Box Parish Council
The Parade, Box, Corsham.
Wiltshire. SN13 8NX
Telephone : (01225) 74 23 56
Fax : (01225) 74 40 49
Website : www. boxparish.org.uk
Email :
A Guide to Box Parish Council
Written, complied and produced by volunteers.
Printed by CorshamPrint
Distributed by Royal Mail as part of an inclusive cost package with the Box Parish Community Plan.
How does Box Parish Council conduct its business?
The Parish Council consists of 15 councillors who are unpaid volunteers and who are elected or co-opted. Elections for all councillors are held every four years, the next being in May 2013. Each year the councillors elect a chairman and vice-chairman.
We have eight committees that reflect our main activities and most councillors will belong to at least two of these:
Burial
Playing Fields
Policy and finance
Planning and conservation
Highways
Box Hill/Rights of way
Pavilion management
Personnel
These committees meet regularly, some twice a month, some monthly and some bi-monthly. Details of the committees’ responsibilities, their meetings, agendas and minutes (except for the Personnel Committee) can be found onthe Box Parish website
Although only Parish Councillors can speak at these committee meetings, there is a ‘Public Forum’ at the start of each meeting where members of the public can raise issues and address the committee.
All committee meetings (apart from the Personnel Committee meetings) are open to the public and we are particularly keen to encourage parishioners to come and watch the Parish Council carry out its work.
There is a full council meeting once a month, which all councillors attend. Again it has a ‘Public Forum’ at the beginning of the meeting and members of the public are again welcome to come and observe its proceedings.
An Annual public meeting of the Council is held in April or May of each year to report back on the year’s activities. All Parishioners are welcome to attend, hear the reports and ask questions.
The Council Office for Box Parish Council is situated in The Parade, Box. Box Parish Council’s clerk, Mrs Margaret Carey, can be contacted on 01225-742356 or via .
There are also 13 notice boards spread around the parish where parishioners can place information or advertise events. The Parish Council also uses these notice boards for public information, especially the notice boards outside Box Post Office and outside the Parish Council Chambers in The Parade.
BOX RECREATION GROUND
SPORTS, YOUTH AND COMMUNITY PAVILION
Bookings: Parish Council Clerk, Box Parish Council,
The Parade, Box Tel: 742356
TENNIS COURTS
Bookings: Chris Cunningham, Stop Press / Box Post Office Tel: 01225 743455
BOWLING GREEN
Bookings: Open to the public - Playing & Coaching arranged by Box Bowls Club by attendance at Open Evenings on Mondays At 6.45 p.m
BOX CEMETERY
Book of Remembrance
and Garden of Rest
For details and application forms for entries in the Book may beobtained from
The Clerk to the Council,
The Parade.Box.
Support for local groups:
Local groups supported by Box Parish Council include:
Corsham Area Heritage and Information Centre
Friends of Box School
Box Revels
Box Luncheon Club
Moonrakers
Box Bridge Club
Box Parish Magazine
The Green Room
Selwyn Hall Management
Jubilee Youth Centre
Tuesday Afternoon Club
Corsham Knitting Group
NW Citizens Advice Bureau
Youth Action Wiltshire
Infusion Dance Group
Box Women’s Institute
Boxlea WI
Link
Employees:
Apart from Council’s clerk, the Council also employs several other people:
- A fulltime groundsman to look after the Recreational Grounds and Playing Fields
- A ‘live-in’ caretaker at the Cemetery
- 2 part time handymen who, amongst other jobs, maintain seats around the Parish, notice boards, and play equipment in play areas on the Recreation Ground as well as clear footpaths and maintain Lacy Wood
- A part-time street cleaner
- Office and Pavilion cleaner(s).
Where does Box Parish Council get its money from?
Each year we have to decide on a Precept that is added to Wiltshire Unitary Authority’s Council Tax. This Precept is the main source of funding for Box Parish Council; for example in 2011/12, the precept was £115,681 or £75.97 for each Band D property.
