
A Model Charter: see more......
Employees at EDDC at the last count
We do not intend to knock the fine job that many council staff do so cheerfuly and competently. However, one of the major reasons that Council Tax rises so dramatically is that the councils employ ever increasing numbers of staff. They say that central government forces them to do so.
For the last year from April 2006 - April 2007 they have risen by a further average 3%!
The latest published figures (though around 9 months out of date) can be found at:
Budleigh Salterton - in East Devon is the entry to both the Triassic and Jurassic coasts
The Pepplebeds are a landmark feature of the World Heritage site