Role of Parish Councils
Parishes have been around for a long time and are the smallest areas of civil administration in England, providing the statutory tier of local government closest to the people, together with the District Councils (Lancashire City Council) and Lancashire County Council.
Parish Councils have a wide range of duties and powers such as the maintenance of community buildings and land; provision of play areas; maintenance of village greens and rights of way. Parish Councils are the essence of local democracy and have a vital role in speaking and acting on behalf of the communities they represent. Parish Councils also comment on planning applications and can be represented at public enquiries.
All Parish Council meetings are open to the public, and many give the opportunity to electors to raise issues for the council to answer or to carry forward for later debate. They are led by the chairman, advised by a clerk who is there to see that business is conducted within the law.
A good council is well organised and sensitive to community needs – changing things for the better and having the backing of its electors. The Parish Council is funded via the precept from local taxation (the council tax) and from grants towards projects and services.
Councillors contribute to the work of the Council by:-
- Having a say about things they care about;
- Putting forward ideas for better services;
- Responding to the needs and views of their constituents;
- Acting within the law;
- Seeking the best outcome to local issues;
- Getting involved in decision making by voting;
- Accepting the corporate view of the council;
Working together, within a set of rules and acting as a team to get the best possible outcome for the community is the key to success of the council and the basis for a rewarding contribution.
Nether Kellet parish
The Parish Council meets on the first Wednesday of each month commencing at 7.00 p.m. in the Congregational Church School Rooms. There is no meeting in the month of August.
The agendas for the meetings are placed in the notice-board outside the Congregational Church School Rooms and in the Parish Council Noticeboard opposite the Village Hall, on the Saturday before each meeting. The minutes of the meetings are presently displayed in the PC Notice-board, after they have been agreed at the following meeting of the Council. Both documents are made available on the Nether Kellet web-site.
A scan through any of the minutes will highlight what is done by the council. We are able to bring things to the attention of the responsible authority be it Lancaster City Council or Lancashire County Council. We are also consulted on numerous other issues involving other public &/or voluntary &/or private bodies.
The Parish Council is represented at the meetings of the Lancashire Association of Local Councils (LALC), which are held every two months.. This body consists of members of all Parish Councils in the District of Lancaster and is under the auspices of the County body which itself is part and parcel of a National Association of Local Councils. This enables our members to put forward and discuss problems that we may have and listen to others who may or may not be experiencing similar problems. They are often attended by representatives of the City Council the County Council and the local Police who can be questioned on various issues. They, in turn, can inform the members of any changes that may have arisen in their particular fields.
Contact is also maintained with the two local quarry operators by attendance at Quarry Liaison Meetings which take place several times each year.
Over the last few years we have managed to bring a number of projects to fruition, with the help of various granting, to hopefully improve the range of facilities available. E.g. the children’s play area has benefitted by having a number of new items of equipment, safety surfacing; the Town Well area on Halton Road has been refurbished; the willow-bed area together with the peace stone and the new walling. The latest initiative has been the laying of the playground hedge and soon the well area in front of Lawson’s Farm on Shaw Lane will be re-furbished.
The Parish Council is responsible for the upkeep of the play-area and playing field with appropriate inspections to ensure the safety of the equipment. They have also elected to look after the grassed areas in the village (other than that on Hornby Bank, which is the responsibility of the City Council) and have their own motor-mower which the lengthsman Mike Ashton uses to keep all in order. Mike Ashton goes out of his way to provide the community with a first-class service and performs many tasks to keep things looking as good as they do.
Any resident of the Parish can approach any member of the Parish Council to voice their concerns, make suggestions as to what might improve things in the village or comment on works carried out within the Parish boundaries. They are also invited to attend all Parish Council Meetings.
Parish Council
Morecambe Bay 2050 & beyond
New Community SurveyAs part of the ‘Our Future Coast’ project, local charity Morecambe Bay Partnership, is inviting people from all around the Bay to share their views about the future […]
Nether Kellet Parish Council – External Audit
The following documents relate to the External Audit carried out on the Nether Kellet Parish Council accounts for the year end 31.03.2025. Please click the links below to download the […]
Parish Council Annual Accounts 2024-25
NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AND PUBLICATION OF UNAUDITED ANNUAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY RETURNACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Annual Parish Council Audit 2023-24
Please click the links below to view documents relating to the external audit of the Parish Council accounts for the period 01.04.2023 to 31.03.2024 carried out by the Government appointed […]
Community Crime Prevention Event
Lancashire Community Police are hosting a crime prevention drop in session rat the Congregational Hall, at 5:30pm and 7pm, on Wed 13th March. Come along and view some security products […]
December and January bus service
* There are no planned changes to bus services in December * Bus Services revised over Christmas & New Year Please note that bus and rail services will be […]
Lancashire Adult Training
We wanted to share this training opportunity with you.Lancashire Adult Learning is working in partnership with MFC to deliver the following courses from Mazumba Stadium:Introduction to Food Safety, 1 day […]
Parish Councillor Peter Riley Retires
Councillor Riley advised the parish council at the April monthly meeting that he willno longer be standing as a parish councillor. Councillor Riley has been a valuedmember of the parish […]
Annual Audit of The Parish Council Accounts
The annual audit of the parish council accounts for the period April 2022 to March 2023 has been carried out by a qualified accounting auditor. The accounts were found to […]
City Council
Meet your local councillor
Sarah McGowan will be holding Residents’ Surgeries in Halton Social Club or Over Kellet Eagle’s Head, on the first Wednesday of the month, between 7pm – 8pm.October 2nd HaltonNovember 6th […]
Christmas 2023 bin collection
Over the Christmas period the day of your waste collections are different than usual. To confirm your collection date please refer to your calendar, or visit https://www.lancaster.gov.uk/bins-recycling. Kind regards, Lancaster City […]
County Council
Local Elections Thur 1st May 2025
Polling will open on Thur 1st May 2025, for our Lancashire County Councillor. A full list of candidates will be published after the 2nd April. While you’re waiting, check that […]
Safety Advice
Lancashire County Council have published some useful advice on safety – click here to download the leaflet.
Consumer Alerts – June 2024
Driveway scamBeware cold callers knocking on doors in the Lancaster area offering to spray your driveway to kill weeds and/or power wash your drive. One resident paid £250 and suspects […]
Consumer Alerts – May 2024
Beware roofing scam A South Ribble resident was cold called by roofers offering to carry out repair work. Shortly after, the traders stated the repair work was done and took […]
Consumer Alerts – April 2024
Beware cold callers offering tree cutting services. A householder in Bacup was cold called, the trader stating the trees in his garden were diseased and needed cutting down. The trader […]
M6 Junction 35 closure
Please see below, notification of works letter for some woodland management works at Junction 35 Carnforth. It is necessary to close the M6 southbound entry slip road as part of […]
Now card
If you haven’t used your Nowcard recently, don’t forget you can enjoy free travel with your concessionary pass. From visiting cafes and garden centres to shopping trips and evenings out, the opportunities are endless […]
Great value bus fares
Get out and about with great value bus fares or your free bus pass If you haven’t caught the bus for a while, why not take advantage of the great value […]