Council Elections 2021 Prospective Candidates Pack
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Council Elections 2021 Prospective candidates pack Contents Our History ............................................................................................................................ 1 2021 Elections ...................................................................................................................... 1 Town Mayor & Deputy Town Mayor ...................................................................................... 1 Committee structure .............................................................................................................. 1 Our Services & Assets .......................................................................................................... 2 Devolution ............................................................................................................................. 3 Council Staff ......................................................................................................................... 4 Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................. 5 Still have a question? ........................................................................................................ 7 Further useful links: ............................................................................................................... 7 Our History After local government re-organisation in 1974 and the demise of Penzance Borough Council and the West Penwith Rural District Council, the Charter, civic regalia and traditions of the town were maintained by the Penzance Charter Trustees until the formation of Penzance Town Council in 1980. The Council, at that time, comprised 15 members serving 5 wards in the Parish area of Penzance, which includes Newlyn, Mousehole, Paul, Gulval and Heamoor. The Council changed to 20 members in May 1999, with increased representation in the more heavily populated South, North and East Wards. 2021 Elections In the upcoming elections on 6th May, all seats across the Parish will be contested. Following the Electoral Review in 2019, the ward boundaries of the Parish have changed to: • Penzance Promenade (6 seats) • Penzance East (6 seats) • Newlyn & Mousehole (5 seats) • Heamoor & Gulval (3 seats) You can view the new ward boundaries on Cornwall Council’s interactive map. The elected Council will then serve until the first week of May 2025 (a 4 year term of office). Town Mayor & Deputy Town Mayor At its Annual Meeting held in May, Penzance Council elects the Town Mayor (Chair of the Council) and the Deputy Town Mayor at a formal ceremony usually held in St. John’s Hall, Penzance. The Town Mayor is elected annually but often, by tradition, serves for a 2 year term of office. The Town Mayor, assisted by the Deputy Town Mayor and 2 Civic Deputies, carries out the civic functions role on behalf of the Town Council and, in any given year, can be involved in between 300 to 400 engagements both in the Parish and further afield. Committee structure There is an Informal Meeting of the Council to agree the membership of the 4 Standing Committees (new Councillors are asked which 2 they would be interested in sitting on), the 1 timetable of meetings for the forthcoming municipal year and representation on a number of outside bodies. Standing Committees The Council has 4 standing Committees: • Finance & General Purposes • Leisure & Amenities • Planning • Penlee House The Committees meet once every 2 months, except for the Planning Committee who meet every 3 weeks to consult on planning applications by Cornwall Council. Full Council The Full Council meets 6 times per year and the minutes of each Committee meeting are submitted to the Full Council to be noted. The conduct of members is controlled through the National Code of Conduct and the conduct of meetings through the Council’s Standing Orders - these are the written rules of a local Council. They are used to confirm a Council's internal organisational, administrative and procurement procedures and procedural matters for meetings. Our Services & Assets Services & Assets The Council operates a number of services across the Parish as well as owning and maintaining a number of assets: • Penlee House Museum & Gallery • Penlee Park • Penlee Open Air Theatre • Penlee Coach House • Penlee Centre • Wellfields Car Park • Wherrytown Skateboard Plaza • Penzance AFC (clubhouse and pitch) • 8 allotment sites (approx 200 individual plots) • 6 public toilets • Community Toilet Scheme • War Memorials (maintenance) More information about each service can be found on our website. 2 Services we do not provide There are many statutory services that are still provided by Cornwall Council including: • Benefits • Council Tax • Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour • Environmental issues e.g. fly-tipping, street cleaning • Food Hygiene & Safety • Housing • Planning Enforcement • Road Maintenance & Parking Issues • Steret Lighting • Recycling, Rubbish & Waste • Licensing Devolution Devolution is a wonderful opportunity for partnership working. It enables our community to have more control and investment in the town and its assets. This is an exciting time to join Penzance Council - we are expanding our operational scope and structure to effectively manage the assets and facilities being devolved from Cornwall Council. In 2016, Penzance Council took over responsibility for 6 public toilets within Penzance: • Wherrytown • Alexandra Playpark • South Pier • Tourist Information Centre • Penalverne • Princess May Recreation Ground We are now planning to take on several new assets so they can be improved for everyone to enjoy. Steps have already been taken to put funding in place for the next phase of projects so that work can begin as soon as the handover from Cornwall Council happens. The next planned phase will include us taking on the management of: • Alexandra Play Park and the nearby tennis courts • Princess May Recreation Ground • Foxes Lane Play Park in Mousehole 3 Council Staff Penlee Centre The administrative centre for Penzance Council is the Penlee Centre, Penlee Park, Penzance, which is headed by the Town Clerk. Support Services Team • Support Services Manager & Responsible Finance Officer • Senior Administration Officer • Finance & Administration Officer • Communications Officer • Administration Officer/Mayor's Secretary (part-time) Leisure & Amenities Team • Leisure & Amenities Manager • Operations Officer • Facilities Officer • Community & Environmental Officer Penlee Park Penlee Park is maintained by a small team of gardeners who are part of the wider Leisure & Amenities Team: • Head Gardener • Gardener/Groundsman • Assistant Gardener • Maintenance Penlee House Penlee House Gallery & Museum is owned and operated by Penzance Council. Penlee House achieves visitor numbers of 35,000 to 40,000 per year and the staff are supported by volunteers from the Friends of Penlee House which has a membership of over 1,000. 4 Penlee House Team • Director • Deputy Director/Curator • Education & Outreach Officer • Technical Officer • Visitor Services Officer • Administrator (part-time) • Retail Manager (part-time) • 2 x Retail Assistants (part-time) • Digital Apprentice The Orangery Café, situated at Penlee House, operates on a franchise basis and provides annual income to Penlee House in support of its operation. Frequently Asked Questions What can my local Council do? The powers of a Town Council are wide and varied. The Council exists as the most localised form of government and is there to serve and represent the parish or town and their residents and electors. • Allotments • Open Spaces • Playing Fields • Parking • Public Toilets • Special Projects • War Memorial maintenance These are just some of the areas where your town council can act to improve the town, its amenities and support to local people. Town Councils also play a major role in local consultation: • County consultation on waste, tourism, education and transport • Consultation on planning in your Parish, local plans for your area, provision of services within your district and Parish • Government consultation on legislation which might affect the future of your village, town, county, region or country. • Forming local policy – neighbourhood plans and emergency plans. 5 Is becoming a Councillor worthwhile? Being a local Councillor can be a rewarding experience; here are some views from our current Councillors: "I decided that if you aren't happy with things, or if you want something changed about the way your community is run, then one way of helping to change things is to put your hat in the ring and run for election!" "Some of us go to the pub after Council meetings - it is not all grind!" "Enabling change for the better is what makes being a Councillor so rewarding." "If there've even a part of you curious about putting your name forward then I would say go for it!" Who can stand as a Councillor? You can stand to be a local Councillor if you are: • At least 18 • A British, Commonwealth, or European Citizen • Registered as a local elector or have lived, worked or owned a property in the parish for at least a year What’s involved in being a Councillor? The Town Council normally meets once every 2 months and may also hold additional meetings to discuss particular issues. You will need to attend regularly and be prepared to give time to being a Councillor. You will be asked to complete a public Register of Interests published on the Cornwall Council website, and to abide by the local council’s Code