The Offords
Community Website
Feb 2009 Edition
Offord Cluny and Offord Darcy Parish Council
From the 6 May 2008 the two Parish Councils for Offord Cluny and Offord Darcy have been grouped together to form the Offord Cluny and Offord Darcy Parish Council. The new Parish Council will provide services to the whole Offords community.
Parishes are the smallest areas of civil administration in England and provide the statutory tier of local government closest to the people.
A Parish Council is a statutory local authority set up under the Local Government Act 1972. It operates in the area of a defined civil parish or group of parishes. In Cambridgeshire there are three tiers of local government – Cambridgeshire County Council, District Councils (ours being Huntingdonshire District Council) and Town/Parish Councils. A Town Council has the same powers as a Parish Council; it is simply that the Council has decided to take on the title ‘town’ as more appropriate. Elections to Parish Councils are held every four years.
Town and Parish Councils are an essential part of the structure of local democracy and have a vital role in acting on behalf of the communities they represent. They -
give views, on behalf of the community, on planning applications and other proposals that affect the parish;
undertake projects and schemes that benefit local residents;
work in partnership with other bodies to achieve benefits for the parish;
alert relevant authorities to problems that arise or work that needs to be undertaken; and
help the other tiers of local government keep in touch with their local communities.
The Parish Council has a wide range of powers which essentially relate to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, street lighting, bus shelters, car parks and much more. The Council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept. The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax. The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the District Council, which collects the tax for the Parish Council.
Offord Cluny and Offord Darcy Parish Council is responsible for the cemetery and allotments in Offord Darcy, maintains the churchyard in St Peters and provides some financial support to a number of Village Organisations.
If you want to contact a Parish Councillor or the Parish Clerk see the list of councillors:-
More information about the respective services provided by Huntingdonshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council may be obtained from accessing their websites at www.huntsdc.gov.uk and www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Parish Council News