POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Bircham Parish Council has a number of established policies and procedures that include:
Standing Orders
The Parish Council produces Standing Orders to govern the business and procedures of the Council particularly full council and committee meetings.
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Some of the Standing Orders are compulsory as they are laid down in Acts of Parliament. These Standing Orders cannot be altered, others may be set aside or altered by Resolution of the Council.
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Publication Policy
Under the Freedom of Information Act it is the duty of every public authority to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme. The Act allows any member of the public to easily access information about the parish and how it operates.
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Information you require which is not published on this website may be obtained from the Parish Clerk for which a small charge may be made.
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Code of Conduct
The Localism Act 2011 brought a system to regulate standards of conduct for elected and co-opted Councillors. Parish Councils must adopt a Code of Conduct. The code must embody the principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. The code also contains provisions for the registration and disclosure of pecuniary and other interests.
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Register of Interests
A Councillor must register what are termed “disclosable pecuniary interests” or “DPIs”. DPIs include employment, ownership of land, and business interests in your parish. The monitoring officer will make a register of interests available to the public. This rule on disclosure also applies to spouses, civil partners or cohabitees. The declaration of interests at meetings is intended to give the public confidence in the council’s decision making.
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Register
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Data Protection
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General Data Protection Regulations came into force in May 2018.
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