Parish Charter

How local city, town and parish councils and meetings work together with North Yorkshire Council for the benefit of local people in North Yorkshire.

The Parish Charter sets out how local city, town and parish councils and parish meetings and North Yorkshire Council aim to work together for the benefit of local people in North Yorkshire.

A representative group of parish councillors and clerks have worked together with officers from across North Yorkshire Council to establish a new way of working and to confirm existing good practice.

The Parish Charter has been adopted at the Executive meeting on 18 July 2023.

The charter lays out how North Yorkshire Council and the parish sector will work together in partnership to:

  • promote and protect social, economic and environmental well-being for the benefit of our local communities, to ensure vibrancy and future sustainability
  • strive to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote equality of opportunity
  • promote an active democracy to ensure all members of every North Yorkshire community are able to have a say in our future and to help develop a shared vision, identity and sense of belonging
  • welcome all feedback and aim to act quickly and efficiently to address issues within their power
  • respect and promote the role of both elected and co-opted councillors as representatives of their communities through positive communication, leadership and engagement, all undertaken to high ethical standards
  • give importance and recognition to issues and ideas raised at each level of local government
  • ensure efficient, effective and value for money management, supported by adequate training

Development of the Parish Charter will be ongoing and implementation and monitoring of its effectiveness will be undertaken by the North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group and the document will be updated as required.

The Parish Charter

Foreword/Welcome

Foreword: Representatives from Parish Councils involved in the co-production of the Parish Charter

The Parish Charter Review Group is pleased to support this Charter which seeks to set out the arrangements for partnership working between North Yorkshire Council and local City, Town and Parish Councils, and Parish Meetings. Each is responsible for providing local services to the residents of North Yorkshire and we recognise that close working relationships between North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector can only lead to better delivery of these services for our residents.

The review of the Charter is an ongoing commitment, and this latest version reflects the work undertaken in the last year.

Whilst it remains the right of each parish sector council or meeting to determine whether or not it wishes to support the principles identified within the Charter, the potential benefits to local communities should encourage all parishes and North Yorkshire Council to work collaboratively.

The Parish Charter Review Group

The Parish Charter Review Group has been supported by the Yorkshire Local Councils Associations and is made up of representatives from local councils nominated by the various Yorkshire Local Councils Associations Branches across North Yorkshire.

Foreword: Leader of North Yorkshire Council

As we move forward, the role of Parish and Town Councils and Parish Meetings remains central to our vision for a connected, resilient, and empowered North Yorkshire. These local bodies are the foundation of our communities, providing vital representation and delivering services that matter most to residents.

The Parish Charter reflects our shared commitment to collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. It has been co-produced with representatives from the Parish Sector and builds on the foundations laid during the formation of North Yorkshire Council in 2023. The Charter is not just a document, it is a living framework that evolves based on the needs of our communities.

We recognise the importance of local voices in shaping decisions and delivering services. Through this Charter, we reaffirm our pledge to work in partnership with the Parish Sector to strengthen local democracy, support community-led initiatives, and ensure that every part of North Yorkshire benefits from fair and effective governance.

As Leader of North Yorkshire Council, I am proud to support this Charter and look forward to continuing our work together to build a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.

Councillor Carl Les
Leader of North Yorkshire Council

1.0 Context

1.1 North Yorkshire Council was formed on 1 April 2023, following Local Government Reorganisation, which resulted in the abolition of North Yorkshire County Council and seven district and borough councils.

1.2 North Yorkshire Council aims to work in ways that offer:

  • improved efficiency and effectiveness of local government services
  • reduced duplication, bringing together services and making savings
  • a local office in every district area
  • a range of local customer access points across North Yorkshire
  • a council of 90 councillors, representing 89 divisions
  • six local area committees
  • community partnerships to support the needs and aspirations of towns and surrounding areas
  • ways of working which empower the Parish Sector

1.3 When establishing the new North Yorkshire Council, the importance of the Parish Sector and the need for effective partnership working to achieve its vision and aims was recognised from the outset, and prioritised. This was demonstrated by the adoption of the Parish Charter in July 2023.

The importance of close working with Parishes has been reaffirmed in the Council Plan 2025 to 2029.

1.4 Transformation projects have been established to improve efficiency of services and join up services in a way that makes sense to residents, businesses, Parishes, and communities. Maximising the benefits of bringing eight councils into one to improve services continues through North Yorkshire Council’s transformation programme.

