Understanding the Roles and Responsibilities of Parish Councillors and the Clerk
- Clerk
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
Burnaston Parish Council has published a guidance document setting out the roles and responsibilities of the Parish Council, councillors, the Chairperson and the Parish Clerk.
The document explains that the Parish Clerk is employed by the Council to provide administrative support and professional advice. A key part of the Clerk’s role is to advise the Council on whether its decisions are lawful and to recommend how those decisions can be implemented. The Clerk takes instructions from the Council as a whole and is not answerable to any individual councillor, including the Chairperson.
The guidance also explains the role of the Chairperson, who is elected annually by councillors. The Chairperson’s main role is to run council meetings, make sure discussions stay focused, ensure all points of view are heard, and help the Council reach clear decisions. The Chairperson does not have more power than other councillors, except for a casting vote where required.
The document makes clear that individual councillors cannot make decisions on behalf of the Council. Decisions are made by the Council as a corporate body, usually through discussion and voting at council meetings. Councillors work together to represent the community, contribute to debate, respond to residents’ views and help ensure decisions are made in the best interests of the parish.
The guidance is intended to help residents understand how the Parish Council operates, how responsibilities are shared, and how decisions are made in an open, lawful and accountable way.
The full document is available to view below and is also available on our information page.
We have also made available The Good Councillor’s Guide, a national guidance document for parish and town councillors. The guide provides useful information for both new and experienced councillors, as well as residents who would like to better understand how local councils work. It covers the role of councillors, council meetings, decision-making, codes of conduct, managing public money, community engagement and the importance of working together to serve the whole community.
