Thornton-in-Craven Parish Council does not simply operate within an area of beautiful countryside or within an attractive village; we are here working as both part of, and for the community, supporting the needs and aspirations of the community in many and varied ways; working alone and in partnership with other levels of local government and other agencies. We all need to nurture and encourage community life both now and as we plan for the future.
Thornton-in-Craven retains a vibrant community spirit with a lively primary school, St. Mary’s church, village hall, cricket and green field play areas. The strength of any community lies with its people and the Parish Council recognises the effort and commitment of so many individuals and groups within the community.
The Parish Council is the first, and some say the most important, level of local government. It is a non-political body. It is at the “grass roots” and is in the best position to represent the views of the local community. Councillors represent the electors within the parish and the Council is a consultee on planning matters within the civil parish. Although the Parish Council can express a view, including objections to planning applications, the decision to approve or reject is the responsibility of Craven District Council planning Department.
Councillors meet in the Village Hall on the 1st Wednesday of the month, normally at 7 pm. Agendas for the meetings are displayed on the website and on the village notice board opposite the village hall.
The meetings are open to the public and electors are encouraged to ask questions or raise issues at the 15 minute open forum session held at 7pm. At this point the meeting in progress is adjourned and is a time when electors are free to voice any concerns to, or ask questions of, the Councillors. The issues raised will either be discussed at the appropriate point on the agenda (if they have been scheduled for inclusion) or they will be placed on the agenda for discussion at the next scheduled meeting. However, urgent matters requiring discussion or action by the Parish Council that cannot, due to the timing of the receipt of the information, be dealt with at the current meeting but requiring attention before the date of the next scheduled meeting, will be dealt with specifically at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Parish Council called by the Chairman.
A Parish Council is created by statute and can only act where there is an express power or duty. A duty is an activity that is mandatory and must be carried out e.g. the appointment of a Chairman and a Clerk. Powers are choices/opportunities given to Parish Council’s by Parliament in statute and are therefore discretionary. Like all powers given to public bodies the powers of Parish Councils are defined in detail in legislation and these details may include a requirement to obtain the consent of another body.
A list of some of the Powers and Duties of Parish Councils can be found here. Please note, this is not a complete list of every power.
In law a Parish Council is a single corporate body and decisions taken are the responsibility of the Council as a whole. A Council is responsible for the services it provides, it establishes policies and decides how money will be raised and spent for the whole community. As a corporate body, the Council can work in partnership with other organisations in its area.
The Parish Council will always attempt to make balanced, informed decisions, where it has statutory powers and duties to act, based on the differing needs of the whole community.
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.
- Alert relevant authorities to problems that arise or work that needs to be undertaken.
- Help the other tiers of local government keep in touch with their local communities.
The Parish Council comprises 7 Councillors and one officer.
Parish Councillors
- Cllr Linda Harrison
- Cllr Martyn Leigh
- Cllr Martin Lockyer
- Cllr Pauline Presley
- Cllr James Mallender (Chair)
- Cllr Annwyn Dean
Council Officers
Clerk – Hannah Sherriff-Jackson – clerk@thorntonincraven.co.uk
North Yorkshire Councillor – Andy Solloway (Independent) Cllr.Andy.Solloway@northyorks.gov.uk
Your Councillors or the Clerk are useful sources of local information, please feel free to contact any of us.