1.5 The Parish Charter defines the relationship between North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector and sets out how the principal authority and Parish authorities will work together in partnership across all areas of the council.

1.6 It was agreed that the development of the Charter should be a staged process, with ongoing consultation with the Parish Sector and learning from experiences. This will be supported by a regular review, monitoring and update process.

1.7 It is recognised that there are a number of key areas that North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector will wish to develop more detailed working relationships. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • community partnerships
  • parish liaison
  • community rights
  • local devolution of services (for example grass cutting) and asset transfer
  • consistency of financial arrangements
  • improving communication
  • parish sector elections and polls
  • planning
  • resilience planning and emergency response, for example, flooding
  • training and advice

1.8 It is recognised this document is very much a working document. North Yorkshire Council commits to working with Parish representatives to develop and review the document, as a whole, the areas listed above, and other areas, on an ongoing basis to ensure it stays relevant and fit for purpose.

1.9 Parish and town councils are the most local level of government in England. Collectively, they are often referred to as local councils. County, district and unitary authorities, by contrast, are often referred to in legislation and guidance as principal authorities.

1.10 In this document the term 'Parish Sector' is used to encompass all the various arrangements by which Parishes operate. More information about different arrangements is provided in Appendix 1.

1.11 There are currently 572 Parish Sector organisations in North Yorkshire Council’s geography. This includes those Parishes arranged in groups and the smaller Parish Meetings. There are 729 civil Parishes in the North Yorkshire Council geography.

1.12 Parishes may work together with neighbouring Parishes on local issues or to run a grouped or joint project for their communities.

1.13 More formal changes to Parishes require a Community Governance Review (CGR). This is a review of the whole or part of an authority’s area to consider one or more of the following:

  • the creation, merger, alteration, or abolition of parishes;
  • the naming of parishes and the style of new parishes;
  • the electoral arrangements for parishes (that is, the ordinary year of election council size, number of councillors to be elected to the council and parish warding)
  • the grouping or de-grouping of parishes

1.14 Further information on Community Governance Review’s can be found at Community Goverance Reviews Guidance.

2.0 Introduction

2.1 The purpose of this Charter is to define the relationship between North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector. It has been designed to facilitate effective partnership working and understanding between these two tiers of local government within North Yorkshire.

2.2 It sets out a framework for defining and developing joint principles to enable North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector to work effectively together to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of North Yorkshire.

2.3 North Yorkshire Council acknowledges that the Parish Sector is the grassroots level of local government. The Parish Sector acknowledges the strategic role and responsibilities of North Yorkshire Council. The Parish Sector and North Yorkshire Council recognise each other as independent authorities legitimised through the democratic process and legal independence.

2.4 North Yorkshire Council supports and encourages the development of the Parish Sector as democratically accountable bodies having local governance responsibilities and local representational authority to shape the decisions that affect their communities.

2.5 North Yorkshire Council recognises the potential for the devolvement of appropriate services and decision-making responsibilities and will support this devolvement by mutual agreement to the Parish Sector. This will be where the sector has the ability to discharge them, and where an appropriate financial approach can be agreed with North Yorkshire Council.

2.6 North Yorkshire Council will encourage the Parish Sector to adopt recognised good governance standards. These include standards set by National Association of Local Councils (NALC) in their Local Council Award Scheme.

2.7 The Parish Sector will ensure that North Yorkshire Council is informed about relevant local issues of which they are aware to support its decision-making as appropriate.

2.8 The implementation of the Charter, and its effectiveness, will be monitored by the North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group and the document will be updated as required. The terms of reference of the North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group are attached at Appendix 2.

3.0 Partnership working

3.1 The former North Yorkshire County Council’s submission to government for the establishment of a unitary council put forward a case for a locality-based delivery model. This model is now embedded, and documented in the Council Plan 2025 to 2029.

3.2 The parish sector and North Yorkshire Council will work together to seek mutually acceptable solutions to issues. The Parish Liaison Team has been established within North Yorkshire Council to support this.

3.3 North Yorkshire Council’s Parish Liaison Team arrange formal Parish liaison meetings across all of North Yorkshire, where all Parish councils have the opportunity to attend. These are based on Area Committee boundaries.

3.4 North Yorkshire Council recognises the need for strong and successful partnership working with the Parish Sector as a specific group. This can only be achieved if all partners understand and respect each other’s roles and work co-operatively to serve and benefit their diverse communities.

