Parish Councils are the first tier of local government and are statutory bodies. Members are elected for a term of four years and councils are funded principally by an annual precept. Income and expenditure for the next financial year are calculated in the form of estimates and the net amount (the precept) is added to Council Tax bills, collected by Cotswold District Council and paid to the Parish Council in two six-monthly instalments.
The Parish Council is responsible for setting the annual Precept and contributes to local maintenance, manages the allotments, is responsible for the cemetery, maintains a watching brief on local roads, public rights of way and trees in public places, responds to planning consultations, liaises with appropriate local and national organisations as well as the District and County Councils, supports local charities and endeavours to respond to matters raised by parishioners.
Parish Councillors can only act within the law by exercising the powers and functions which have been conferred on them by Statutes (i.e. Acts of Parliament). Anything a Parish Council tries to do outside these powers is ‘ultra vires’, in other words, outside the law.
Mickleton Parish Council consists of up to11 volunteer councillors elected from the Parish. Meetings are normally held in King George's Hall on the last Wednesday of each month, Commencing at 7.30pm. Member of the electorate are entitled to attend meetings as observers and during each meeting 15 minutes is allocated as public time when questions may be asked or issues raised.
Councillors also serve on a range of working parties and represent the Council on some of the village charities. The Council has its own website from where you can download contact details for Councillors and copies of the approved minutes of meetings.
The Clerk to the Council is Elaine Fuoco-Lang and the Parish Council Office is at King George's Hall, Chapel Lane, Mickleton. The office is normally open on Wednesdays and Fridays between 10.00 and 12.00 noon. Ann can also be contacted via:
e-mail: clerk@mickletonparishcouncil.gov.uk Tel: 01386 430393
Mickleton comes under the Cotswold District Council, based in Cirencester. The Council covers 32 electoral wards and has 34 elected councillors, 89,000 people and 450 square miles, 80% of which is in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Council’s responsibilities include:
• Housing
• Planning, including Planning Applications, Advice and Appeals
• Refuse Collection and Recycling
• Council Tax - Administration and Collection
• Environmental Health
• Noise Pollution and Pest Control
• Elections and Electoral Registration
Mickleton is part of the Campden and Vale Ward which returns two councillors:
Gina Blomefield: Email: gina.blomefield@cotswold.gov.uk. Tel.: (01386) 840364
Tom Stowe: Email: tom.stowe@cotswold.gov.uk Tel: 07919 130991
Gloucestershire County Council administers strategic local government services in the county of Gloucestershire. It’s principal functions include delivering and maintaining highways, roads and rights of way, provision of social services, education and libraries. It also provides many other local government services, such as public heath, registration of births, marriages and deaths, transport and free bus passes etc.
The Council offices are at Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester,GL1 2TG.
There are 53 elected councillors and Mickleton is part of the Campden and Vale Ward which returns one councillor:
Lynden Stowe: Email: lynden.stowe@gloucestershire.gov.uk Tel.: (01386) 438270