BERWICK TOWN COUNCIL
A new way to get things done in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth
Berwick Town Council would:
- Have a say on planning applications affecting Tweedmouth, Spittal and Berwick
- Have access to funds not available to the Borough Council, for improvements to Spittal, Berwick and Tweedmouth
Berwick Town Council could :
- Develop riverside walks and improve open spaces
- Run community centres
- Improve the streetscape with hanging baskets and floral displays
- Provide signage to local facilities and attractions
- Provide and run public toilets
- Improve the local play parks
- Provide new bus shelters
- Enhance the places where you live, work and play
Berwick Town Council would give you the right to have your say on how things are done in your town.
Note: It would be possible to have many of the same benefits from separate Parish Councils for Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal, although these would be smaller and may therefore have less money to spend.
For further information, please contact:
Gillian Simmons, Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council, Council Offices, Wallace Green, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 1ED
BERWICK-UPON- TWEED TOWN COUNCIL/PARISH COUNCILS FOR BERWICK, SPITTAL AND TWEEDMOUTH
frequently asked questions
Q1: Why is this consultation happening now? (back to top)
Although Government proposals for the reorganisation of local government received little support during the Regional Assembly referendum in November 2004, there is always a possibility that local government reform will find its way back on to the political agenda.
If that does happen, it may have implications for the continued existence of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council and Northumberland County Council.
The introduction of new representative arrangements for Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth would mean a genuine local voice for local people, which would not be affected by any changes to the Borough and County Councils.
The next local government elections (for the Borough Council and Parish Councils) are due to be held in May 2007. If there is sufficient support for a Town Council, elections to it will also be held in May 2007. We’re starting now because the consultation and administrative process takes approximately 18 months to complete.
When the Borough Council established a Town Committee in 1997, one of the objectives of that Committee was to introduce new representative arrangements for the communities of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth, either in the form of a single Town Council or three separate Parish Councils.
The 13 Councillors who represent the six town wards (Edward, Elizabeth, Prior, Seton, Shielfield and Spittal) have concluded that the Town Committee has been a success and that new representative arrangements would provide an excellent opportunity to build on that record of achievement.
Q2: What legislation is used to establish new representative arrangements at Town or Parish Council level? (back to top)
The principal piece of legislation is the Local Government and Rating Act 1997, which gives a number of options for the creation of a new Town or Parish Council.
- Public Petition – which requires 10% of the electorate in Berwick-upon-Tweed to sign a petition for the creation of a Town or Parish Council
- District Review – which is a review of the Council area undertaken by the district (Borough) Council, following which it makes recommendations to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to create a new Town or Parish Council; and
- Directed Review – which is where a review of local government arrangements are undertaken by the Boundary Committee for England)
This exercise is being carried out under the ‘District Review’ option.
Q3: What is the Borough Council’s position on the creation of new representative arrangements? (back to top)
The Borough Council is leading the District Review of representative arrangements for the communities of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth.
This is because the Borough Council believes there is a strong case for these communities being represented by either a single Town Council embracing all three communities, or three separate Parish Councils.
Q4: What happens to the Mayoralty if a new Town Council is established? (back to top)
So long as the Borough continues to exist in its present form, the historic civic arrangements will remain unchanged.
However, if, for example, the Borough Council ceases to exist, the Government will make provision under Section 246 of the Local Government Act 1972 for the preservation of certain powers, rights and privileges:
- By transfer to the successor district under a charter granted under Section 245 of the Act;
- By transfer to a Parish or Community Council ; or
- As a fall back when neither of the previous options applies, by transfer to a corporate body known as ‘charter trustees’, consisting of the district councillors for the area of a former Borough which becomes part of the new district.
If a new Town Council is established, to be followed at some time in the future by the abolition of the Borough Council, the Mayoralty may transfer to the Town Council.
Where the Borough and Town Councils exist alongside each other, the latter would have the power to elect a Town Mayor and Deputy Mayor from its own membership, and can exercise former rights to appoint local officers of dignity.
If three separate parish councils are established, a decision would need to be made as to whether the Mayoralty would transfer to one of the three parish councils or become the administrative responsibility of the charter trustees.
Q5: What is a Town or Parish Council? (back to top)
A Town or Parish Council is an elected body which represents the interests of a particular community (or in the case of a Town Council, a group of communities – Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth).
A Town or Parish Council is also a local authority. It is part of local government and has to work within a statutory framework of the law.
