Barnburgh and Harlington logo
About Us

What is a Parish Council

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council is responsible for strategic services such as highways, education, libraries social services, strategic planning and refuse disposal. They are also responsible for housing, local planning and refuse collection.
The Parish council is often viewed as the part of government closest to the people. It is the first tier of governance, is democratically elected representing residents at parish level.

The Parish Council makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish and is the first point of contact for anyone concerned with a community issue. For this reason they are a vital part of any community.

What Powers do Parish Councils Have?

Parish Councils have a wide range of powers which affect local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open spaces, allotments, play areas, street lighting, bus shelters, car parks and much more. In addition to these legislated powers and duties eligible Parish Councils can also have a General Power of Competence under the Localism Act 2011. However, there are conditions on which Parish Councils can be granted this power. 

A parish council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept. The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax used to improve facilities and provide services for local people. The precept is collected by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council through the Council Tax.

What Decisions do Parish Councils Make?

Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community.

 Probably the most common topics that parish councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), crime prevention, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities. 

It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions. Their functions are laid out in many Acts of Parliament plus any supporting secondary legislation (Statutory Instruments).