3.5 It is acknowledged that many Parishes have very limited resources, and that North Yorkshire Council is committed to delivering improved efficiency and effectiveness in services, reducing duplication, and achieving savings. Effective partnership working is key in managing this.

3.6 North Yorkshire Council recognises that Parish Sector organisations across North Yorkshire are:

  • bodies which draw on their local democratic accountability and expertise to take decisions and actions, and to collaborate with responsible bodies including North Yorkshire council and other public sector bodies, to benefit their communities
  • key providers of some local public services, as authorised by statute
  • facilitators and supporters of action by the wider community, providing resources, encouragement and a ‘stamp of approval’ to community initiatives

3.7 North Yorkshire Council recognises the community leadership role and responsibilities of the Parish Sector in response to ultra-local priorities set out in a range of plans and programmes.

3.8 The Parish Sector recognises the strategic role and responsibilities of North Yorkshire Council and its priorities as set out in its Council Plan.

3.9 North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector will work together in partnership to:

  • promote and protect social, economic and environmental well-being for the benefit of our local communities, to ensure vibrancy and future sustainability
  • strive to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote equality of opportunity
  • promote an active democracy to ensure all members of every North Yorkshire community are able to have a say in their future and to help develop a shared vision, identity and sense of belonging
  • welcome all feedback and aim to act quickly and efficiently to address issues within their power
  • respect and promote the role of both elected and co-opted councillors as representatives of their communities through positive communication, leadership, and engagement, all undertaken to high ethical standards
  • give importance and recognition to issues and ideas raised at each level of local government
  • ensure efficient, effective and value for money management, supported by adequate training

3.10 North Yorkshire Council is working to establish a network of community partnerships which will involve local people, partners and communities coming together to act as local agents for economic and social change. They will be places of collaboration between businesses, the public sector and local community groups and organisations.

3.11 Community partnerships will see a range of local stakeholders working in partnership on matters of shared interest and this will include the Parish Sector as part of these local multi-agency partnerships. As Parishes will play an important role in these partnerships, updates on their progress will be presented as appropriate.

4.0 Communication

4.1 Effective communication is the basis for any successful working relationship, it needs to be a two-way process utilising a variety of methods. The Yorkshire Local Councils Associations has an important role in facilitating communication and providing coordinated feedback and training.

4.2 North Yorkshire Council will:

  • use a variety of methods to communicate with the parish sector - selecting the most effective method, dependent on the issue and which parish sector organisations are impacted
  • make best use of the information technology available to promote quick and efficient communication, recognising that many people involved with parishes do so on a voluntary basis and may require additional time to respond
  • respond to enquiries and reported issues from the parish sector within prescribed timescales. unless otherwise stated, this is to acknowledge communications within five working days of receipt and provide a full response (if required) as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within 20 working days. If this is not possible an explanation will be given as to why, along with an indication of when a full reply will be provided
  • the extended 20 working day timescale is to allow further time which may be required to undertake site visits, investigations, consultation or research
  • ensure working arrangements with the parish sector are reviewed regularly via parish liaison engagement and the North Yorkshire parish charter review group
  • notify the parish sector via email of all programmed maintenance and improvement schemes relating to highways and other matters of significant impact within their boundaries
  • circulate notification of the publication of area committee agendas and papers on our website to parish clerks at the same time as they are sent to our members
  • provide opportunities for members of the public, including elected members (councillors) and parish clerks, to ask a question or make a statement at the start of ordinary meetings (executive and committees), if notice, including the full text of the question or statement, has been given in writing or email to the named contact on the agenda papers no later than midday three working days before the day of the meeting
  • endeavour to respond to any invitation from the parish sector to speak at meetings on matters of mutual interest
  • ensure that registers of interest for parish councillors are published on North Yorkshire Council’s website, in accordance with the Localism Act 2011. The forms should be provided to North Yorkshire Council by the parish councils to enable the council to publish them. Parish councils must, as a legal requirement, also publish their registers of interests on their own website if they have one

