A local council is a universal term for community, neighbourhood, parish and town councils. They are the first tier of local government and are statutory bodies. They serve electorates, are independently elected and raise their own precept (a levy on persons over 18 who own or occupy a dwelling in the area of the council that is collected through council tax).
Local councils work towards improving community well-being and providing better services. Their activities fall into three main categories: representing the local community; delivering services to meet local needs; striving to improve the quality of life and community well-being.
Through an extensive range of discretionary powers local councils provide and maintain a variety of important and visible local services including allotments, bridleways, burial grounds, bus shelters, car parks, commons and open spaces, community transport schemes, community safety and crime reduction measures, events and festivals, footpaths, leisure and sports facilities, litter bins, public toilets, planning, street cleaning and lighting, tourism activities, traffic calming measures, village greens and youth projects.
Hertfordshire has a three-tier local government structure; Aspenden Parish Council being the first-tier, East Herts District Council the second-tier and Hertfordshire County Council the top tier.
District Councils have responsibility for waste collection, planning and development control, building control, street parking and traffic regulation, street trading, environmental health, licensing and housing and education functions.
District Councillors
County Councils have responsibility for education, social care, some highways and planning, and rights of way functions.
County Councillor
Aspenden Parish Council has six Councillors and a Clerk who is also the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO). The Council holds five Parish Council meetings a year, one of which is the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council in May. The Parish Council also arranges the Annual Parish Meeting.
All meetings are open to the public; the Agenda and Minutes for all meetings are published on the village noticeboard and the Parish Council website www.aspendenpc.org.uk and are usually held in the restaurant of The Fox Public House unless otherwise stated. The dates of the forthcoming Parish Council meetings can found on the Home page.
Details of the Parish Councillors, Parish Council documentation and how to contact the council can be found via the links on this page
Aspenden Parish Council are proud to be members of:
