Morland Parish Council

Role of Parish Councils

Parishes are the smallest areas of civil administration in England and they provide the statutory tier of local government closest to the people.

In Cumbria there are three tiers of local government; Cumbria County Council; District or Borough Councils and Town or Parish Councils.

Town and Parish Councils are an essential part of the structure of local democracy and have a vital role in acting on behalf of the communities they represent.

They:

• 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
• help the other tiers of local government keep in touch with their local communities

Town and Parish Councils have a wide range of legal duties and powers, such as the maintenance of community buildings and they do this by using the precept, provided through the local council tax.