4.3 The Parish Sector will:

  • make every effort to attend and be represented at relevant North Yorkshire Council meetings, events and training opportunities when invited
  • make best use of the information technology available to them to communicate with North Yorkshire Council
  • encourage councillors to have access to and use of electronic communication
  • where practicable, support, provide and encourage all clerks to have access to a computer owned by the relevant parish sector body and a dedicated parish sector body account email (rather than personal)
  • send a substantive reply to correspondence from North Yorkshire Council within 28 working days (not including responses to consultation documents), unless there are exceptional reasons why this cannot happen
  • provide up to date contact details/ changes to contact details for parish clerks, chairs and councillors to North Yorkshire Council’s democratic services team in a timely manner
  • provide up to date registers of interest information for parish councillors to North Yorkshire Council’s democratic services team in a timely manner (contact details are in appendix 3)
  • use a variety of appropriate methods to communicate and consult with communities, such as, through setting up group chats using messaging apps, village magazines, noticeboards and flyers
  • raise any issues relating to dissatisfaction with North Yorkshire Council’s actions, the response to a request for information, or failures to consult, by contacting arishliaison@northyorks.gov.uk, noting that these issues can also be raised with the relevant councillor of North Yorkshire Council
  • note that comments relating to services provided in a particular area can be considered by the relevant area committee as part of their agenda and work programme setting (details are in appendix 3)
  • when making non-urgent highway defect reports, do this via the council's online reporting system (more information is available in appendix 3)
  • provide the opportunity for North Yorkshire Council officers and members to speak at meetings on matters of mutual interest

5.0 Consultation and engagement

5.1 North Yorkshire Council will:

  • undertake statutory consultation with the parish sector including planning, licensing and highways
  • engage with the parish sector on key issues that are likely to affect or be of particular interest to their area
  • follow government practice and allow 12 weeks for consultation where possible, unless there are significant reasons why this cannot be achieved, and these reasons are detailed
  • provide the parish sector with sufficient information to enable them to reach an informed view on matters upon which they are being consulted
  • support the engagement process through North Yorkshire Council councillors
  • take account of the views of the parish sector during the North Yorkshire Council budget setting process, providing information in a timely manner
  • provide briefing or training sessions to the parish sector on complex consultation issues and where capacity allows
  • provide feedback to the parish sector on the results of consultations
  • use plain English and keep information jargon-free when consulting with the parish sector
  • offer information in different formats where that is appropriate
  • if the council seeks support from parishes to publicise campaigns or consultations, clear information should be included regarding the request. in addition, appropriate resources and practical support will be provided for example, printing

5.2 The Parish Sector will:

  • provide a representative at North Yorkshire Council engagement meetings, whenever practicable to do so
  • recognise the strategic role of North Yorkshire Council in tackling issues that look beyond individual parish boundaries
  • respond within consultation deadlines wherever possible

6.0 Finance

6.1 Financial arrangements will be informed by the overarching principles of fairness, efficiency and transparency.

6.2 North Yorkshire Council will:

  • consult the parish sector on proposed changes to service provision and on budget implications in a timely manner
  • provide information in a timely manner, such as the tax base, to support and assist the parish sector in determining their precepts
  • pay the precept to the parish sector in two equal instalments, on the last working day of April and last working day of September (any precept under £5,000 would be paid in one instalment at the end of April)

6.3 The Parish Sector will:

  • provide precept information by the deadline
  • be responsible for the full cost of any Parish by-election within their Parish, in-line with the approved North Yorkshire policy for recharges of Parish by-elections in place from time to time

7.0 Local services and assets

7.1 Parish Sector organisations are able to own assets and provide some local services within their area. Many Parish Sector organisations already own assets and provide/operate a range of services, including parks, playing fields, cemeteries, closed churchyards, and allotments.

7.2 North Yorkshire Council will:

  • work with the Parish Sector to consider devolution opportunities to maintain their own local services and assets if they wish to do so, and where it is practicable for them - this will exclude decision making on matters such as planning applications and traffic regulation orders and a range of services which the North Yorkshire Council are not able to delegate because of their particular statutory nature, such as children’s education and social care
  • consider, in accordance with relevant legislation and the council’s own devolution/ community asset transfer arrangements, proposals for the transfer of locally based services and assets to the Parish Sector

7.3 The Parish Sector will:

  • manage, maintain and resource the provision of local services and assets, where these have been agreed through the devolution process with North Yorkshire Council

8.0 Practical support

8.1 North Yorkshire Council offers practical support to the Parish Sector in a number of areas. The following sets out some of the practical support available to the Parish Sector at the current time:

  • parish liaison
  • community rights
  • local devolution/community asset transfers
  • grant funding opportunities
  • procurement
  • streetlighting
  • developing plans and strategies
  • code of conduct complaints (standards complaints)
  • North Yorkshire Councillors

Parish liaison

8.2 Parish Liaison and Local Devolution Team, including Democratic Services’ Local Area Team, provides practical support to all Parish Sector organisations. This includes a single point of contact, communication and engagement (including a dedicated website), resolving general queries, together with governance and democratic advice/support.

