NEWSLETTER 35 Happy Summer!

NEWSLETTER 35 Happy Summer!

SUMMER 2015

WHO TO CONTACT:

Email:

Parish Clerk:

Mrs.Fay Olding

01803-813250

Parish Council Chairman:

Coun.Mrs.Shirley Northwood

01803-813980

Vice-Chair/Amenities Chairman/Plans

Coun.Roger Carnell

01803 812404

Councillors:

Coun.Clive Tompkins

Highways/Chairman Plans

01803-813695 or 07718 423381

Coun.Roger Farrow

Amenities/Plans

01803-812649

Coun.Dennis Smith

Chairman Highways/Chairman Finance

01803-812653

Coun.Janet Wilson

Highways/Finance/Mill.Centre

01803-812883

Coun.Mandy Hutchings

Highways

01803 812416

Coun.Barbara Calland

Plans/Finance/Village Hall

01803-812196

Coun.Barbara Cleasby

Amenities

01803-813651

District Councillor & County Councillor

Coun.Alistair Dewhirst

01803-812958

Dates of forthcoming Full Parish Council Meetings all held at Ipplepen Millennium Centre 7.15pm

01 September 2015

06 October 2015

03 November 2015

01 December 2015

All meetings are open to the public and there is an opportunity for public comment and questions at the end of the meetings.

Dates of forthcoming Plans Committee

Meetings:

All held at 7pm Millennium Centre

19th August 2015

16th September 2015

21st October 2015

18th November 2015

16th December 2015

All meetings are open to the public and the Parish Council welcome the public’s views.

NEW COUNCILLOR

Following therecent Election, we welcome our new councillor, Coun.Mandy Hutchings, who will also serve on the Highways Committee. Following the retirement of Coun.Vallance and Coun. Popham, whom the Parish Council extends it’s thanks for their service, a Casual Vacancy is being advertised for the co-option of one more councillor. Details can be read on the next page of this newsletter.

CASUAL VACANCY

A Casual Vacancy has arisen on Ipplepen Parish Council. The vacancy is to be filled by the council itself by co-option of a suitable person qualified to serve as a councillor as soon as practicable.The person who fills the casual vacancy, retires from office at the time of the next election in 2019.

What does a councillor do ?

Most people’s impression of what a Councillor does is that they just attend Council meetings although in reality nothing could be further from the truth. The duties and pleasure, of being a Local Councillor are many and varied, however, it is the ordinary day to day contact with local people in their own community that is the most important part of being a councillor.

A Parish Councillor signs a Declaration of Acceptance of Office and thereby undertakes to observe an ethical Code of Conduct when dealing with matters on behalf of the community.

Listening: One of the most important tasks of a Parish Councillor is listening to and understanding the views of people in their community. Many public bodies or organisations acknowledge this is the hardest information for them to capture and they in turn use the skills and local knowledge of the Parish Council for advice to assist and inform their services.

Meetings: A Councillor agrees to attend all meetings (reasonably possible) that he or she is summoned to. Full council meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month along with further committee meetings or working groups as and when necessary.

If you wish to consider standing as a councillor you must satisfy the following requirements:

• From 5th May 2011 you need to be over 18 years of age
• On the Electoral Register for the council area you wish to stand
• A citizen of the European Union
• A local government elector of the parish; or a person who during the whole of the twelve months before nomination as a candidate, occupied land or other premises as owner or tenant in the parish. Or has, during the same period, resided in that area or within three miles thereof, or has during the same period, had a principal or only place of work in that area.

You cannot stand for co-option if you:

• Are bankrupt and an Order or Interim Restriction Order has been imposed.
• Have, within five years before the day of the election, been convicted in the United Kingdom of any offence and have had a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of over three months without the option of a fine.
• Work for the council where you are intending to standing for election (but you can work for other local authorities, including the principal authorities that represent the same area).

Getting the nomination forms:

Nomination forms are available from the Parish Clerk . You will need to fill in all your personal details and those of the people nominating you. You and those nominating will be asked to fill in your Electoral Register number. This is the district code on the front of the Electoral Register, again this number is available from the Parish Clerk.

SUMMER IS HERE!

To deter criminals, please remember to check your doors and windows are secure before going out or retiring to bed, especially in periods of hot weather.

REPORTING OVERGROWN HEDGES etc.

It is now much quicker for members of the public to contact DCC directly rather than going through the Parish Council. An on-line ‘Report It’ facility now operateson the DCC web site to deal with complaints about items such as:

Roadside Hedge & Tree Maintenance,

Potholes,

Faulty Street Lights,

Go to

Or use Google to search for the terms ‘Devon Council Report It’

Or

Telephone 0845 155 1004

8am-8pm Mon/Fri 9am-1pm Saturday.