What is it?

A Parish Council is a type of local authority found in England which is the lowest, or first, the tier of local government. They are elected bodies and have variable tax-raising powers.

Woolaston Parish Council – What does it do?

Woolaston Parish Council is responsible either directly or as agent for the District Council for the maintenance of the cemetery, grassed areas within the village and for the administration of what have been called “Parish Lands”. Woolaston Parish Council is currently providing significant financial support for the Village Hall, though like the playing field these facilities are owned and managed through a charitable trust. Council has other duties concerning public footpaths and obstruction to rights of way. Woolaston Parish Council is notified of all planning applications, though its powers are only advisory. It is consulted on the making of certain bylaws. The Parish Council also administers some local charities.

Council Meetings – When are they?

There is a Parish Council meeting in the Memorial Hall, at 8.00 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month, apart from January and August. Any member of the public wishing to attend is welcome to attend as an observer.

The Annual Parish Meeting takes place in April and is open to any member of the public. The Agenda and dates of meetings are posted on the Parish Council notice board and on this website.

Parish Councillors – What do they do?

The Councillors represent the electors and residents in the Parish of Woolaston. All Parish Councillors work on a voluntary basis and must live within the Parish. No Parish Councillor has the right to act individually: the authority of the Council comes from the body as a whole.

The Parish Clerk – What does she do?

Parish Clerk is the Proper Officer of the Council in Law and has a number of specific duties and responsibilities in executing the resolutions of the Parish Council.  The Clerk is required to ensure that the actions of the Council are legal and implements the policies decided by the Council. Duties of the Clerk include managing resources, and the preparation and distribution of the Minutes of all meetings.  The Clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer responsible for maintaining the financial records and preparing them for audit.

Other Councils.

Forest Of Dean District Council FoDDC

Gloucestershire County Council  GCC

Woolaston Parish Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

Compliance with the Transparency Code

Woolaston Parish Council has to comply with the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities (ISBN 978-1-4098-4439-6). This code prescribes information that the PC must publish on its web site. Much of that information is already available on this site, but some is still being prepared. Below is a complete index to the information available (and still in preparation).

• Items of expenditure above £100

• End of year accounts

• Annual governance statement

• Internal audit report

• List of councillors’ responsibilities

• Public land and building assets

• Minutes, agendas and meeting papers of formal meetings

Cemetery Charges

If you would like to see a list of the current cemetery charges please go to this page.

Housing Needs Survey

In June 2009 the Parish Council commissioned a survey to determine the affordable housing needs of people who live in or have close ties to Woolaston.  The results of the survey can be found HERE.  (Opens in a new window)

An updated survey is being conducted by Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC)  on behalf of Forest of Dean District Council in 2022.