Community rights

8.3 Provide advice, guidance and support to the Parish Sector on their rights in respect of Community Right to Bid, Community Right to Challenge and the Community Right to Build as set out in the Localism Act 2011.

Local devolution

8.4 In accordance with relevant legislation, work with the Parish Sector to consider devolution opportunities to maintain their own local services and assets if they wish to do so, and where it is practicable for them.

This will be managed through the council’s own devolution/ community asset transfer arrangements.

Grant funding and partnership opportunities

8.5 Provide a point of contact for support and possible grant funding and partnership opportunities linked to community-based projects.

Procurement

8.6 Consider requests for collaborative procurement opportunities. Be open to discussion with the Parish Sector regarding access to some services (such as printing, procurement, and training) at an agreed price and, where appropriate, subject to a suitable form of agreement. A link to the procurement pipeline for North Yorkshire Council is available in Appendix 3.

Streetlighting

8.7 Offer the ability to discuss options for street lighting energy and maintenance where possible on a case-by-case basis and following an assessment (this applies to Parish Sector authorities only).

Developing plans and strategies (including Community Emergency Plans)

8.8 Provide a first point of contact when the Parishes are developing or refreshing plans and strategies, such as Parish and neighbourhood plans, and consider whether there are areas of a Parish plan where it could help the Parish Sector.

8.9 Provide the Parish Sector with advice and guidance to develop a Community Emergency Plan through the Resilience and Emergencies Team. More details are in Appendix 3.

Code of conduct complaints (standards complaints)

8.10 To make a complaint about individual councillor conduct, or request that an interest be treated as sensitive, please contact the Monitoring Officer. More details are in Appendix 3.

North Yorkshire Councillors

8.11 North Yorkshire Councillors can provide information to the Parish Sector about issues in their areas and take the views of the local community into account in the decision-making process. They also have locality budgets which allow them to respond to local needs by recommending funding to support specific activities. More information is available on our Councillor locality budgets web page.

8.12 Further detailed information about working with North Yorkshire Council, obtaining advice, including how to report issues (such as matters relating to highways) and general Parish liaison support are set out in Appendix 3.

9.0 Next steps - further development, monitoring and review

9.1 This updated version builds on the first Parish Charter adopted by North Yorkshire Council on 18 July 2023.

It represents the commitment to continually review and develop a comprehensive Parish Charter, detailing the emerging working arrangements between North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector.

The updates reflect consultation with services and changes suggested by the North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group.

9.2 The implementation of the Charter, and its effectiveness will be monitored and managed by the Parish Liaison Team forming the basis of its work with the Parish Sector.

9.3 It will be reviewed on an annual basis by the North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group and the document will be updated as required. The terms of reference of the North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group are attached at Appendix 2.

Appendix 1 - Local council arrangements

Parish and town councils are the most local level of government in England. Collectively, they are often referred to as ‘local councils’. County, district and unitary authorities, by contrast, are often referred to in legislation and guidance as ‘principal authorities’.

Parish and town councils are represented by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), and by county-based associations, like the Yorkshire Local Councils Associations (YLCA). Parish councils may resolve to call themselves ‘town’, ‘neighbourhood’, ‘community’, or ‘village’ councils.

  • parish councils mainly cover rural parts of England
  • a parish with a population of over 300 may choose to constitute a separate Parish council

City councils

In England, a number of Parish councils for areas which have been granted city status by royal charter are known as ‘city councils’. In North Yorkshire this includes Ripon City Council. This is known as the ‘style’ of a council. It has no effect on the status or legal powers available to the council. The chair of a town or city council, which is a Parish council in law, may style themselves as Mayor.

Smaller parishes (parish meetings)

No part of England is obliged to have a Parish council. The Local Government Act 1972 requires a Parish Meeting to take place in all parishes. A Parish Meeting is a distinct legal entity from a Parish council. It must hold two meetings per year, one of which must take place between 1 March and 1 June (in practice this obligation may be disregarded, and there are few sanctions available if a Parish Meeting is not held).

There is provision in the Local Government Act 1972 for the dissolution of the council for a small Parish.