A Town or Parish Council is much smaller than other forms of local government. It represents an identifiable community. All its statutory powers – the things that it does – are discretionary so it can decide what is important to the local community and use its resources accordingly.
A Town or Parish Council will elect its members every four years, and each year the Town Councillors will appoint a Chairperson from amongst their members.
Q6: What powers does a Town or Parish Council have? (back to top)
A Town or Parish Council has a wide range of powers but very little in the way of actual duties.
The table provided below provides a summary of the powers belonging to a Town or Parish Council.
Summary of Powers of a Town or Parish Council
Subject |
Further Detail |
Allotments |
Power to provide allotment gardens and duty to do so if demanded by local electors. |
Appointment of Officers |
Power to appoint officers to discharge any function of the parish council as directed by it, nearly always a parish clerk and sometimes a neighbourhood manager, linesman, village sweeper or other workers. |
Bathing Places and Wash Houses |
Power to provide swimming baths, public bathing places and wash houses (including laundrettes). |
Burial Grounds, Cemeteries and Crematoria |
Power to provide such grounds or facilities. |
Bus Stops and Shelters |
Power to provide bus stops and shelters. |
Bye Laws |
Power to enact bye laws regarding pleasure grounds, cycle parks, baths and wash houses, open spaces and mortuaries. |
Charities |
Power to act as trustee of any parochial charities serving the parish and duty to receive the accounts of such charities. |
Clocks |
Power to provide public clocks. |
Closed churchyards |
Power to maintain closed churchyards. |
Commons |
Power to regulate and maintain commons. |
Community facilities |
Power to provide such facilities for the use of local individuals, community groups and societies. |
Conference facilities |
Power to provide such facilities. |
Crime Prevention |
Power to take steps to prevent crime, such as installing CCTV, requiring and paying for additional policing of the parish, installing burglar alarms and strong locks, and assisting neighbourhood watch schemes. |
Delivery of Local Authority Services |
Right to act as an agent for the local district or borough, county or unitary authority and deliver nearly any services or amenities that would otherwise be provided for the parish by that local authority. |
Drainage |
Power to deal with ponds and ditches. |
Education |
Power to appoint representation to the governing body of any primary school serving the parish. |
Entertainment and the Arts |
Power to provide entertainments and support the arts. |
Free Resources |
Power to spend a limited amount of money as set by the Secretary of State on anything the parish council deems to be of benefit for the parish or its inhabitants. |
Gifts |
Power to accept gifts on behalf of the parish |
Highways |
Power to maintain public footpaths, light roads and public places, provide litter bins, provide parking for vehicles, to acquire rights of way, provide traffic signs and other notices, and to give or withhold consent as to the stopping up or diversion of any public highways |
Investments |
Power to participate in schemes of collective investment |
Land |
Power to undertake compulsory purchase land in certain circumstances and to establish new rights of way. |
Litter |
Power to provide litter bins and similar facilities |
Lotteries |
Power to provide a lottery within the Parish |
National Parks |
Right to have representation appointed onto the authority of any National Park the parish falls under |
Open Spaces |
Power to acquire land |
Parish Property and Documents |
Duty to manage and hold any property and public documents on behalf of the parish |
Public Building and Village Halls |
Power to provide such buildings for public use |
Public Conveniences |
Power to provide such facilities |
Recreation |
Power to acquire land for recreation purposes and to provide sports and leisure facilities |
School Governors |
Power to appoint a Primary School Governor |
Telecommunication Facilities |
Power to require and pay a telephone company to provide additional public telephones |
Tourism |
Power to take steps to encourage local tourism |
Town Declaration |
Power to declare the parish to be a town, in which case the parish council chair and vice chair may become known as a town mayor and deputy town mayor, and the parish clerk becomes the town clerk. |
Transport |
Power to provide car sharing schemes, community mini buses and other transport for the benefit of the parish |
Village Greens |
Power to provide and duty to protect |
War Memorials |
Power to maintain war memorials |
Water Supply |
Power to utilise and clean source to provide facilities for obtaining water, such as a parish pump. |
The Town or Parish Council can also act as a consultee and lobbying force with both the County and Borough Council, and regional and national government, representing the wishes and needs of the local community.
It would be consulted as a matter of course on the Local Plan, planning applications and local economic and development strategies, as well as having a key role to play on the Berwick Borough Local Strategic Partnership.
