Council Services and Resposibilities
Your Council
About Grove Parish Council
Grove Parish Council is a statutory body and is the first tier of local government in England.
Parish and Town Councils serve electorates ranging from small rural communities, towns and small cities; all are independently elected and raise a precept – a form of council tax – from the local community. Together, they can be identified as among the nation’s most influential grouping of grassroots opinion-formers.
There are 9,000 local councils in England. Over 16 million people live in communities served by local councils, around 25% of the population. There are 80,000 councillors who serve these councils, making a difference in their communities. £1 billion is invested in these communities every year.
Local councils work towards improving community well being and providing better services at a local level. Activities fall into three main categories: representing the local community; delivering services to meet local needs; striving to improve quality of life and community well being.
Through an extensive range of discretionary powers local councils provide and maintain a variety of important and visible local services. These existing powers were recently strengthened by powers contained in the Localism Act including the extension of the General power of competence to eligible local councils.
Grove Parish Council
Grove Parish Council usually comprises of 16 Councillors representing the single Ward of Grove. Councillors are elected every 4 years, the last elections having been in May 2023. The Council is served by a Parish Clerk, the senior officer of the Parish Council, and 9 other staff, mainly based at the Council Offices in Old Mill Hall, School Lane, Grove.
The Parish Council is chaired by the Chairman of the Parish Council who is elected each year at the Annual Meeting in May. All Town Councillors meet at Full Council meetings to ratify the decisions made by the Town Council’s delegated committees.
All 16 Councillors provide their services on a voluntary basis and do not receive any salary, although they are entitled to claim for travelling expenses where their duties require travel. The Parish Council Chairman receives a small allowance to assist with official duties.
The Annual Meeting
As well as electing the Parish Council Chairman at the Annual Meeting in May, Parish Councillors are voted in to serve on a number of committees and Sub-Committees. Working Groups are formed by Committees as necessary to make recommendations in relation to matters of local relevance and importance.
Management and Funding
The day-to-day management of the services delivered by the Parish Council is the responsibility of the Parish Clerk who works closely with Councillors to deliver the decisions made at the various committees. The work of the Parish Council is funded through a precept on Council Tax payers within the Grove Parish area and from income raised through the Council’s services: hall and room hire, allotments, cemetery, football pitches etc.
A budget for the forthcoming financial year (1st April to 31st March) is set in December when projects are identified for the coming year.
Council meetings
Members of the public are welcome to attend the majority of Council meetings; the agendas for these meetings are available from the meetings page (usually from the week prior to a meeting) or on request to the Council Offices. The schedule of meetings can also be found on the notice boards around the Parish and below. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in the Council Chamber in Old Mill Hall on Tuesday evenings (or as otherwise notified).
Relationships with Other Bodies
The Parish Council works closely with a number of agencies and community organisations.
Councillor representatives are appointed yearly to act as liaison with various outside bodies. A full list of Parish Council representation on “outside bodies” can be found below.