Where a Parish has 150 or fewer electors, the Parish Meeting may apply to the district or unitary council for the Parish council to be abolished. There is also a power for Parish Meetings to apply to the district for two or more Parishes to be grouped together under a common Parish council, or for existing grouping arrangements to be changed or abandoned.

Clustering and grouped councils

Clustering or grouping arrangements will depend on the objectives of individual town and Parish councils, they work best if town and Parish councils have common interests and are in geographical proximity to each other.

They can be simple, informal arrangements or have a more formal structure. See paragraphs 1.12 to 1.14 of the Parish Charter.

Clustering allows one town or Parish council to carry out tasks and services on behalf of other Parishes. It also allows smaller town and Parish councils to make the most of new powers granted in the Localism Act 2011.

Clustering can be beneficial for town and Parish councils, it means that:

  • there is more capacity for undertaking services and tasks
  • there is more shared knowledge and experience
  • more of the local communities are looked after
  • concerns of several town and Parish councils can have a louder voice
  • there is greater resilience
  • there are different funding opportunities due to there being the opportunity to undertake larger projects

North Yorkshire Council will work with clustering arrangements where town and Parish councils choose to operate on this basis, however, it is recognised that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not appropriate and the decision to cluster is at the discretion of the individual Parishes.

Parish council precepts

Parish councils may raise a ‘precept’ on the council tax bills produced by their local billing authority (North Yorkshire Council).

This is essentially a demand for a sum to be collected through the council tax system.

Council taxpayers cannot refuse to pay it, and the billing authority cannot refuse to levy it. It is the only source of tax revenue available to Parish councils. Charter trustees also have the right to raise a precept.

In the North Yorkshire Council area, 526 Parishes (or groups of Parishes, including Charter Trustees) raised a precept for the 2024/25 financial year. The total council tax due to be raised by North Yorkshire’s Parishes through precepting in this period was £11.2 million. More detailed information is available from the live tables on council tax page on the GOV.UK website.

North Yorkshire Council publishes detailed information about  council tax and Parish precepts for the 2025/26 financial year (pdf / 1 MB).

North Yorkshire Council committees and decisions

The council operates through four main elements being the Full Council, the Executive, Overview and Scrutiny, and its Committees. Each of these elements is supported by and delegates matters to council employees known as Officers.

Full Council is where all Councillors meet together at meetings which are open to the public. At these meetings Councillors decide the council’s overall policies and set the budget each year.

The Executive is the part of the council which is responsible for most day-to-day decisions. The council elects one Councillor as the Council Leader, who then appoints at least two, but not more than nine, other Councillors to form the Executive.

The council has appointed six Overview and Scrutiny Committees to look at the effectiveness of the Executive and help develop council policy. These Committees produce reports and recommendations which advise the Executive and the council as a whole on its policies, budget and service delivery, as well as looking at reviews of individual services.

Overview and Scrutiny Committees also monitor the decisions of the Executive. They can scrutinise an Executive decision which has been “called in” by any six Councillors.

This enables them to consider whether the decision is appropriate. They may recommend that the Executive reconsider the decision or they may refer the matter to full Council. They may also be consulted by the Executive or the council on forthcoming decisions and the development of policy. A list of key decisions is published in the Forward Plan.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committees perform specific statutory functions in relation to the scrutiny of health and crime and disorder matters. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee that considers partnership working and community matters is the Corporate and Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The council also appoints other Committees, including six Area Committees to deal with local matters and various regulatory committees to deal with functions including licensing and planning.

The Area Committees aim to give local citizens a greater say in council affairs. They cover areas aligned with what were six electoral constituencies for North Yorkshire MPs, although these have since changed.

They maintain an overview of the effectiveness of the public services provided to their local community by the council and other agencies and to advocate the interests of their community in relation to those services. They involve councillors for each particular area and meetings are held in public.

The Area Committees are as follows:

  • Harrogate and Knaresborough Area
  • Richmond (Yorks) Area
  • Scarborough and Whitby Area
  • Selby and Ainsty Area
  • Skipton and Ripon Area
  • Thirsk and Malton Area

The council constitution explains the structure and workings of the North Yorkshire Council, including all the rules and procedures under which the council operates. It sets out who makes decisions and how they are made, and the rights of citizens to obtain information and to influence decisions.

On our website you can view the Council Constitution and which Executive Members have which portfolio responsibilities.

Appendix 2 - North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group Terms of reference

These arrangements provide the framework for the operation of the Group.