Q7: What will the structure of the Town or Parish Council look like? (back to top)
a) Town Council
It is suggested that the Town Council be made up of 16 elected Town Councillors representing the six Borough Wards in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth, as follows :
- Edward Ward – 2 Councillors
- Elizabeth Ward – 3 Councillors
- Prior Ward – 3 Councillors
- Seton Ward – 3 Councillors
- Shielfield Ward – 1 Councillor
- Spittal Ward – 4 Councillors
The first elections to the Town Council would be held in May 2007, with Councillors elected for a period of four years. Elections would take place every four years.
The Town Council would be led by a Chairperson appointed by the membership of the Town Council.
The Council would have to agreed a constitution, which is a set of rules which set out how the Town Council should function.
The Town Council would also decide how often it wishes to meet. This may be every month, but will depend on the kind of structure the Town Council is based upon.
An example of how the structure of the Town Council might look is set out below :
- Full Council – ratifies decisions made by sub-committees (see below)
- Planning, Environment and Amenities Sub-Committee-meets every 4 weeks and makes recommendations on all planning applications within Berwick-upon-Tweed to the planning authority (Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council) and considers associated planning, footpath and licensing issues.
- Finance and Leisure Sub-Committee-meets every 6 weeks and makes decisions and recommendations to full Council on all financial and policy matters under the discretion of the Town Council, and also in connection with all public halls, sports facilities, children’s play areas and youth facilities in the town.
There will also be a variety of working groups responsible for specific projects.
There are many models for the Town Council to follow and it should choose a structure that is best suited to its role within the local community.
It is also likely that the Town Council would be represented on outside bodies. It is useful to set up arrangements for representatives on outside bodies to report back to Council so that the value of that representation can be monitored.
The administration of these arrangements can be demanding and time-consuming.
It is important that the Town Council appoints a competent Town Clerk who understands the administrative processes and financial arrangements which provide the operational framework for the Town Council to function effectively.
To begin with, the Town Clerk would almost certainly be part-time. Depending on how quickly the Town Council evolves and expands, it may need to employ full-time salaried staff.
For example, Morpeth Town Council now employs :
- A full-time Town Clerk
- A full-time Office Manager
- A full-time Receptionist/Administrative Assistant
- A part-time Finance Officer
b) Parish Councils
Although the administrative arrangements for separate Parish Councils for Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth would be similar to those for a single Town Council (albeit on a smaller scale), the composition of the three Parish Councils would look rather different.
Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth Parish Councils would be required to appoint a minimum of five parish councillors from their constituent wards.
Arrangements could also be made to divide the new parish into wards; for example, Spittal Parish Council would be based on the boundaries of the existing Spittal Borough Ward, but could be sub-divided into Lower Spittal and Upper Spittal (including Highcliffe and Eastcliffe) Parish Wards, each electing a designated number of parish councillors to serve on Spittal Parish Council.
Q8: This sounds like more bureaucracy. Is it just another talking shop? (back to top)
Town and Parish Councils do not usually have high overhead costs. They employ a Clerk to carry out routine administration; and this post is often part-time. They will be positioned to take effective action within the communities of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth and will have the opportunity to comment on issues affecting them, the Borough and the County.
The Town or Parish Council will be able to use its unique local knowledge to protect the community it represents and which it exists to serve.
Q9: How much will the Town or Parish Councils cost? (back to top)
No-one is pretending that all this comes free.
The Town or Parish Council will have to set a precept to raise the money to provide the services it will deliver.
Town or Parish Councils do not receive any revenue support from central government, nor do they receive any funding from local businesses via their payment of the non-domestic rate.
Each year the Town or Parish Council will calculate the amount it requires to spend on services and any capital projects planned for the year ahead.
The precept is the amount the Town or Parish Council will levy from the Borough Council and which is collected by the Borough Council on behalf of the Town or Parish Council.
At present, there is a precept of £2.07 on a Band D property in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth which raises an annual budget of £7500 for the Borough Council’s Town Committee.
The Council tax for a Band D property in these communities in 2005/06 is £1306.92, which comprises:
- £1072 to Northumberland County Council
- £162.82 to Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council
- £70.03 to Northumberland Police Authority
- £2.07 to Town Committee
Each year, the Town or Parish Council will set the level of precept it wishes to raise. In setting the precept, the Town or Parish Council will consider what is viable and affordable, in light of the economic circumstances of the community at that time.
What level of precept is the Town or Parish Council likely to set?
This will depend on the budget the Town or Parish Council wishes to raise. For comparative purposes, the likes of North Sunderland and Wooler Parish Councils set a precept in the region of £12.50 each year for a Band D property, which equates to an extra 24p on the Council Tax each week.
