Welcome to Mawnan Parish Council
The Parish Council is the first tier of local government covering the parish of Mawnan, which includes Mawnan Smith, Helford Passage, Durgan, Penwarne, Bareppa and Maenporth, near Falmouth.
The Council provides services for, and manages and maintains the assets of Mawnan Parish, within the resources provided by the annual precept and other incomes, taking into account the wishes of the residents and the need to obtain value for money.
We set ourselves high standards of governance, which in recent years have produced significant benefits, including :-
- Producing the Council’s Parish Plan
- Achieving Quality Council Accreditation Mawnan Parish Council, Mawnan Smith, Cornwall
- Assisting the Mawnan Junior Playing Field and Carwinion Playing Field Trusts in obtaining grant funding to invest in new facilities and equipment
- Entering the 2006/07 and 2007/08 Calor English Village of the Year Competitions
The Council is based in an office, within Berry & Co, Goldmartin Square, Mawnan Smith. The office is manned every Thursday and Friday morning, and the Clerk is available to meet members of the public between 10.00am and 12.00 Noon.
Annual Community Award
Mawnan Parish Council has instigated an annual award for a member of the community who, in the opinion of the Council has made an exceptional contribution to the social, welfare and wellbeing of the community. The award is restricted to full residents of the Parish of Mawnan and the recipient will be decided by the Parish Council.
The council wishes to hear from any resident or residents of the Parish who wish to nominate an individual for this award in recognition of their significant contributions to the community.
Criteria:
1.The potential recipient must reside within the Parish of Mawnan.
2.The nomination must be made by residents of the Parish of Mawnan
3 The nomination must be supported by two further Parishioners who can verify the
validity of the information.
4.No active serving member of Mawnan Council may be eligible for the award.
5 The award will be decided in private by the full Council and will be final.
6. The Council reserves the right not to present the award if no suitable nomination
has been made in any one year
Nominations should be in writing and no longer than one side of A4. They should be addressed to the Clerk at The Council Office, Goldmartin Square, Mawnan Smith, TR11 5EP. The award will be presented at the Annual Parish Meeting in May.
Closing date 31st March 2012.
What the Parish Council Does
The Parish Council undertakes a range of local responsibilities :-
- Provision of grant funding for the Maintenance of the Junior Playing Field and Carwinion Playing Fields
- Provision of the Public Toilets in Mawnan Smith
- Support, including donations, for many local organisations
- Representation on a number of other local groups and charities
- Offering observations to the Planning Authority (Cornwall Council) upon planning applications affecting land or property within the parish
- Lobbying hard for improvements in infrastructure and public services
- Maintenance of Public Rights of Way and parts of the South West Coastal Path (partnership arrangement with the Cornwall Council)
- Highways Weed Control in Mawnan Smith (partnership arrangement with Cornwall Council's Highways Department)
Please refer to our Newsletters and Council Minutes to read our current objectives.
Composition of the Parish Council
The Parish Council comprises 10 elected Councillors (also called members), who are volunteers drawn from the local community, plus a salaried clerk (also called an officer). Councillors are normally elected every four years, although the next elections have been delayed until 2013, to coincide with the second Unitary (“One Cornwall”) Elections. The Council’s Chairman and Vice-Chairman are elected each May, from among Councillors.
Currently, all Parish Councillors in Mawnan are “independents”, in that they do not represent any political parties, but instead the general interest of the local community. However, there is nothing to prevent candidates from political parties from standing for election to the Council.
Meetings
Parish Council meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month (with no meeting in August) at 7.30 p.m. in the Memorial Hall, Mawnan Smith. Additionally, there is a Finance Committee Meeting early each December, which makes recommendations in respect of the Council’s Budget and Precept for the following year.
Dates of meetings can be found on this web site, and notices are displayed on the notice board at least three days beforehand.
All meetings are open to the public, other than when confidential business is being considered. At the start of every meeting there is an opportunity for the public to comment on agenda items. At the end of every Parish Council meeting there is a further public discussion period. Here people have the opportunity to bring up any matters which may be of concern or interest to the community as a whole.
Agendas, Draft Minutes, Annual Reports, Newsletters and other information are all available on the notice board, and from the Parish Council office. Most documents can also be found on this web site.
Residents' views
The Council welcomes the views of residents on all local issues. Such views may be expressed in writing to the Clerk to the Council, using the Contact Form on this web site. Alternatively, residents may call to see him at the Council Office on Thursday or Friday mornings.
Should you wish to discuss any matter with a Parish Councillor, feel free to approach any of the Councillors whose contact details are set out on this web site.
Keeping You Informed
The Council publishes an Annual Report in April/May each year, together with newsletters and various information leaflets. The Annual Report is distributed to every household. All of the above documents are available on the web site and notice board.
It has recently developed strategy documents for Community Engagement and Democracy & Citizenship, and also has adopted a Publication Scheme, under the Freedom of Information Act. Details of classes of documents, which may be inspected and copied and are displayed here on the web site. For further information please contact the Clerk to the Council.
Policies and Procedures
The way that the Council meetings operate is determined by its Standing Orders, and there are also Financial Regulations which set out how its finances will operate, including its policy on tenders and contracts. All Councillors must abide by the Council’s Code of Conduct, which includes a requirement for Councillors to declare various interests.
The Council also maintains an Asset Register, containing details of everything it owns. A Risk Assessment document has been drawn up, to ensure that the Council has taken the necessary steps to protect its assets, and to ensure its continuing operation and financial viability.
If required, there is a Complaints Procedure, although we hope that no-one will ever need to use this. Complaints concerning the Council, members, officers, or its procedures or administration should initially be put in writing to the Clerk or Chairman.
Partnership
There are some matters that are dealt with more effectively by the different tiers of local government working together. Mawnan Parish Council collaborates with the Cornwall Council on issues such as housing, planning, policing, etc. The Parish Council is also a member of the Cornwall Association of Local Councils (CALC), a grouping of Parish and Town Councils, which works for the general good of the county.
The Council has links with local voluntary organisations, and is always eager to forge new ones. Any such organisation may have copies of Agendas and Minutes on request. Organisations are encouraged to give a brief report on their year at the Annual Parish Meeting, which is held each April, immediately prior to the April Council meeting. Details are displayed beforehand, both on this web site and the notice board.
Budget
The Council’s annual (April to March) budget is set in December the previous year, when present and future needs of the Parish are discussed, and priorities agreed and costed. Cornwall Council collects the parish precept through the Council tax, and provides this to the Parish Council the precept in two instalments during the year.