1. Title

The group shall be called the North Yorkshire Parish Charter Review Group.

1.1 Background

At the time of writing of this Charter, there are 729 Parishes in North Yorkshire. The majority of these Parishes have a Parish council, however, there are also a number of Parish Meetings without a Parish council. In some areas small Parishes may work together with neighbouring Parishes to run a grouped, joint or common Parish council. Further information about the various arrangements is provided in Appendix 1 of the Parish Charter.

2. Objectives

The objectives of the group are:

  • to monitor the effectiveness of the North Yorkshire Parish Charter
  • to ensure that the Charter is updated on a regular basis to reflect changes to legislation, contact details, and so on
  • to support the development of working relationships between North Yorkshire Council and the Parish Sector

3. North Yorkshire Council representatives

  • the North Yorkshire Council Executive Member for Corporate Services portfolio holder for locality engagement
  • North Yorkshire Council Executive members and senior officers relevant to the issues being considered at the meeting (by invitation and as nominated by the North Yorkshire Council Executive portfolio holder for locality engagement)

4. Parish sector representatives

  • each North Yorkshire branch of the Yorkshire Locals Councils Associations (YLCA) shall appoint a representative to the Group to represent and advocate for all Parishes in their geographical area (rather than representing their particular YLCA branch or the YLCA itself)
  • each representative can send a substitute who has been nominated

5. Chair

  • North Yorkshire Council Executive Member for Corporate Services or their nominee
  • the Vice Chair should be one of the Parish representatives

6. Yorkshire Local Councils Associations and Society of Local Council Clerks

  • a representative of Yorkshire Local Councils Associations and Society of Local Council Clerks shall be entitled to attend meetings of the group

7. Meetings of the group

  • meetings of the group shall take place twice a year

8. Agenda and minutes

  • agendas for meetings shall be circulated at least five working days before meetings and minutes shall be circulated as soon as practical after meetings of the group
  • preparation and circulation of agendas and minutes shall be undertaken by a North Yorkshire Council Officer

9. North Yorkshire Council Officers

North Yorkshire Council shall arrange the attendance of relevant officers at meetings of the Group (subject to the focus of the meeting and availability).

10. Subgroups

The group may appoint subgroups to undertake specific tasks and report back to the Group.

11. Review of arrangements

These arrangements can be reviewed as required.

Appendix 3- How to report issues/contact details

Assets of Community Value

For information and advice, please visit our assets of community value page.

Contact us about Assets of Community Value using our form or by email to assetsofcommunityvalue.NYC@northyorks.gov.uk.

Community governance reviews

Questions about community governance reviews including the creation, abolition or merger of a Town/Parish Council should be directed to the Democratic Services Local Area Support Team, email Community Governance Review CGR@northyorks.gov.uk

Devolution of assets and services to Parish and Town Councils from North Yorkshire Council

For information and advice, please email localdevolution@northyorks.gov.uk.

Code of conduct complaints (standards complaints)

To make a complaint about individual councillor conduct, or request that an interest be treated as sensitive, please contact the Monitoring Officer:

  • by post: The Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer, North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 8AD
  • telephone: 01609 532173
  • email: MonitoringOfficer@northyorks.gov.uk

Further information about the standards regime is published on our Councillors' code of conduct page.

To update Parish contact details and registers of interest, please email:

Democratic Services East: DemocraticServices.East@northyorks.gov.uk - covering Thirsk and Malton and Scarborough and Whitby areas.

Democratic Services Central: DemocraticServices.Central@northyorks.gov.uk - covering Harrogate and Knaresborough and Selby and Ainsty areas.

Democratic Services West: DemocraticServices.West@northyorks.gov.uk - covering Richmond and Skipton and Ripon areas.

Parish Councils are legally required to provide a Register of Interests for Councillors (including co-opted Members) to North Yorkshire Council. These should be emailed to the relevant Democratic Services Area Team as above.

Councillors do not need to register or declare the details of any interest agreed with the Monitoring Officer to be sensitive (where disclosure of the details could lead to the councillor or a person connected to them, being subject to violence or intimidation).

Should a councillor wish to treat an interest as sensitive, please contact the Monitoring Officer at MonitoringOfficer@northyorks.gov.uk.

Information on how to contact parish councils is available on our Parish and town councils page.

Elections, including vacancies and resignations of Councillors

Please email elections@northyorks.gov.uk.