A precept set at this level for example, would raise a budget in the region of £45,000 for the new Town or Parish Council.
The Town or Parish Council will have some running costs which may include:
- Cost of employing a Town Clerk
- Rental of office space and utilities costs
- Equipment (e.g. computer, printer, telephone etc)
- Stationery budget
- Miscellaneous running costs
This will account for a portion of the overall budget, the balance of which can be used to attract match funding from external sources (which are unavailable to the Borough Council) such as the National Lottery, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and a wide range of charitable or other funding organisations.
This will give the Town or Parish Council more money to spend on improvements in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth.
It is important to remember that the Town or Parish Council will have complete control over its own budget, although it will be required by local tax payers to justify expenditure and the auditor will ensure that funds are appropriately spent.
Q10: If the proposals get the green light, I’d be interested in standing for election. What do I need to do? (back to top)
Firstly, to be able to stand as a candidate, you need to qualify under at least one of the following conditions:
- You must be a Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a citizen of another Member State of the European Union and be at least 21 years did by the day of nomination
- On the day of the election and thereafter continue to be registered as a local government elector for the area (i.e live in Berwick, Spittal or Tweedmouth)
- During the whole of the 12 months preceding the date of nomination to have occupied as owner or tenant land or other premises in the area
- During the whole of the 12 months preceding the date of nomination to have been resident in the area or within 4.8kms of the boundary of Edward, Elizabeth, Prior, Seton, Sheilfield or Spittal Wards.
You will find out from the Notice of Election, which is published at least 25 days before the date of the election, when you can collect your nomination papers from the Borough Council, who will be responsible for organising and administering the election.
You will need to have your nomination papers signed by a proposer and seconder before returning them to the Council Offices by the stated deadline.
Further information about the election process can be obtained by contacting the Council’s Elections Officer, Judith Turnbull, on (01289) 301720 or by email; jat@berwick-upon-tweed.gov.uk
Q11: Is there a risk that the new Town or Parish Council will consist of the same old faces? (back to top)
Serving Borough Councillors can also stand for election to the new Town or Parish Councils.
However, experience elsewhere suggests that people with new ideas and a different approach – without political baggage – have an excellent chance of being elected.
This would be an excellent opportunity for younger people and those who have been active in the community but never stood for election to become involved.
Q12: Will the Town or Parish Council have their own offices? (back to top)
Yes. The Town or Parish Councils will need an office base, even if they only employ a part-time clerk.
In the beginning, the Town or Parish Councils will probably want to hire office space, but as they evolve and expand, they may decide to purchase an office facility.
They will also need venues for meetings. These can be hired on an ad-hoc basis. The Borough Council will shortly be publishing a Directory of Meetings Venues on its website, which can be used to identify suitable meeting places.
Q13: How will the Town or Parish Council be accountable? (back to top)
The decisions of the Town or Parish Councils will be made by elected Councillors. To be eligible to be a Councillor you must have a local connection. That means that the Town or Parish Councillor must live or work in the community.
Being a Town or Parish Councillor is not necessarily time consuming and is much less about party politics than other levels of local government.
That means that any eligible member of the community may make a commitment to being a Councillor if they get sufficient local support. If members of the public are unhappy about the action of the Town or Parish Council, they can vote Councillors out and stand themselves at election time.
Notice of Town or Parish Council meetings must be published by law. It is likely that they will have a public forum where members of the public can put questions to Councillors.
There is also a legal requirement for the Town or Parish Councils to hold an Annual Meeting every year, at which members of the public can have their say.
The Town or Parish Council’s finances must be publicly audited and high standards of accounting are required under the 1996 Audit Regulations.
Councillors will also be responsible for signing a Code of Conduct under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000. The purpose of the Code is to promote good conduct by Councillors and to help avoid bringing the Town or Parish Councils into disrepute in the eyes of the public.
As part of the requirement to sign up to the Code of Conduct, Town Councillors will also be required to complete an entry in the Register of Interests.
Q14: What kind of things will the Town or Parish Councils want to do in their first few years of existence? (back to top)
The Town or Parish Councils will decide how quickly they want to grow. The important thing is not to take on too may responsibilities – particularly financial ones – until the Council is properly established.
Examples of initial aims are set out below:
- Create an administrative and policy infrastructure to enable the Council to provide facilities and functions for the public (eg a constitution or standing orders, financial regulations, policies etc)
- Develop a Town or Parish Council strategy setting out long-term plans, in consultation with local residents.