Box Parish Council does not receive any income from business taxes.
The Council endeavours to cover its costs and so generates revenue through various sources such as use of the Pavilion and Playing Fields by various local groups as well as cemetery charges.
We are also required to maintain reserves that are earmarked for specific purposes or projects such as the re-roofing of the cemetery chapel and replacing machinery and equipment.
We try to respond to any requests for consultation or feedback on proposals from Wiltshire Unitary Authority or other services such as the Police Community Team or local transport companies.
The Council is also represented on various local fora such as Corsham Area Board, Corsham Community Area Network, the Corsham Area Transport Group and the Ministry of Defence Liaison Group.
Environmental matters:
The Council will, where possible, reduce its Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and impact on climate change.
The Council will, where possible, work to influence and support others in the Parish in reducing their carbon emissions and energy consumption.
What services cannot Box Parish Council provide?
Unfortunately we are limited in the services that we can provide; for example the Council has no control over speed limits or parking restrictions in Box Parish although we can ask for traffic surveys to be conducted to see if traffic conditions meet the criteria for changes in speed limits.
Advocacy:
The Council receives a copy of all planning applications in the Parish, however we do not have the power to approve or turn down any application; the Council is only a statutory consultee and can only make representation to the Planning Officer that, in special circumstances, may also be considered by the Development Control Committee of Wiltshire Unitary Authority at its meetings at Monkton Park, Chippenham.
The Council also works with the Wiltshire Council Enforcement Team on matters relating to alleged breaches of planning control, conservation and other issues.
We also monitor the trees in the Parish, including those that are in the conservation area and are therefore automatically protected as well as mature trees outside the conservation area that might have, or need, a tree preservation order.
We also liaise with the Wiltshire Council Area Highways Engineer regarding defects or repairsneeded to roads and pavements in the Parish and to consider ways in which improvements can be made to the safety of the highways.
What services does Box Parish Council provide?
Box Parish Council, like all the parish councils in England, has clearly defined powers and duties although most of its powers are discretionary and depend on the particular circumstances of the individual Parish.
In Box Parish this means maintaining property owned or leased by the Parish Council, providing services, supporting local community groups and providing advocacy on behalf of Box Parish to Wiltshire Unitary Authority, the Police and other services.
The Parish Council is the first and most local stratum of democracy and provides parishioners with an accessible route into local government.
Services:
Box Parish Council, on behalf of Wiltshire Unitary Authority, maintains the pavements and rights of way in the Parish. The Parish Council employs a street cleaner who regularly sweeps and cleans our roads and paved footpaths and during the winter ensures that pavements and main paths are kept clear and regularly gritted.
The Council, again on behalf of Wiltshire Unitary Authority, maintains, sprays or strims regularly nearly 105 Footpaths and Bridleways (approximately 30 miles) as well as maintains the roadside verges at each end of the parish.
We undertake these tasks as part of our service to the community although Wiltshire Unitary Authority is nominally responsible and does not provide Box Parish Council with any additional funds for undertaking this work.
Property:
The Parish Council owns property nominally worth over £1.5 million. It also leases some property, like the Jubilee Centre, from Wiltshire Unitary Authority.
Property maintained by the Council includes the Council Office and Chamber building; Box Cemetery with its Grade II listed buildings of Chapel, Lodge, grounds, walls and gates; the War Memorial; the Recreation Ground with its cricket and football pitches, tennis courts, bowling green, basket ball court, BMX track, children’s and toddlers’ play areas and equipment; the multi-sports Youth and Community Pavilion, 15 Allotments, car park and access road and the Lovar Garden; Jubilee Centre; Box Hill Common; the Lacy “Millennium” Wood; the Blind House, Fountain, Pound, Viewing Platform (for Box Tunnel Portal), Bus Shelters, Rising Sun Picnic site;and some thirty plus bench seats around the village.
Wealso own and maintain the road and car park at Valens Terrace and lease the right hand side of Queen’s Squareas a shoppers’ car park.