Information and guidance about how to become a Parish or town councillor is available on our how to become a councillor page.

For full details of the electoral process, including the nomination procedure, and more guidance on standing as a candidate, visit the Electoral Commission website.

Guidance about the notice of vacancy procedure can be viewed on our advice for Parish clerks when a casual vacancy occurs page.

Emergencies and local resilience

An effective response to emergencies depends on robust preparation. An informed and prepared community is a safer community.

Parish and Town councils can play an important role in supporting this. Having a community plan and knowing what to do if there is an emergency can help your community respond and recover more quickly.

You can read more information on emergency planning and download a Community Emergency Plan template.

Emergency contact details

If you need urgent advice please call North Yorkshire Police's non-emergency number 101.

In a life-threatening emergency situation, please call 999.

For anything else that needs urgent North Yorkshire Council support, you should contact us by telephone to report an emergency on 0300 131 2 131, rather than using any online forms. This number can be used during and outside normal office hours.

North Yorkshire Council has an emergency duty officer on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and relevant partner agencies are able to contact the officer to alert them of an incident when needed.

Follow these social media accounts for the latest information during emergencies:

You can keep up to date from the following websites:

Ready for Anything emergency volunteering scheme

Ready for Anything is a volunteer group that help in emergencies. More information is available on our ready for anything page.

North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum

Local Resilience Forums are formed under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), and the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum is the collective of all emergency responding organisations in North Yorkshire and York.

North Yorkshire Council is the secretariat for the Forum. We use the Forum to plan, exercise and respond to large scale emergencies with multi-agency coordination, which results in a more effective and efficient outcome.

Contact details can be found on our North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum page.

If your Parish/community would like to hear more about community resilience and emergency response/recovery, then please contact the North Yorkshire Council Resilience and Emergencies Team via email at emergency@northyorks.gov.uk. They can come and talk to you, give advice and even help with local training and exercises.

Highways issues

In relation to Highways issues, the Parish Sector should:

  • use the North Yorkshire Council website where possible to find information about our services and news updates including road and footpath closures, temporary traffic lights and diversions
  • report all non-urgent highway defects (including potholes and drainage problems and providing any evidence to assist us in highways service delivery) via the North Yorkshire Council online highways problem reporting system 
  • report all urgent highway issues by telephone to 0300 1312131 - for Highway issues outside of our Customer Service Centre working hours, that cannot wait, please contact the Police by calling 101 or contact the North Yorkshire Police online
  • report highway emergencies outside normal office hours by contacting North Yorkshire Police on 999. Highway emergencies include any highway hazards such as flooding, mud/ diesel spillages, carriageway debris, fallen trees and any road or footway defects which may be a danger to highway users
  • reporting misuse of weight restricted routes by heavy goods vehicles is a matter dealt with by Trading Standards
  • view the Trading Standards enforcement policy
  • consumer advice is provided on our behalf by the Citizens Advice service. They will pass details of any enforcement issues to us. Consumer advice is available by calling 0808 223 1133

Local devolution

For information and advice please contact localdevolution@northyorks.gov.uk.

National Parks

There are two National Parks in the geographical area covered by North Yorkshire Council, Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors. They are governed by their own legislation, processes and procedures in relation to specific planning and rights of way within their jurisdiction.

This Parish Charter does not cover the relationship between the Parish Sector and the National Parks and reference should be made to their websites for further information:

Planning applications including responding to planning consultants

Planning applications including responding to planning consultants You can view planning applications online.

Procurement

Procurement information for North Yorkshire Council is available to help understand upcoming procurement activities and explore potential collaborative opportunities with the parish sector. You can access the details on the Procurement Information for North Yorkshire Council - Datasets - Data North Yorkshire website

Public health

If your issue is in relation to an urgent Health Protection Matter including for notification of infectious diseases, outbreaks and environmental hazards please contact The Yorkshire and Humber Health Protection Team on 0300 3030 234 in or out of hours or complete the webform available at Webform Response Cell Yorkshire and Humber.

For more information on notification of specific diseases, outbreaks and hazards please visit Yorkshire and Humber Health Protection Team (YHPHN).

Social care emergencies

In relation to social care emergencies, Parish Sector Organisations should report any social care emergencies by telephoning 0300 131 213 (available out of hours).

You can view councillor contact details and registers of interest online.

 Download the North Yorkshire Council Parish Charter (pdf / 1 MB).

A to Z of council services

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