We were also the first Parish to acquire a village green. In our case, it is a Millennium Village Green and running this site is one of the things that Parish Councils can take an active part in. Because it is such a visible community hub, it improves the life of rural areas by serving as a meeting place and is a good location for hosting events for local people. The Village Hall Committee is another key part of a local area and it is important to understand who runs it, how it works and what it’s used for.
There are some real gains to be made. In my capacity, I was also able to delay the expansion of Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment. I was able to use the fact that I was a local Parish Councillor in a Parish that would be affected by the expansion, but had not been formally consulted about proposals. As a result, the planning committee delayed work there for several months.
National Election Agent, Chris Rose, and the Association of Green Councillors have issued advice to anyone who is going to sit on a parish council.
The advice includes:
• Building a network and distributing a Ward Newsletter every 4-6 months.
• Never underestimating what a sense of humour can achieve in leaflets and canvassing.
• Contacting voters new to the Ward by letter.
It is also important not to ignore first-time voters, and to make sure that all casework is picked up and followed through.
You may find in some rural areas, however, that the point of contact with people is more dispersed than casework alone. Local meetings, fetes, campaigns, Parish meetings, etc., which are an alternative way of “gentle” canvassing, mean that you can meet certain village people on a regular basis. It makes little sense to then go and knock on their door as well.
The distances involved will make it difficult to concentrate all the human resources of a local Green Party into a single Ward. This makes building up a network of supporters on the spot - who are willing to give practical assistance - crucially important.
The Parish Council Team can send you a new booklet called Act on CO2 Parish and Town Councils: Ways to Tackle Climate Change, published by DEFRA and Philip Woolas MP, Minister for the Environment.
Parish Councillors can also help local areas to get S106 money from developers for play areas, affordable homes, maybe even environmental improvements like cycle paths.
There is a also a guidebook about the role of Parish Councillors, which advises about what is involved and the duties and responsibilities of a Parish Councillor: The Parish Councillor’s Guide by Paul Clayden, 2003,
published by Shaw and Sons.
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