Council, Alvechurch Parish Council

Alvechurch Parish Council’s Mission Statement

What does your Parish Council do all year?

A good question! The standard answer is that we are the first tier (local council) of a three tier system of local government, with Bromsgrove District Council, and Worcestershire County Council (local authorities) being the next two tiers, all elected by people in the area.

Parish and Town Councils were formed by an act of parliament in 1894, to look after the interests of those who live within the parish/town community, with the District and County Councils being responsible for health, police, education, planning, litter, public transport & highways amongst other things.

Parish and Town Councils do however have a wide and varied range of powers in relation to the provision of services and facilities which can and does bring direct benefit to the local community.

What we are not is possibly easier to list.

We are nothing to do with the church, who are governed by Parochial Councils (PCC)
We are not politically affiliated
We are not “residents” associations or “lobby” groups
Parish councillors are not paid

However, what we do is represent the residents who live within our Parish in matters of local government. Some of these include:

Local Planning (which covers anything from satellite dishes to new developments and roads)
Economic development
Environmental matters
Community projects
Leisure and recreation
Contact with the District and County Council
Complaints(!)
Information and advice

As Alvechurch continues to grow and prosper, the representational aspect becomes increasingly more important. Decisions taken by the District and County Councils may vitally affect the quality of life within our town, therefore the role of the Parish Council is of utmost importance.

Parish Council Services

The Parish Council Office opens from 9am – 2pm Monday – Thursday for information and advice. Among the services we provide are:

Allotments
Managing the playing fields and children’s play equipment at The Meadows, Hopwood and Rowney Green
Footpath lighting and minor highways work
Keeping the Alvechurch village centre clean
Upkeep of community buildings at Rowney Green and Hopwood
Grants to community organisations especially The Lounge
Grit and dog bin supply and servicing
Advice and opinion on building/housing
Making representations to the District and County for the benefit of the parish, for example on planning issues
Leading Neighbourhood Planning for the parish
Looking after the car park at the Social Club (daytime)

Note. The Wiggin Memorial Playing Fields are always open for visitors on foot. The car park gates are closed from time to time as a precaution against unauthorised encampments. The Parish Council receives regular information from the Police and the District Council on movements that might put the meadows and other playing fields at risk of invasion. The car park gates are opened when the risk is judged to be low.

The Parish Council is committed to providing value for money and friendly, responsive services to all Parishioners.