What is a Parish Council?
A parish council is an elected local authority. It is the tier of local government that is closest to the people. It is not a voluntary organisation, a charity or something to do with the church.
Parish councillors have an active interest and concern for their local community. They represent local people and work in partnership with them and others when necessary. They help to provide local services and facilities and take decisions that form the policy of the parish council.
There are 19 parish councils and four town councils within Warwick District, of which Rowington Parish Council is one.
What does Rowington Parish Council do?
Rowington Parish Council has an overall responsibility for the well being of the local community. The work falls into three main categories:
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• representing the local community
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• delivering services to meet local needs
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• striving to improve quality of life in the parish.
Services
Rowington Parish Council provides and maintains, or has input into, the following services:
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• allotments
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• bridleways
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• bus shelters
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• community transport schemes
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• crime reduction measures
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• footpaths
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• notice boards
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• litter bins
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• open spaces
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• planning
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• playing fields
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• street lighting
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• traffic calming measures.
Financial Support
The Parish Council also provides financial support in the form of annual donations to the two village halls and two churches in the parish and, in recent years, to Rowington Parish Records. The Parish Council is open to requests for support from any local organisation or group.
Land
The Parish Council is responsible for maintaining the playing field located at the rear of the former school (now known as West of St Laurence). In addition, the land on which Rowington Village Hall stands is held by the Parish Council as custodian trustee on behalf of the management trustees of the Village Hall charity.
Parish Plan
The Parish Council is currently looking at the feasibility of preparing a Parish Plan for Rowington and is encouraging the local community to get involved.
Planning
The Parish Council is consulted on all planning applications within the parish. Planning applications and decisions are available to view on the planning pages of Warwick District Council's website, a link to which is provided on the left of this page.
Allotments
There are 8 allotment plots (three of which are split into two) available on Queen's Drive at the rear of Beech Close. All plots are currently taken but if you are interested and would like more details or your name to be added to the waiting list, please contact the Allotments Association or the Clerk to Rowington Parish Council.
How does the Parish Council operate?
Parish Councillors
Rowington Parish Council is made up of nine councillors who meet regularly to make decisions on the work and direction of the Parish Council. Parish councillors are unpaid volunteers who have to abide by a local government code of conduct and declare their interests in the parish and in any matter under discussion at a parish council meeting. Details of all Rowington's parish councillors can be found here.
Meetings
Parish Council meetings take place on the second Thursday of each month apart from in January and August. At least three clear days' notice of each meeting is posted on the parish notice boards. Members of the public are entitled to attend all Parish Council meetings and there is always space on the agenda to allow them to address the meeting if they so wish. Parish Council meeting dates and venues can be found here.
The minutes of all Parish Council meetings are available for inspection by the public. In addition, the minutes of all parish Council meetings held since March 2007 together with a number of other documents can be viewed here.
Annual Parish Meeting
In April each year an Annual Parish Meeting is held. Representatives from all the organisations operating in the parish are invited to attend the meeting and to provide an update on their activities throughout the year.
Where does the Parish Council's money come from?
Each year a sum of money called a 'precept' is collected through your council tax. This money is used by the Parish Council to improve facilities and services for local people. For 2009/10 Rowington Parish Council's precept is £16,857. The Parish Council can also apply for grants and loans and receive money from rents or leases of property it owns.
How are Parish Councillors appointed?
Parish councillors are elected to represent a geographical area known as a ward or, in smaller parishes such as Rowington, the parish council area as a whole. Elections take place every four years, most recently in 2007 which means that the next election will take place in 2011. Only local people who are registered to vote may vote in parish council elections. There are approximately 750 registered electors in the parish of Rowington out of a total of about 780 potential electors in 424 properties.
In addition, councillors are often co-opted to the Parish Council to fill casual vacancies. If you are interested in becoming a Rowington parish councillor please contact the clerk or any parish councillor.
How do I get in touch with Rowington Parish Council?
If you would like to find out more about Rowington Parish Council, please contact the clerk, whose details can be found here.
