There are currently nine Parish Councillors representing the parish on a voluntary basis they are:-
Wentworth:
- Brendan J McNamara (Chair) – Declaration of Interest
- Johanna Annetts – Declaration of Interest
- Dan Booth – Declaration of Interest
- Stephen Peace (Vice Chair) – Declaration of Interest
- Paul Martin – Declaration of Interest
Harley:
- Cynthia Shaw – Declaration of Interest
- Valerie Sykes – Declaration of Interest
- Johnathan Knight – Declaration of Interest
- Thomas Hill – Declaration of Interest
Parish Councillors Email Addresses.
Cllr Brendan McNamara – CllrMcNamarawpc@gmail.com
Cllr Cynthia Shaw – CllrSykeswpc@gmail.com
Cllr Valerie Sykes – CllrSykeswpc@gmail.com
Cllr Johanna Annetts – Cllrannettswpc@gmail.com
Cllr Dan Booth – Cllrdboothwpc@gmail.com
Cllr Stephen Peace – Cllrpeacewpc@gmail.com
Cllr Johnathon Knight – Cllrjknightwpc@gmail.com
Cllr Thomas Hill – Cllrthillwpc@gmail.com
Cllr Paul Martin – Cllrmartinwpc@gmail.com
What do Councillors do?
Councillors are all required to attend the main Parish Council meetings and participate in committees that deal with specific areas of council business. Councillors take collective decisions that form the policy of the council.
They understand local concerns, debate issues within council meetings and use their best judgement to make decisions. They are generally unpaid but some councils approve the payment of expenses incurred whilst on official business.
The role of a Councillor is not just confined to meetings – many are active in other community areas and bring that expertise and knowledge to the council meeting to benefit all. Each of the Councillor’s have been allocated specific responsibilities within the Parish Council, in which each councillor reports back at the main Parish Council meeting. Councillors are known locally and are often asked for advice or help; it is their responsibility to seek an answer or solution through the council.
Councillors may also join lower-level committees which are part of the permanent governance of the council or working groups that are task focussed limited life bodies. Working Groups may also have members of the public sitting on them.
Parish Clerk’s Role
The clerk is employed by the Council, under section 112 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972, to provide administrative support for the Council’s activities. Any other staff, although employed by the Council, are supervised by the clerk who is their manager and is responsible for their performance. The Clerk is also the liaison for any contractors used by the Council.
The clerk’s primary responsibility is to advise the Council on whether its decisions are lawful and to recommend ways in which decisions can be implemented. To help with this, the Clerk can be asked to research topics of concern to the Council and provide unbiased information to help the Council to make appropriate choices.
The clerk has a wide range of other responsibilities which include management of all Council owned property as well as the daily running of Council administration. The clerk must recognise that the Council is responsible for all decisions and that he/she takes instructions from the Council as a body. The clerk is not answerable to any individual Councillor – not even the Chairman.
The Council must be confident that the clerk is, at all times, independent, objective and professional.
The clerk is the Council’s ‘Proper officer’ this is a title used in statute. It refers to the appropriate officer for the relevant function. In Town and Parish Councils, the proper officer is normally the clerk. In financial matters, the proper officer is known as the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO). It is not unusual for the Parish Clerk to be both the Proper officer and the RFO.
A Clerk must:-
- ensure that the Council conducts its business lawfully
- administers all the Council’s paperwork
- ensures that meeting papers are properly prepared and the public is aware of meeting times
- implements the Council’s decisions
- oversees the implementation of projects
- supervises staff & contractors as required
- keeps property registers and other legal documents
- keeps up to date by training /qualification
Roles & Responsibilities
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF ELECTED WENTWORTH PARISH COUNCILLORS 2024-2025.
Note:
Wentworth Parish Council Elections – 2 May 2024
Wentworth Ward of Wentworth Parish Council – Statement of Persons Nominated
Harley Ward of Wentworth Parish Council – Statement of Persons Nominated
Elections take place every 5 years.
The Parish Council has 11 meetings per year, there is no meeting in August. Meetings take place in the Wentworth Mechanic’s Institute in Wentworth on the third Monday of each month generally at 6.30pm. Parishioners are entitled to raise matters of concern at the meetings but the Chairman has the discretion to decide when the matter is discussed.
An Annual General Meeting takes place in May when the positions of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and representation on the Sub-Committees are decided. The main sub-committees being finance and buildings.
In March the Parish Council facilitate an Annual Assembly of the parish which is open to members of the community and enables residents to raise local issues.
The Parish Council currently has leases from the Fitzwilliam (Wentworth) Estates (the landowner) on the Wentworth and Harley Recreation Grounds.
The management of these sites has been transferred to the active village associations in Wentworth and Harley. In addition the Parish Council manages two properties in Barrowfield Gate which form part of the Willistons Gift one of the charities managed by the Parish Council. The Parish Council also manages a charity called the Constables Charity although little is known of the history of this body.
The Parish Council is allowed by statute to levy a small precept per year which is collected by the Borough Council along with the Council Tax. The Parish Council use this money to improve the amenities of the Parish.