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PARISH REFERENDUMS
THE TIMETABLE 1. Collect 6 signatures, to call a
Parish or Town Meeting (use Draft Notice ).
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON ORGANISING A PARISH REFERENDUM Q. What do I have to do to get a
referendum on keeping the Pound held in my small town or parish? Q. Do the 10 people calling for a
Referendum at the Parish Meeting all need to be residents of the Parish? Q. Where can I inspect the electoral
roll? Q. How do I find out the boundaries
of my parish or town? Q. What's the procedure for calling
a Parish/Town Meeting? Q. How much notice do I have to give
of the Parish Meeting? Q. Where should the meeting be held? Q. What time of day may the Parish
Meeting be held? Q. To what extent should I publicise
the Parish Meeting? Q. What do I say at the meeting? Q. Who conducts the Parish Meeting? Q. Why do 9 people need to come with
me to the Parish Meeting? Q. If we get a successful vote to
hold a Referendum, what happens next? Q. Do I need to do anything
following the vote to hold a Referendum? Q. When will I know when the
Referendum is to be held? Q. Should I just drop leaflets
through each house, or should I door-knock? Q. Am I entitled to be at the count? Q. What do I do when the result is
announced? --------------------------------- DRAFT NOTICE OF TOWN COUNCIL/PARISH MEETING Notice of Meeting ......................................................... Parish/Town All electors of Parish/Town are hereby invited to a meeting to be held: AT (Venue ): ......................... ON (Date): .................................... TIME: ................................... p.m. The Agenda will be: ".............................................." " .....................................................(Brief detail of why the referendum is being called)........................................................................................" This meeting is called by the
undersigned six electors of this Parish: ---------------------------- COURTESY LETTER TO PARISH COUNCIL CHAIRMAN/TOWN MAYOR AND PARISH/TOWN CLERK From: Name: Address : To: I.) Parish Council Chairman/Town Mayor Dear Sir or Madam RE: Notice of Town/Parish Meeting Date: ...............................Time: ................... Venue: ........................................................ As a matter of courtesy, I am writing to confirm that today I have posted up in a prominent place in the Parish/Town, notice of a Parish/Town Meeting to be held on the above date, at the above venue. A COPY OF THE NOTICE OF MEETING IS ENCLOSED FOR YOUR ATTENTION. At the Parish Meeting, I or one of those calling the meeting will propose the following motion:
If you have any queries about the proposed Parish/Town Meeting, please contact me. Yours faithfully, ......................................................... ------------------------- MODEL RESOLUTION AND MODEL SPEECH Mr/Madam Chairman, [my Lords and Ladies (if present)], members of the Council, Ladies and Gentlemen I propose that a Parish Referendum be held, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, as soon as possible. A referendum must be called if at least 10 electors of any Town Councilor Parish call for a referendum at a Town or Parish Meeting. This may be on any subject relevant to the government and decision-making process in this country , local or national. I believe there are at least 9 other people here tonight who will support my call for the following question to be put to the electors of this Town/Parish in a Referendum: " ........................................................................ (text of the issue) ................................................................................" (Madam) Chairman: I now propose that a vote be taken on this motion: "THAT THIS PARISH/TOWN METING HEREBY REQUIRES THE DISTRICT COUNCIL TO HOLD A REFERENDUM UNDER SCHEDULE 12, PART 3, PARAGRAPH 18 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972. THE QUESTION TO BE ASKED SHALL BE: "....................................................................................................................................................?" ------------------------------------------------ LETTER TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE/GENERAL MANAGER OF DISTRICT COUNCIL, NOTIFYING REFERENDUM RESULTS From: Name: Address: To: Chief Executive/General Manager Dear Sir or Madam RE: Meeting of ________________ Parish/Town -Decision to hold a Referendum on keeping the Pound I am writing to inform you that at a meeting of the Parish/Town held on _________________ ( date ), the following motion was carried: "That this Parish/Town Meeting hereby requests the District Council to hold a Referendum under Schedule 12, Part 3, Paragraph 18 of the Local Government Act 1972. The question to be asked shall be: "________________________________________________________________?" The voting was: For: ( ); Against: ( ); Number of electors present at the meeting: ( ). The requirements for holding a Referendum in this Parish have therefore been met ( at least ten electors supporting the motion, or at least one-third of those electors present). I should be grateful if you could now hold a Parish Referendum, posing the above question, within 14 to 25 days as required under the Regulations. Please inform me as soon as possible the date on which the Referendum will be held, and the hours during which people will be able to vote. Yours faithfully, ------------------------------- The Referendum in Parishes COUNTERING OBJECTIONS You are likely to run into obstacles and objections from officials and others who want to stop these referenda taking place. Here are suggested responses to the road-blocks you are most likely to encounter. 1. This is illegal- Refer to schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972. Part III, para 18(2) says: " A poll may by demanded before the conclusion of a parish meeting on any question arising at the meeting". Note: ANY question. 2. You haven't got a majority -You don't need one. The Act is perfectly clear. If one third of those present, or ten people -whichever is the smaller number -demand a referendum it must be held. 3. This has nothing to do with the local council/local issues -There is nothing explicit in the Local Government Act 1972, schedule 12 ( or anywhere else) that says a referendum must be specifically related to local issues (and see above, question 1). Indeed, the 1980 referendum in several East Anglian parishes, including Thetford, on the siting of cruise missiles was tenuously local. More recent parish referenda on the growing of GM crops were a national issue with local consequences. In any case, it is the categoric duty of local parishes to "act as a forum for the discussion of local affairs (not issues, proposals or questions, be it noted) and to represent the interests of the local community to the district council and other local and national bodies generally". 