How your Parish Council works

The South Wonston Parish Council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish. The responsibilities of the Parish Council are varied and specified by Acts of Parliament. 

It is the level government closest to the community, with the district authority (Winchester City Council) above it in the hierarchy.

As it is the closest to the people, Parish Councils are invariably the first place people will go with concerns and ideas.

South Wonston Parish Council covers both South Wonston and the staff accommodation at Worthy Down.

Parish Councils have to comply with many Local Authority regulations such as NALC’s Standing Orders, Data Protection Policy, Risk Management to name but a few.

The councillors are governed by a mandatory code of conduct which includes an obligation to act in an appropriate way.

Internal and external audits are carried out each year and our Annual Accounts are published by an Independent Accountant every year.

The Parish Council employs two part-time members of staff to manage the day-to-day operations, and there are eight unpaid councillors who are elected every four years.

There are three main components to the councillors' work:
• Management of the precept budget and reserve allocation.
• Monitoring the efficiency and effectiveness of services.
• Being involved locally both in meeting the wider community and engaging with local organisations and agencies.

There is currently one committee:- The Pavilion and Recreation Ground Committee and one working party:- The Sustainability and Climate Change Working Party.

One councillor also represents the Parish Council on the Village Hall Management Committee.

The Parish Council is supported by a Responsible Financial Officer.

The officer works as part of a team with the councillors to serve the residents and business of South Wonston. They draw up and approve agendas for meetings, giving the appropriate notice, and ensure minutes of meetings are recorded accurately. They implement the decisions of the council, as well as provide independent, objective and professional advice, information and administrative support to the council.

Meetings are usually held in the Pavilion at the South Wonston Recreation Ground on the second Monday of each month except August. Agendas for meetings are posted on the website:- (www.southwonston-pc.gov.uk) Village Stores/Village Hall/Recreation Ground notice boards and Facebook.

There is Public Participation soon after the start of each meeting, each speaker will be designated three minutes to speak and cannot exceed 3 minutes.

The Annual General Meeting of the Council is held each year in May, when elections for Chair, Vice-Chair and Committee Chair are held.

The Annual Parish Meeting is held between March and May each year and is a meeting which all electors of the parish can attend. The purpose of this meeting is to allow the Parish Council to provide parishioners with an update on its activities during the previous year. It also enables electors to speak about anything they consider important.