Parish council standing orders
Meetings
1. The Statutory Annual Meeting in an election year shall be held on the day councillors take office or within 14 days thereafter (to be the third Thursday if possible). In any other year it shall be held on the third Thursday of May.
2. The three statutory meetings shall be held on the third Thursday in the months of March, June and September. Seven additional meetings shall be held on the third Thursday in the months of January, February, April, July, October, November and December.
Chairman of Meetings
3. The person presiding at a meeting may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chairman in relation to the conduct of the Meeting.
Quorum
4. Five members shall constitute a quorum.
Voting
5. If a member so requires, the Clerk shall record the names of the members who voted on any question so as to show whether they voted for or against it.
6.1 Subject to 6.2 and 6.3 below the chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in the case of an equality of votes may give a casting vote even though he gave no original vote.
6.2 If the person presiding at the annual meeting would have ceased to be a member of the council but for statutory provisions which preserve the membership of the Chairman and Vice Chairman until the end of their term of office he may not give an original vote in an election for the Chairman.
6.3 The person presiding must give a casting vote whenever there is an equality of votes in the election for the Chairman.
Order of Business
7. At each Annual Meeting the first business shall be:
a. To elect a Chairman
b. To receive the Chairman’s declaration of acceptance of office or, if not then received, to decide when it shall be received.
c. In the ordinary year of election of the Council to fill any vacancies left unfilled at the election by reason of insufficient nominations.
d. To decide when any declarations of acceptance of office which have not been received as provided by law shall be received.
8. At every meeting other than the Annual Meeting the first business shall be to appoint a Chairman if the Chairman and Vice Chairman be absent and receive such declarations of acceptance of office (if any) as required by law to be made, or if not then to decide when they shall be received.
9. After consideration to approve the signature of the Minutes by the person presiding as a correct record.
10. To deal with business expressly required by statute to be done.
Expenditure
11. Order for payment of money shall be authorized by resolution of the Council and signed by two members.
Accounts and Audit Regulations
12a. The Parish Council adopts the formal framework for proper financial management as set out in the Parish Council’s Financial Regulations.
Financial Regulations were taken (as appropriate) from the CIPFA’s book “Accounting Guidance Notes For Local Council’s”, and amended following The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003.
12b. The Vice Chairman of the Parish Council shall be responsible for carrying out, on a regular basis (monthly), an internal control audit.
Voting in Committees
13. Chairmen of committees and sub-committees shall in the case of equality of votes have a second or casting vote.
Interests
14. The Clerk shall record in a book, to be kept for the purpose, particulars of any notice of interest given by any member or officer of the Council, and the book shall be open during reasonable hours for inspection by any member.
Inspection of Documents
15. All minutes kept by the Council and by any committee shall be open for inspection by any member of the Council.
Admission of the Public and Press to Meetings
16. The public and the press shall be admitted to all meetings of the Council and its committees, which may, however, temporarily exclude the public. The Clerk shall afford to the press reasonable facilities for taking their report of any proceedings at which they are entitled to be present.
Standing Orders for the Parish Meeting
1. Proceedings shall not start before 6pm.
2. The Chairman of the Parish Council shall preside.
3. If the Chairman is absent the Vice Chairman shall preside.
4. If the Chairman and Vice Chairman are absent the meeting shall appoint a chairman before it proceeds to any other business.
5. As soon as the chair has been filled and provision made for recording and proceedings the minutes of the previous meeting shall be read, considered and if correct signed by the person presiding at the meeting.
Reviewed and approved 16th April 2009 by Kerry Woodrow (Chairman)