How the Parish Council Works
Parishes are the smallest areas of civil administration in England and parish councils are statutory local authorities set up under the Local Government Act 1972. The parish council raises the money it needs for its work from local taxation called the precept. This is collected by the district council and paid back to the parish council in two six-monthly instalments. Extra money can be raised from grants and awards. No money is received direct from central government. At present there is no limit to the amount that a parish council can precept.
Ingleton Parish Council consists of 10 councillors and elections are held every four years. If there are insufficient candidates, members can be co-opted. Sub-committees may be set up so that smaller groups of councillors can progress different projects, reporting back to the full council at its regular monthly meetings. These meetings receive reports from and may question the Police, county and district councillors. Members of the public are also welcome to attend to raise issues of local concern.
The money raised by Ingleton Parish Council is spent primarily in the following areas:
- provision and maintenance of street lighting;
- maintenance of the park and other flower beds;
- grass cutting on verges, park and Fiddle Case Land;
- provision and maintenance of the children’s play area, and pump track;
- grants to community projects;
- maintenance of public toilets in the park and community centre car park;
- Clerk to the Council salary.
- contribute an annual amount towards the running costs of the Ingleborough Community Centre.
Broad Function
- give views on behalf of the community, on planning applications and other proposals that affect the parish;
- undertake projects and schemes that benefit local residents;
- work in partnership with other bodies to achieve benefits for the parish;
- alert relevant authorities to problems that arise or work that needs to be undertaken and;
- help the other tiers of local government to keep in touch with the community.
- In partnership with Ingleton Rural Community Association, we run the Ingleborough Community Centre, the hub of the village.
Other powers that parish councils have are listed under Local Government Act 1972.
What the parish Council has achieved so far:
Since its formation in 1894 Ingleton Parish Council has been involved in a number of projects that benefit the local community, improve the tourist experience and help local businesses. These include:
- A multi-use sports area
- A children’s play area
- Provision of village signs
- A programme of improved street lighting
- he youth leisure facility at Mealbank Quarry
- Flower beds in the park, village entrance on New Road and Central Gardens
- Ingleton Pump Track