A Guide to the Information Available
1. Introduction: Who we are and what we do
Combe Fields Parish Council is part of Binley Woods & Revel Ward of Rugby Borough Council and Earl Craven Division of Warwickshire County Council. Presently, there are 43 homes in the parish, with 94 parishioners on the electoral roll. The council meets every two/three months and these meetings are open to residents of the parish. As there is no designated meeting hall meetings are held in the homes of councillors. Notices of these meetings are displayed on the notice board which is situated in Smeaton Lane and Parish Web Site.
The parish council consists of six elected councillors: The elected officers of the council are the Chairperson, the Correspondence Councillor and the Financial Officer. These are the three persons responsible for providing information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Councillors are all voluntary and there are no paid staff.
The main aim of your parish councillors is to meet the needs of you, the residents of the parish, on all matters concerning the parish. With the help of Borough and County Councillors the scope of assistance is greatly increased.
2. What we spend and how we spend it
The only financial income to the Parish Council is through the precept raised on Rugby Borough Council each January for the following financial year. Your Councillors are all volunteers, so with no paid staff and very few outgoings the precept can be kept to a minimum, just sufficient to cover the insurance premium, a few donations (e.g. Air Ambulance, Myton Hospice) and training for new councillors. This helps keep the parish section of the council tax as low as possible.
Financial records are a simple income and expenditure exercise, which are audited both internally and externally every year and are open for inspection.
Anyone wishing financial information should contact the Financial Officer, Cllr Bob Blenkinsop Coombe View Farm Ansty Lane, CV2 2DT
3. What our priorities are and how we are doing
The priority of the parish council is to meet the needs of it’s residents and to ensure as far as possible a safe, clean parish and informed parishioners. Although your councillors always have an ear to the ground, they welcome being approached by you, either personally or through parish meetings. Your security and safety are of priority to your councillors, who have regular contact with the police. There is a regular agenda item for a representative of the police to report on activities in the area.
Councillors also aim to care for the parish itself, and by maintaining good and regular contact with Borough and County Councils we can ensure roads are repaired, road signs are replaced, footpaths and bridle ways are open and fly tipping speedily removed. Again, councillors ask for your help in reporting anything unusual in the parish.
Your Parish Council is very cost conscious, keeping the parish section of the council tax as low as possible.
Meetings are regular and all parishioners are welcome to attend these meetings. Agendas and dates are posted on the parish notice board in Smeaton Lane and web site. If you do not regularly travel that way, but would like to be kept up to date, contact the Correspondence Councillor with your email address. Copies of the Annual Report from the Annual Parish Meeting are available.
Councillors would very much like to move forward with the Parish Plan. We welcome any ideas or suggestions which will help us achieve this.
Anyone wishing information on annual reports, parish plan or quality status should contact the Chairperson, Councillor Ian Aitchison, The Chimneys, Smeaton Lane.
4. How we make decisions
Decisions are made democratically at our meetings and minuted accordingly.
Your parish council meets regularly, every 2 to 3 months, and welcomes any and all parishioners. Agendas and dates are posted on the parish notice board in Smeaton Lane and Parish web site. Any special meetings called, such as for planning issues or surveys requiring a response before the next meeting, are also posted on the notice board or Parish Web Site with as much notice as possible. Those residents directly involved would be advised individually. Minutes of all meetings are available, although this would exclude information that is properly regarded as private to the meeting.
Councillors also attend and report back on area and borough meetings and complete the various surveys and questionnaires sent to the Parish Council.
Anyone wishing information about meetings, agendas, minutes and responses to consultation papers, planning applications etc. should contact the Correspondence Councillor David Parnell, Mobbs Wood Cottage, Nettle Hill, Brinklow Road, Ansty, CV7 9JN.
5. Our policies and procedures
These are laid down through local, regional or national government through a series of specific Instructions and Acts, for example Standards of Code of Conduct, Freedom of Information, elections procedures, meeting guidelines
Anyone wishing information on policies and procedures should contact the Correspondence Councillor David Parnell, as above.
6. Lists and Registers
Attendance records show on the minutes. A spreadsheet record of planning applications is maintained. Declarations of Interests (in a meeting agenda item) are recorded. Your Parish Council records are mainly kept electronically, but hard copies are available where this is necessary or requested.
The register of members’ interests is lodged with Rugby Borough Council.
A copy of the Electoral Roll is on file but is not available to view under this Act.
A disclosure log is kept which records the information provided in response to requests.
Anyone wishing information on any lists or registers kept by the council should contact the Correspondence Councillor David Parnell, as above.
7. The services we offer
Combe Fields has few of the normal services attached to a parish council, for example allotments, meeting hall, parks or playing fields. Services tend to be those available to us through Rugby Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council.
The Parish Council is here for your benefit and councillors will follow up any matter put forward by one or more residents either by direct contact with a councillor and/or through a parish meeting. Councillors try to be represented at area, borough and county meetings where the agenda covers areas of concern or interest to you and your parish. Special interest items are posted on the notice board.
8. Additional Information
We do not presume to be perfect and there may be some omissions to this Guide. Please feel free to talk to any councillor, or contact the Communications Councillor David Parnell, as above.
9. Schedule of charges
The basis of any charge will be the actual cost to the parish council per individual case. These charges will normally be for photocopying but may also be for telephone calls, postage and any statutory fee, depending on subject and materials.