Stanton-under-Bardon Parish Council

Council meetings are governed by the Local Government Act 1972 and the Council’s Standing Orders. These documents are available to view on this website under Council Documents or may be obtained from the Clerk to the Council.

Ordinary meetings of the Council are normally held at 7pm on the second Wednesday of the month (except August) at the rear meeting room in Stanton under Bardon Village Hall. A full calendar of meetings can be found here. Extraordinary meetings may be called as required. These meetings are open to the public, and everyone is warmly encouraged to attend. 

By law, notice of the meeting and the agenda must be displayed in a conspicuous place within the parish at least three clear days before the meeting. In calculating the three clear days, the day the notice is published, the day of the meeting, Sundays, Bank Holidays and any day of public mourning are excluded. Notices are displayed at the noticeboard outside of the local shop as well as outside of the Village Hall. It is also published on the Council’s website. 

Members of the press and public have a statutory right to attend meetings of the Council. Anyone with additional needs that may affect their ability to participate is asked to inform the Clerk in advance so that reasonable adjustments can be made wherever possible.

The press and public may be excluded from a meeting when confidential matters are to be considered. In such cases, the Council will pass a resolution stating the reason why the matters are confidential and why exclusion is necessary.

Although members of the public do not have a statutory right to speak at meetings, the Council recognises the importance of hearing the views of its residents. Meetings therefore begin with a period of public participation during which the Chair will invite members of the public to speak in turn. Comments should be addressed to the Chair. The total time allocated to public participation is 15 minutes, with a maximum of 5 minutes per speaker. 

Contributions are limited to items on the published agenda but the Chair may vary the procedure at their discretion with the agreement of the Council. Committee meetings generally do not include a public participation period unless otherwise stated

Members of the public should not expect an immediate response to issues raised during public participation and it is important to note that the Council is unable to make decisions during this part of the meeting. Councillors will listen to comments but will not normally enter into detailed debate. Matters raised may be considered when the relevant agenda item is discussed, addressed separately at a later date, or placed on a future agenda at the Council’s discretion. Not all matters raised will necessarily receive a response or be carried forward.

The main business of the meeting is reserved for discussion and decision-making by elected members. Members of the public are not normally permitted to speak during this part of the meeting. The Council may only discuss and make decisions on items that appear on the published agenda.

The minutes of the meeting constitute the formal legal record of the decisions taken by the Council. They are not a verbatim account of discussions and do not record individual contributions made during public participation. There is no statutory requirement to include details of the public participation session in the minutes. Members of the public will not be identified, and individual comments will not be recorded, although a summary of topics raised may be included.

Under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014, members of the public and press may film, photograph, audio record or otherwise report on meetings that are open to the public. Permission is not required, although informing the Council as a courtesy is appreciated. Oral commentary during the meeting is not permitted without the consent of the Chair. Meetings, or parts of meetings, from which the public are excluded may not be recorded or filmed.

The Council may act in accordance with its Standing Orders if any person obstructs the business of the meeting. The Chair may request that a person behaving improperly moderate their conduct. If the behaviour continues, a councillor or the Chair may move that the individual be no longer heard or be excluded from the meeting, and such a motion will be put to the vote immediately. Should further disruption occur, the Chair may take reasonable steps to restore order, including suspending or closing the meeting if necessary.

This guidance is intended to ensure that meetings are conducted lawfully, respectfully and efficiently, while enabling residents to observe and contribute appropriately to the democratic process.

In this section you will find information on all of the Council's previous meeting agendas and adopted minutes from previous Parish Council meetings. If you can't find the information you are looking for then please get in touch.