Ketton Parish Council (KPC) is an elected body which represents the interests of the residents of Ketton. A parish council is a civil local authority found in England and is the lowest, or first, tier of local government. KPC is made up of 13 elected representatives, only one less than the town of Uppingham. This is a legacy of when Ketton was a wider administrative division.
The council has four sub committees which also meet monthly. They are:
- Highways and Open Spaces
- Planning
- Public Relations
- Finance and General Purposes (as necessary)
The responsibilities of the council include:
- Village surveys and research
- Village development and planning
- Development of village amenities
- Green areas and grass cutting
- Maintenance of Hall Close and playground & the Whitebread Copse
- Cemetery maintenance
- Street lighting – remove
- Tree maintenance and conservation
- Traffic management and safety- remove
- Parking- remove
- Planning control
- Community events
- Village information, interpretation and promotion
- Business/organisation liaison
What is a Parish Council?
Parish or Town Councils are an important tier of Government within the UK; a Parish/Town Council is the smallest and most localised tier of local government in the UK and is a properly constituted local authority.
The powers and duties, and the manner in which a Parish Council operates are laid out in local government statute and regulations; Parish Councils operate at a level below national government and also below district and borough councils. Parish & Town Councils are elected and can help on a number of local issues, like planning applications or running local sports grounds and community halls.
The Parish Council has legal responsibilities as an employer, and sometimes as an owner of public land and buildings.
Parish Councils are Statutory Bodies, having powers under a number of different Acts (the Local Government Act 1972, the Public Health Act 1936, etc.). Only a few Councils need to use all their available powers. It is up to each Council to choose what is appropriate for the community they serve.
The Council raises funds by the annual Precept is set in January of each year. The amount required is guided by the setting of the annual budget in the November preceding.
The Parish Council precept is added to the Council Tax bill and collected by Rutland County Council (on behalf of the Parish Council).
The Council also raises funds through grants from other organisations.