- Provide and promote a corporate identity so that the public can associate successes with the new Council, and to ensure that it is seen as being distinct from the Borough and County Council
- Provide instant improvements to the Town or Parish that are noticeable (eg installation of new bus shelters)
- Provide a home (office base) for the new Council(s) at reasonable cost to the local taxpayer.
Q15: What kind of relationship will the Town or Parish Councils have with the Borough and County Councils? (back to top)
The Borough and County Council will be required to consult the new Council(s) on issues affecting Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth as a matter of course.
There is also significant scope for the Town Council to work with the other authorities on a partnership basis to deliver local projects.
The Borough Council supports the creation of new representative arrangements for Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth.
The new Council(s) will also be expected to work with a range of voluntary and other organisations, again on a partnership basis, to help deliver improvements for the benefit of the local community.
These organisations will include:
- Berwick Borough Local Strategic Partnership
- Development Trust
- Residents Associations
- Other community groups
Q16: How will the Town or Parish Councils ensure that the community is kept up to date with its work? (back to top)
Approximately 50% of the local population has access to the internet, so the creation of a website would be a useful start.
Other ways of communicating include:
- A regular newsletter, which could double as an events guide and be sponsored to offset printing costs.
- Press release or notices in the local press or local radio
- Using the public noticeboards due to be erected in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth shortly.
- Using local shops and public places to post information.
Maintaining a high public profile will help the new Council(s) to become established more quickly.
A good communications policy will help achieve this.
Q17: What support can the Town or Parish Councils expect from the Borough Council to help it become established? (back to top)
In other parts of the country where a new Town or Parish Councils have been established, it has become a ‘shadow town/parish council’ to bridge the time gap between approval of the order giving permission to set up the new Council and elections to it. The time gap can often be 12 months or more, which creates a risk that enthusiasm for the new arrangements could dwindle.
The ‘shadow’ Councils are sometimes called ‘community councils’ or ‘neighbourhood councils’, and are a non-statutory alternative to Town or Parish Councils. The main difference between them and residents associations or village societies is that they can be directly elected by all voters in the area using a secret ballot.
A ‘shadow’ Council is a good means of preparing the ground for the new Town or Parish Councils. It can begin looking at establishing a long-term vision for the communities of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth and strategies and plans for helping to achieve that.
It can also identify and help set up a home for the new Council, and raise funds and purchase assets.
The Borough Council also has the power to appoint a ‘temporary’ Town or Parish Council in the last few months leading up to the election. The difference between a ‘temporary’ and ‘shadow’ council is that the former would have all the legal powers of a Town or Parish Council, including the appointment of a clerk, enactment of byelaws and so on.
If the Borough Council decided to exercise its powers, it could also assist with providing training for members of the new Council.
There may also be scope to levy a small precept in the year leading up to the May 2007 elections to establish a working budget for the new Council.
Q18: If the consultation exercise achieves sufficient support for the creation of a Town or Parish Councils, what are the next steps? (back to top)
The Consultation exercise is due to be completed on 20 th January 2006.
If we receive an acceptable level of support we will draft an order for submission to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The order (which will propose the creation of a Town or Parish Councils and specifiy the boundaries of these authorities and number of Councillors) has to be approved by the Borough Council as the principal authority.
Following approval by the Borough Council, the Order will be submitted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) in March 2006.
The ODPM are expected to let us know whether they have approved the Order during 2006, so that elections to the new Town or Parish Council can be held in May 2007.
Q19: What happens if there isn’t sufficient support for new representative arrangements for Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth? (back to top)
If the consultation exercise reveals insufficient support, we will need to find out why that has happened and apply lessons learned to any future consideration of new representative arrangements for Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth.
Q20: What other options are there if I don’t favour the creation of a single Town Council? (back to top)
You could decide that you favour the creation of 3 separate parish councils, representing Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth respectively.
These may have less influence because they would represent a smaller constituency and would have lesser fundraising capabilities.
It is also possible that the 3 Parish Councils could find themselves competing against each other for the same pots of money.
Economies of scale would also be a factor. A single Town Council would require a single clerk, administrative system and office base, whereas separate Parish Councils would each look to have their own arrangements.
This document is intended to provide supplementary information to the booklet distributed to every household in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth .
Although we feel it is comprehensive, we clearly cannot anticipate every question you might have about these proposals. If you require further information or have a question which we have not answered, please contact:
To view the notice of Polls and the candidates please select this link:
http://www.northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk/new/elections.asp
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