Applications are invited for the position of Clerk to Parham Parish Council.
You will be responsible for the administration of the Parish Council, ensuring that its functions as a Local Authority are met, and will also be its Responsible Financial Officer. The Clerk is expected to advise and assist the Council in the formation of its policies, to produce all the information required for making effective decisions and to implement constructively all decisions. You will be accountable to the Council for the effective management of its resources and the careful administration of its finances.
Duties will include:
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attending all Council meetings and committees and preparing minutes and agendas
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bringing correspondence and documents to the attention of the Council
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issuing correspondence on the instructions of (or known policy of) the Council
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obtaining quotes, receiving and reporting on invoices for goods and services
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preparing regular and annual sets of accounts and the Council's budget
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Communications including a Quarterly residents' newsletter
Computer literacy and financial knowledge are essential to this post, as are good record keeping, and written and verbal communication skills.
You should be willing to undertake training and attend relevant seminars.
You will be expected to work from home and provide a secure office base for the Council, for which an allowance is payable. A laptop computer and other equipment will be provided as necessary.
Salary will be paid at the rate of £8.344 per hour for an average of 5 hours per week.
For an informal discussion about the role and further information, please contact Andrew Houseley, Chairman, on (01728) 724014.
Applications in writing to Parham Parish Council, c/o/ Hall Hill Cottage, Parham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 9AB.
e-mail: ahouseley@aol.com
Contact Parham Parish Clerk
PARHAM PARISH COUNCIL's Annual General Meeting will take place in the Jubilee Annex of Parham Village Hall on Tuesday, 13th March 2012 - all parishioners are welcome to attend.
There is a period in the earlier part of the meeting where parishioners are able to address the Council on any agenda items.
Click here for Parish Councillor's Biographies
Click here for Complaints Procedure re Countrystyle Composting Plant
Click here for more Information about Parish Council Meetings
Click here for Information about Planning Applications
The Parish Council consists of 6 members appointed as a result of the uncontested election that took place on the 5th May 2011 and will serve for 4 years; 1 member was co-opted at the 10th May 2011 Parish Council meeting. Parish Councillors are all unpaid volunteers who operate on a non-party political basis. Parham Parish Council employs a Parish Clerk, who carries out administrative duties and is a contact person for the public.
Parham Parish Council meets 6 times a year, normally on the second Tuesday of every other month, commencing in January. A public forum is held prior to the commence of the meeting to allow parishioners to talk about any issue. The Planning Committee (at least 3 members of the Parish Council who don't have a prejudicial interest in the planning application) meet as and when required and other Working Groups also meet throughout the year. The Annual General Meeting is held in May, when the officers are elected for the ensuing year and the accounts for the preceding year are presented for approval.
In addition, the statutory Annual Parish Meeting is held in March/April. This is a general meeting of parishioners, at which reports from village organisations are received and discussed, and relevant matters are referred to the Parish Council and other agencies.
Duties & Responsibilities
Parham Parish Council has a number of duties and responsibilities, defined by various acts of parliament including the Local Government Act (1972). It is currently responsible for the maintenance of the closed Church Yard, the Pound and the Play Area. A Scheme of Regulations and Management of Common Land was granted by SCDC allowing the Parish Council to manage the three village greens that were registered ownerless under the 1965 Commons Registration Act. These are North Green, Mill Green, and Silverlace Green on which are a number of village ponds, which have be cleaned out.
Planning Applications
Local planning applications are received from Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) from time to time. Three clear days notice is given of the Planning Committee meeting in Parham Village Hall to discuss such applications. Planning Applications are examined in detail and the Parish Council's comments, including a recommendation to support or object, are referred back to the District Council (Planning Authority). If an application is contentious the whole Council will discuss the matter and possibly call a public meeting to allow parishioners to express their opinions.
Representation on other organisations
Parham Parish Council is a member of SALC (Suffolk Association of Local Councils), Suffolk Preservation Society and Suffolk ACRE (Action with Community in Rural England). It is represented on Parham Village Hall Management Committee, Parham Wildlife Group, SCDC’s Green Print Forum, and Framlingham Volunteer Centre.
It also appoints a Tree Warden, Mr Adam Paul, in charge of hedges and trees in the parish and a Footpath Officer, James Rogers, who keeps an eye on Rights of Way and reports problems to SCC.