This page contains details about the local constitution or STANDING ORDERS for Parish Councils.
A Parish Council is the first tier of local government which makes following all the myriad of rules very important. Parish Council Standing Orders form a necessary part of these rules and are an essential 'element' for the operation of a 'Quality Council'. There seems to be little or no support from other organisations to assist Parish Councils when breaches of rules, legally added to their Standing Orders, take place!
What are STANDING ORDERS:
Standing Orders are a set of rules governing the procedures that a Local Town or Parish Council and councillors should follow.
The Standing Orders, once created, are amended, as and when necessary, to reflect any changes in the Local Government Acts on which they are based. Standing Orders should be reviewed annually or sooner if changes occured to the Local Government Acts or NALC issued a revised LTN etc.
Click here to view a sample of comprehensive Standing Orders
Click here to view a copy of a minimum set of Standing Orders.
The CODE of CONDUCT:
New Codes of Conduct have to be adopted by Parish Councils however, councillors who breach the procedures included within the Parish Councils Standing Orders must be dealt with at the local level unless the matter falls within one of the criteria laid down by the Standards Board whereupon a complaint can be made to the Standards Committee.
Local Council's, can experience considerable difficulty enforcing any agreed procedures, such as the excellent NALC Legal Topic Note 'Code of Practice in Handling Complaints' LTN 09. (This was previously numbered LTN56)
NOTE: - If a councillor ignores the non-mandatory articles that your Parish Council have added to the Standing Orders, such as the local NALC Complaints procedure, there is currently absolutely nothing that the Parish Council, the District Council, the Standards Board or the Standards Committee can do about the breach of any non-mandatory Standing Orders procedure!
Top of the page
The Standards Board is Government 'body' paid for by the taxpayers and was set up to ensure that Local Government procedures are adhered to and the 'Code of Conduct' is followed by everyone serving as elected Councillors. They have, in May 2008, deligated some powers to the local Standards Committee.
(Comment:- Elected Councillors are unpaid volunteers who give up their time for the benefit of their local community and endeavour to abide by all the myriad of Local Government rules to the best of their ability!)
OTHER ISSUES:
If you have then in all provability you will be subjected to an investigation which can prove to be very stressful and may ultimately have a very serious effect on your well-being!
If you are proved to be totally innocent (exonerated) then you are entitled to request that there should be NO PUBLICITY about the case in the local press which should mean that your name will not be displayed on the Internet either!
TREE PRESERVATION ORDERS (TPOs)
All the TPO information has been supplied by Mr Colin Hawes the Bentley Tree Warden, following agreement, by Babergh District Council, that the information could be displayed on the Onesuffolk website www.onesuffolk.co.uk/bentley. The following list offers easy access to the information stored on Onesuffolk.
TPO Numbers, Location & Details: (Latest TPO Order at the top of the list.)
This page offers links to files containing details about each TPO. The quality of some of the information was difficult to transfer therefore, if you would like to see the original information please contact the Tree Warden to arrange a date and time to view the relevant TPO. (Click on TPO number in Blue Italic to read more details.)
BT 00404 - Land adjacent to Old Station Yard - (2006)
BT 00379 - 6 Falstaff Cottages - (2004)
BT 362 - Boundry between 4 & 5 Highfields - (2002)
BT 332 - Teapot Hill, Grove Road - (2001)
BT 298 - Land adjacent to 'Willows End', Link Lane - (1999)
BT 278 - Woodfield - (1997)
BT 244 - Bentley House - (1994)
BT 240 - Land opposite 'Highfields', Link Lane - (1993)
BT 227 - Great Martins Hill Wood & Holly Wood - (1992)
BT 172 - Land adjacent to 'The Chestnuts' - (1998)
BT 97 - Pine Tree Garage - (1983)
BT 81 - Bentley Grove - (1969)
BT 12A - Bentley Estate - (1969)
BT 12 Amendment - Dodnash Wood & Bentley Long Wood - (1969)
BT 12 - Dodnash Wood, Bentley Long Wood, Old Hall Wood,
Howe Wood, Newcome Wood & Baldrough Wood - (1969)
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