About Us

Misterton Parish Council

The Parish Council is a tier of local government covering the village of Misterton. Our Mission Statement is: To provide services for, and manage and maintain the assets of, the Parish of Misterton, within the resources provided by the annual precept and other incomes, taking into account the wishes of the residents and the need to obtain value for money.

We set ourselves high standards of governance, which in recent years have produced excellent results, including:

· achieving Quality Accreditation
· producing the first Parish Plan in Bassetlaw
· being voted best Parish Council in England and Wales two years in succession
· success in the 2006 CPRE Nottinghamshire Best Kept Village Competition
· Nottinghamshire representative in the 2006/07 Calor English Village of the Year Competition, in which we won the Business Award for Central England
· establishing the Misterton Centre
· major capital investment at the sports field
· resolution of the longstanding Station Road common land issue
· significant movement on rationalisation of public buildings, including the Village Hall and Victoria Institute (both redundant) and the whole issue of the public buildings at School Corner
· significant movement towards demolition of the old bank on Station Street.

We are based at The Misterton Centre on High Street, a mini business centre operated in partnership by ourselves, Bassetlaw District Council and Nottinghamshire Police. Our receptionist is there from Tuesday to Saturday at the following times:

Tuesday and Thursday 10 am to 2 pm
Wednesday and Friday 9 am to 2 pm
Saturday 10 am to 12 noon

The Clerk to the Parish Council works there on Wednesdays and Fridays – see below for surgeries. Our MP, District Councillor and A1 Housing all have surgeries there. The Local Fire & Rescue Service has its own display area. We also provide certain services on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council and have a partnership arrangement with Retford Action Centre. We will shortly have a video link to Bassetlaw Citizens Advice Bureau, and will also be providing services on behalf of TOP (Tax Help for Older People). We are happy to make our facilities available for use by local voluntary organisations

What the Parish Council does

The Parish Council has a range of local responsibilities:

· management and maintenance of amenity and common land. In Misterton, this is Church Meadow, the Pudge, Soss Lane, Windmill Garden, Gravelholes Lane (west end), School Corner, and other small grassed areas
· maintenance of the sports field
· provision of amenities, like the ball court, play area and skate/bmx park on the sports field, the play equipment on Church Meadow, bus shelters, notice boards, public seats and dog waste bins
· support, including donations, for village sports, arts and other groups and charities
· administering grants to needy people in the village
· representation on Misterton Area Partnership (MAP). MAP is working towards regeneration of the villages of Misterton and West Stockwith and the surrounding areas
· representation on a number of other groups and charities, including the Joint Burial Committee (responsible for the cemetery and part of the churchyard)
· giving opinions on planning applications affecting land or property within the village.
· lobbying hard for improvements in infrastructure and public services

Please see our newsletters and minutes to read our current objectives.

Composition of the Parish Council

The Parish Council comprises 13 elected councillors – volunteers drawn from the local area, and a salaried clerk (also called an officer). Councillors (also called members) are elected every four years – the next elections are in 2010. The chairman and vice-chairman are elected from among councillors.

Current parish councillors in Misterton do not represent political parties, but the interest of the village in general, although there is nothing to prevent people from political parties standing for election.

Meetings

Parish Council meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of the month (no meeting in August) at 7.30 p.m. at the Church Room, Church Lane, Misterton. We usually have a General Purposes Committee meeting every other month (January, March, May, July, September and November) on the last Tuesday – same time, same place. Prior to the January meeting, at 6.30 p.m. we hold a Finance Committee meeting to set the budget for the following year.

Details of meetings are given in Parish News. Notices of Meeting are posted on the notice boards and website at least three days before meetings. All meetings are open to the public other than when confidential business is being considered. At the start of every meeting there is an opportunity for the public to express views on agenda items. At the end of every Parish Council meeting there is a public discussion period, when people have the opportunity to bring up matters that are of concern or interest to the village as a whole. Agendas, approved Minutes, annual reports, quarterly newsletters and information leaflets are all made available at The Misterton Centre, local shops, public houses; the Libraries at Misterton, Worksop and Retford; the One Stop Shop at the Town Hall, Retford; and Nottinghamshire County Council (County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham). Most documents can be found on the web site.

Residents’ Views

We welcome the views of residents on local issues, which can be expressed in writing to the Clerk to the Council, David Wright, using the contact details below. Or alternatively, call to see him at The Misterton Centre – his surgery is on Friday mornings between 10.30 and 11.30 a.m.

Anyone wishing to discuss a matter with a Parish Councillor should feel free to approach any of the Parish Councillors whose contact details are set out below.

Keeping You Informed

We publish an Annual Report in June each year, together with quarterly newsletters and this information leaflet. These documents are distributed to every household as well as being available at the places mentioned earlier.

We have adopted a Publication Scheme under the Freedom of Information Act. Details of classes of documents, which may be inspected and copied, are displayed on the web site and notice boards. For further information please contact the Clerk to the Council.

Policies and Procedures

We have introduced a complaints procedure. Complaints about the Parish Council’s procedures or administration should initially be put in writing to the Clerk or Chairman.

We have introduced a harassment policy to protect the interests of our three paid employees.

All councillors are required to abide by our code of conduct, which includes a requirement for councillors to declare various interests.

Partnership

There are some matters that are dealt with more effectively by a number of parish councils working together. Misterton Parish Council collaborates with Beckingham-cum-Saundby, Everton, Gringley on the Hill, Mattersey, Misson, Walkeringham and West Stockwith Parish Councils on issues like housing, planning, policing, etc. through membership of the North East Bassetlaw Forum (NEBF). The Parish Council is also a member of the Northern Area Committee of Nottinghamshire Local Councils Association, which is a larger grouping of parish councils working for the general good of the area. The Parish Council is a key stakeholder on the Misterton & West Stockwith Safer Neighbourhood Group.

We wish to maintain links with local voluntary organisations, and to forge new ones. Any such organisation may have copies of agendas and Minutes on request. We also encourage organisations to give a brief report on their year at the Annual Parish Meeting held each May (details in Parish News and on the notice boards).

Budget

The Parish Council’s budget is set each January, when the needs of the village in the forthcoming year are discussed and priorities agreed and costed. The budget (precept) is raised by Bassetlaw District Council through the council tax; it gives the Parish Council the precept in two instalments during the year. The current budget is £65,580. This is the equivalent of £32.54 a year for every village resident, or an average £75.29 per dwelling.


Click here to contact your Parish Council Members.

Click here to contact the Clerk to the Council.