2023 and we are getting ready for elections of Parish Councillors in May. Elections to Parish Councils are held every four years, to coincide with ward elections to the City Council. At the moment we have a good mix of long serving, experienced councillors as well as new enthusiastic councillors, which make an active, lively, hard-working group.
As usual at this time of the year, your councillors have been busy setting financial budgets for 2023-24. Despite ever increasing costs, the council have been able to ensure that these increases have been kept to a minimum for Council Tax payers.
Projects are gradually coming to fruition; the play areas at Montague Road, the replacement Skate Park and the overflow car park at Priory Park. At last we can also see the beginnings of the cycle/footpath going from Bishop’s Meadow all the way to the old Railway line and onwards to the High Street.
Chairman - Judy Marsh
Look out for our Summer edition of Bishop’s Waltham Matters in June 2022
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Election Focus
These 14 Councillors make up Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council and work as volunteers to uphold the Council’s mission statement: to deliver services to meet local needs and to improve the quality of life in the parish
These positions are up for democratic election every four years, the next being on Thursday 4th May 2023. In early April a notice of election will be published and nominations invited.
Who do you want to represent Bishop’s Waltham and work for Bishop’s Waltham residents?
Use your 14 votes on Thursday 4th May for the candidates who put themselves forward.
Are you interested in standing for election? For more information, please contact the Executive
Officer, Mrs Emma McKenzie on 01489 892323 or parishclerk@bishopswaltham-pc.gov.uk
Parish Council Elections are managed entirely by Winchester City Council (our district authority). More information can be found on www.winchester.gov.uk/elections
Please be aware that you now need photo ID to vote at a polling station - a list of acceptable forms of photo ID can be found at www.winchester.gov.uk/elections/voter-id
Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council is responsible for improving the local community. It represents the whole electorate within the parish, delivers services to meet local needs, and strives to improve quality of life in the parish.
The Parish Council has the powers to spend money on community transport, traffic calming, crime prevention, youth projects, tourism activities, leisure facilities, community centres, car parks, recreation grounds, entertainment, street furniture, street cleaning, allotments, bus shelters and land.
The Parish Council comments on planning applications and can be represented at public inquiries. It is likely to be granted more powers to negotiate with the local principal authorities and take on additional responsibilities.
Councillors have three main components to their work:-
Decision making
Where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented
Monitoring
The efficiency and effectiveness of services and keeping an eye on how well things are working
Getting involved locally
Meetings with individual residents or the wider community, taking up public issues and involvement in local organisations
For your 2023 Diary
Annual Meeting of the Parish
Wednesday 29th March 2023
The Jubilee Hall
Doors open at 6.30pm for 7pm start
Clean up Bishop’s Waltham
Saturday 18th March 2023
Meet outside The Jubilee Hall
10am start
Parish Council Elections/Winchester City Council Elections
Thursday 4th May
The Jubilee Hall & Green’s Close
The Coronation of His Majesty The King Event
Sunday 7th May
Time and location to be confirmed
Youth Council
The members of the Community & Environment Committee are considering the possibility of setting up a Youth Council.
The Parish Council recognises the importance of working with young people and the need to help empower them by their participation in local democracy and decision making.
If you are interested in finding out more about a Bishop’s Waltham Youth Council, please email the Parish Council admin@bishopswaltham-pc.gov.uk
Parish Council Budget Setting and Precept
Every year in January, Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council agrees its budget and sets its ‘precept’ for the forthcoming year at a meeting of the Full Council.
The precept is the Council Tax which is raised and spent by Winchester City Council to fund the services it provides.
Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council does not receive funding from Central Government, nor does it receive any rates from local businesses. For 2022/23, the precept is £532,213, with £178.80 per Band D property.
The increased precept results in a 42p per month increase per household.
It is important to emphasise that these figures relate to the Bishop’s Waltham portion of your Council Tax charge only, and will be added to the Hampshire County and Winchester City Council’s elements when calculating your total charge.
Spotlight on: Robert Thorne - Bishop's Waltham Parish Council Project Manager
Rob has been employed by the Council to tackle Parish Council projects, such as Priory Park Skate Park and Montague Road Play Park.
Skate Park
Rob has carried our local research on the local skate parks, looking at the variety of design and construction. After site visits and meetings with the working group and planning representatives, invitations to tender have been advertised for the design and build.
Montague Road Play Park
The transfer of the green space at Montague Road to the Parish Council was completed in 2022. Since joining the team, Rob has been working on the project to install the planned play areas. Rob has been liaising with the supplier and refining the selection of equipment with a working group. He is in the process of obtaining a drainage plan for the land, which can become very wet during the winter months. Groundworks are planned to commence this year, with the drainage work being undertaken before the installation of the play park.
New Play Equipment
Rob has also been working on a replacement for the roundabout that was removed from the Churchill Avenue play area. The options were considered by the Halls and Grounds Committee in their meeting in January, and we hope that this new equipment will be installed in due course.
Contact Us
For all enquiries relating to Parish Council matters or facilities, please use the following details:-
Address: Parish Council Office
The Jubilee Hall
Little Shore Lane
Bishop’s Waltham
SO32 1ED
