Parish Councils (Hansard, 23 July 2004)

§ Mr. Raynsford

Pursuant to my answer of 29 June 2004,Official Report, column 228W, in the following table are revised lists of parish council's main statutory functions.

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Powers and duties of parish councils
Function	Powers and duties	Statutory provisions
Bye-laws	Power to make bye-laws in regard to pleasure grounds Cycle parks Baths and washhouses Open spaces and burial grounds Mortuaries and post-mortem rooms Public Conveniences	Public Health Act 1875, s. 164 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s. 57(7) Public Health Act 1936, s. 223 Open Spaces Act 1906, ss. 15 and 12 Public Health Act 1936, s. 198 Public Health Act 1936, s. 87
Clocks	Power to provide public clocks	Parish Councils Act 1957, s. 2
Closed churchyards	Powers as to maintenance	Local Government Act 1972, s. 215
Commons	Power for parish council to contribute to expense relating to scheme for the regulation and management of a common	Commons Act 1899, s. 5
Common pastures	Powers in relation to providing common pasture	Smallholdings and Allotments Act 1908, s. 34
Conference facilities	Power to provide and encourage the use of facilities	Local Government Act 1972, s. 144
Community centres	Power to provide and equip buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or recreational objectives	Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 s. 19
Crime prevention	Powers to install and maintain equipment and establish and maintain a scheme for detection or prevention of crime	Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s. 31
Drainage	Power to deal with ponds and ditches	Public Health Act 1936, s. 260
Entertainment and the Arts	Provision of entertainment and support of the arts	Local Government Act 1972, s. 145
Financial assistance	Duty to require information	Local Government Act 1872, s. 137A
General powers	Power to incur expenditure for certain purposes	Local Government Act 1972, s. 137
Gifts	Power to accept	Local Government Act 1972, s. 139
Highways	Power to maintain footpaths and bridle-ways Power to light roads and public places Provision of litter bins Powers to provide parking places for bicycles and motor-cycles, and other vehicles Power to enter into agreement as to dedication and widening Power to provide roadside seats and shelters Consent of parish council required for ending maintenance of highway at public expense, or for stopping up or diversion of highway	Highways Act 1980, ss. 43, 50 Parish Councils Act 1957, s. 3; Highways Act 1980, s. 301 Litter Act 1983, ss. 5,6 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, ss. 57, 63 Highways Act 1980, ss. 30, 72 Parish Councils Act 1957, s. 1 Highways Act 1980, ss. 47, 116 Highways Act 1980, s. 130 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s. 72 Highways Act 1980, s. 96
	Power to complain to highway authority as to unlawful stopping up or obstruction of highway or unlawful encroachment on roadside wastes
	Power to provide traffic signs and other objects or devices warning of danger
	Power to plant trees and lay out grass verges etc. and to maintain them
Investments	Power to participate in schemes of collective investment	Trustee Investments Act 1961, s. 11
Land	Power to acquire by agreement, to appropriate, to dispose of Power to accept gifts of land	Local Government Act 1972, ss. 124, 126, 127 Local Government Act 1972, s. 139
Litter	Provision of receptacles	Litter Act 1983, ss. 5,6
Lotteries	Powers to promote	Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976, s. 7
Mortuaries and post mortem rooms	Powers to provide mortuaries and post mortem rooms	Public Health Act 1936, s. 198
Open spaces	Power to acquire land and maintain	Public Health Act 1875, s. 164
		Open Spaces Act 1906, ss. 9 and 10
Parish documents	Powers to direct as to their custody	Local Government Act 1972, s. 226
Public buildings and village hall	Power to provide buildings for public meetings and assemblies	Local Government Act 1972, s. 133
Public conveniences	Powers relating to provision of public conveniences	Public Health Act 1936, s. 87
Recreation	Power to acquire land for or to provide public walks, pleasure grounds and open spaces and to manage and control them. Power to provide gymnasiums, playing fields, holiday camps Provision of boating pools	(see Local Government Act 1972, Sched. 14 para. 27) Public Health Act 1875. s. 164 Public Health Acts Amendment Act 1890 s. 44 Open Spaces Act 1906, ss. 9 and 10 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, s. 19 Public Health Act 1961, s. 54
Town and country planning	Right to be notified of planning applications	Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Sched. 1. para. 8
Tourism	Power to encourage visitors and provide conference and other facilities	Local Government Act 1972, s. 144
Traffic calming	Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes	Highways Act 1980, s.274A

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Powers and duties of parish councils
Function	Powers and duties	Statutory provisions
Transport	Powers in relation to car-sharing schemes, taxi fare concessions and information about transport Powers to make grants for bus services	Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s. 26, 28 and 29 Transport Act 1985, s. 106A
War memorials	Power to maintain, repair, protect and alter war memorials	War Memorials (Local Authorities' Powers) Act 1923, s.1; as extended by Local Government Act 1948, s. 133
Water Supply	Power to utilise well, spring or stream and to provide facilities for obtaining water from them	Public Health Act 1936, s. 125