4. This is a waste of money -On average it costs about £400 to hold a parish referendum. Even if 10,000 parishes held a referendum, the total of £4 million would represent a mere fraction of what local and national government spend on NOT asking the public. How better could we spend £400 of our own money as council-tax payers? ------------------------ THE CONDUCT OF TOWN OR PARISH MEETINGS 1. In Parish or Town Meetings parishes and towns have an unique statutory democratic institution, capable, if rightly and interestingly organised, of strengthening the influence of the council both inside the parish or town itself and in its dealings with other authorities, with government departments and with the Local Government Boundary Commission. In addition it can be used to evoke public interest in local government generally and so to overcome some of that apathy of which so much is heard- 2. Whilst it has been said that attendance at such meetings is often habitually low or non-existent, the National Association of Local Councils often knows of many cases where a high or at least a creditable attendance is normal year after year. These "good meetings" are often oases in the middle of a desert of '.bad" ones. 3. This leaflet is mainly concerned with the Annual Assembly, but paragraphs 5-9 and 12 apply to any Assembly of a Meeting. Its object is to suggest to those responsible ways of attracting larger attendances. It is based entirely on information kindly supplied by clerks and chairmen who have been successful. Law 5. All parish or town electors are entitled to speak and vote, and under The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act, 1960, the general public and the press may attend. To avoid confusion on vQting it is important to separate the electors clearly from the ordinary public. 6. The Town Mayor or Chairman of the Parish Councilor in his absence the Vice-Chairman or Deputy Mayor must preside if present; if not the meeting may appoint a chairman for the time being. Where parishes are grouped under a common council each meeting, subject to any provision in the grouping order, chooses its own chairman. 7. At least seven clear days' public
notice must be given, but if the agenda is to include any of the following items
fourteen days' notice must be given:- 8. The notice must specify the business to be done and must be signed by the conveners. The Town Mayor. the Chairman. or two parish or town councillors or six electors may act as conveners. 9. The expenses are paid by the parish or town council. 10. A few resolutions of a town or
parish meeting are necessary to or binding on the town or parish council. These
are as follows:- 11. Under the Charities Act, 1960, the accounts of parochial charities other than those for the relief of poverty must be laid by the council before the parish or town meeting. 12. No method of voting at the
meeting is laid down and therefore any convenient method may be used,
but a poll (i.e. a vote of the whole body of electors by ballot) may be claimed
before the end of the meeting and must be held if demanded by ten persons
present, or one-third of those present (whichever is the less), or if
the chairman consents. General Considerations Agendas 15. Accounts which are put before the meeting should be topical. It is better to exhibit recent unaudited accounts than to produce audited statements which are nearly always a year old and therefore irrelevant to much likely to be said at the meeting. 16. In some parishes outside speakers are invited. These can be local government officials or experts on matters likely to be of local interest. 17. It is useful to place on the agenda
a particular local public issue which is important or controversial; there are
more of these than are sometimes suspected, e.g. a village plan; planting trees
on the green; the approach of a motorway; more houses; water or sewerage
schemes; the amalgamation of charities; telephone kiosks and post-offices; bus
and train services; commons; clearing the churchyard. Publicity 19. Apart from the largely inadequate statutory publicity, many councils give a very wide circulation to their parish meeting notices. These include:-
20. Posters should be large and legible, and their design gives considerable scope for originality .Schoolchildren can sometimes be given much pleasure painting them. They need not be stereotyped. 21. One parish council always refers to its parish meeting as "The Village Conference". Arrangements at the Hall 23. It is a mistake to arrange the seating in straight rows parallel to and facing a stage. Those in front cannot see those behind; those behind see only the platform and the back of the heads of those in front; and those at the back of the hall usually have only a very imperfect vision and understanding of proceedings. It is better to arrange the chairs in a deep horseshoe or rectangle (as in the House of Commons) so that everyone can see the face of at least half the meeting and recognise the speakers. 24. Depression is apt to set in if a small meeting is held in a very large hall. While the object is to fill the very large hall, it is undoubtedly helpful to be able to screen off the empty part of a hall where necessary . 25. Stewards are desirable if a large meeting is expected. They can be allotted blocks of seats for vote counting. 26. The stewards should try to persuade people to fill up the front rows first, Otherwise late-comers invariably interrupt the proceedings by having to find seats at the front. 27. Tables and agendas should be provided for the press. Conduct of the Meeting 29. There is much to be said for allowing any subject (except those mentioned above in paragraphs 7 and 10) to be raised informally. but the electors should be encouraged to give some written notice of their intention to do so even if only by a scribbled note to the chairman during the meeting. If a matter has not been specified on the public notice no formally binding decision can be taken on it. 30. The following comment on a very successful parish meeting in Sussex deserves repetition: "The writer happened to be present ...and in his view it was largely because of the efficient manner in which the meeting was handled, the way that speakers were held to the point and brevity insisted on, that people left the meeting interested and stimulated and prepared to come again." Issued by the National Association of
Local Councils. |
