Parish council

Election Results – 3 May 2007

Bracknell Forest Borough Council and Sandhurst Town Council

Bracknell Forest Borough Council and Sandhurst Town Council endorse the statements and principles set out within this Joint Charter and agree to work together in the manner set out within it.

As a ‘Quality Town Council’ both part 1 and part 2 of the Charter apply to Sandhurst Town Council.

Introduction

1.         Bracknell Forest Borough Council and the Parish and Town Councils of Bracknell Forest have agreed to publish a Charter which sets out how they aim to work together for the benefit of local people.  This Charter is the result of discussions across Bracknell Forest to establish a new way of working whist reinforcing existing good practice.

2.         The Parish, Town and Borough Councils represent all levels of democratic local government, to whose principles they are committed.  The Councils are keen to see continued efforts made to improve our system of local democracy as well as encouraging greater public participation.

3.         Bracknell Forest Borough Council acknowledges and recognises that Parish and Town Councils are the grass-roots level of local government.  By working with them, Bracknell Forest Borough Council aims to act in partnership with local communities, while balancing the needs of the wider locality.

4.         In their role as democratically accountable bodies, Parish and Town Councils offer a means of shaping the decisions that affect their communities.  In turn, they recognise the strategic role of Bracknell Forest Borough Council and the equitable distribution of services which it has to achieve.

5.         This Charter reflects the development of Quality Status for Parish and Town Councils.  The first part of this Charter (Part 1) applies to all Parish and Town Councils in the area.  The second part (Part 2) applies to Quality Parish Councils only.  This Charter will be reviewed every 5 years, and at any time by mutual consent.

Part 1 – All Parish and Town Councils

Sustainability

6.                  Bracknell Forest Borough Council will work in partnership with all Parish and Town Councils to promote sustainable social, economic and environmental development in the area of Bracknell Forest.

Bracknell Forest Partnership and the Sustainable Community Plan

7.         Bracknell Forest Partnership will endeavour to consult all Parish and Town Councils in the processes of preparing and implementing the Sustainable Community Plan to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area.  Bracknell Forest Borough Council will consult and involve Parish and Town Councils accordingly about the content of the plan as it affects the local communities they represent.

8.         Representatives of the Parish and Town Councils are invited to attend the quarterly Bracknell Forest Partnership meetings

Local Governance

9.         Engagement of Parish and Town Councils in Bracknell Forest Borough Council local governance arrangements will be enabled through two mechanisms:

a)     Bracknell Forest Borough Council will hold liaison meetings with representatives of all Parish and Town Councils that wish to take part;

b)     Parish and Town Councils will invite appropriate members and officers of the Bracknell Forest Borough Council to their meetings.

 10.      Bracknell Forest Borough Council will help organise the administration of Town and Parish Council elections.  The respective authorities will work together to try to limit the costs of holding such elections.

Consultation and engagement

11.       Bracknell Forest Borough Council will consider the impact of decisions on Parish and Town Councils and endeavour to undertake joint planning where a decision will directly affect the local community.  In furtherance of this, Bracknell Forest Borough Council will endeavour to circulate all reports that are made available to the public to Parish Clerks at the same time as they are sent to members of Bracknell Forest Borough Council.  Parish and Town Councils can respond through the local Borough Councillor(s).

12.       Bracknell Forest Borough Council will ensure the induction of new officers includes a briefing on Parish and Town Councils and their role.

13.       To help achieve the objectives laid down in this Charter, liaison and consultation (both formal and informal) will be further developed at Town and Parish Council level.  This will be achieved through regular meetings and specific service consultative groups.  At an officer level, there will be liaison individually or through working parties and groups.

14.       Bracknell Forest Borough Council will attend meetings with Parish and Town Councils at a mutually agreed time to discuss matters of common interest.

15.       Parish and Town Councils will send the agendas and papers of their principal and full Council meetings to Bracknell Forest Borough Council and to ward Borough Councillors.  Officers and Councillors of Bracknell Forest Borough Council will be given an opportunity to speak at local Council meetings on matters of mutual interest if they request to do so.

16.       Parish and Town Councils will endeavour to support the Neighbourhood Forums, organised by Bracknell Forest Borough Council and Thames Valley Police, as a mechanism to consult with local communities and to respond to local priorities.

Information and Complaints

17.       When Bracknell ForestBorough Council consults Parish and Town Councils, it will provide them with sufficient information to enable them to reach an informed view on the matter, and give them adequate time to respond in accordance with the statutory requirements where applicable.

18.       Bracknell Forest Borough Council will communicate with Parish and Town Councils and others by publishing Town and Country regularly and distributing it free of charge to all households.  It will also keep local Councils informed by sending them as many copies of Town and Country as they require.

19.       Bracknell Forest Borough Council and Parish and Town Councils will acknowledge letters sent by the other party, and both will provide substantive answers to letters which need a reply.  A full substantive reply or an acknowledgement will be sent within seven (7) working days.  If an acknowledgement is sent, the full substantive reply will be sent within twenty (20) working days.  Exemptions will apply in line with the Freedom of Information Act.

20.       If a Town or Parish Council is dissatisfied with Bracknell Forest Borough Council's actions, their response to a request for information, or their failure to consult, it may initiate that Council's formal complaints procedure.

Standards Committee

21.       Both Bracknell ForestBorough Council and the Parish and Town Councils have adopted codes of conduct, based on the national code of conduct.  The Parish and Town Councils will work with Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s Standards Committee to promote and maintain high standards of conduct.

Tailoring service provision

22.       If a Town or Parish Council wishes to work in partnership with Bracknell Forest Borough Council to locally tailor the delivery, management or monitoring of a service, Bracknell Forest Borough Council will discuss the opportunity, where it is lawful and best value (taking account of cost, quality, local preferences and practicability).  Where it is not good value or practicable Bracknell Forest Borough Council will explore alternative solutions to encourage more local input into service delivery.

Financial arrangements

23.       Bracknell Forest Borough Council will arrange the finances between itself and the Parish and Town Councils in accordance with the principles as set out in the best practice guidance.

Practical support

24.       Bracknell Forest Borough Council will offer Parish and Town Councils access to its own support services where possible, to enable them to take advantage of facilities such as printing and purchasing at a mutually agreed price, where this is practicable and lawful.  In particular, assistance will be offered in identifying and helping to meet the training needs of Parish and Town Councils.

Part 2 – Quality Parish and Town Councils

25.       In addition to the above, Bracknell Forest Borough Council has agreed to work in the following ways with those Parish and Town Councils which are recognised as having attained Quality Status.

Parish or Town Plans

26.       Where a Quality Council has prepared a Parish or Town Plan, through rigorous consultation with the local community, Bracknell Forest Borough Council will have regard to its proposals and priorities in developing and implementing the Sustainable Community Plan as it affects the local areas concerned.  Bracknell Forest Borough Council will strengthen links between a Quality Council and the Bracknell Forest Partnership through Neighbourhood Forum working in order to improve delivery of local priorities.

Information and Access Points

27.       If a Quality Council wishes to become a local information and/or access point for Bracknell Forest Borough Council services, Bracknell Forest Borough Council will try to help it to do so.  In particular it will endeavour to:

·        issue to a Quality Council (and up-date as necessary) relevant written information and application forms on its services;

·        give electronic access to similar information and forms (where it provides these electronically) provided a Quality Council has appropriate technology;

·        provide suitable briefing, training and support to staff of a Quality Council;

·        make available Bracknell Forest Borough Council staff to run surgeries in the Quality Council offices.