GEDNEY
PARISH COUNCIL
HEDGEVIEW, 231 BROADGATE, SUTTON ST EDMUND, LINCOLNSHIRE,
PE12 OLT
E Mail the.clerk@outlook.com
COMMUNICATIONS
POLICY
A. Parish Council Correspondence
(i)
The
point of contact for the parish council is the Clerk, and it is to the Clerk
that all correspondence for the parish council should be addressed.
(ii) The Clerk should
deal with all correspondence following a meeting.
(iii) No
individual Councillor or Officer should be the sole custodian of any
correspondence or information in the name of the parish council, a committee,
sub-committee or working party. In
particular, Councillors and Officers do not have a right to obtain confidential
information/documentation unless they can demonstrate a ‘need to know’.
(iv) All
official correspondence should be sent by the Clerk in the name of the council
using council letter headed paper. (Other
than emails)
(v) Where correspondence from the Clerk to a Councillor is
copied to another person, the addressee should be made aware that a copy is
being forwarded to that other person (e.g. copy to XX).
B. Agenda Items for Council, Committees, Sub-Committees and Working
Parties
(i)
Agenda
should be clear and concise. They should
contain sufficient information to enable Councillors to make an informed
decision, and for the public to understand what matters are being considered
and what decisions are to be taken at a meeting.
(ii) Items
for information should be kept to a minimum on an agenda.
(iii) Where
the Clerk or a Councillor wishes fellow Councillors to receive matters for
“information only”, this information will be circulated via the Clerk.
C. Communications with the Press and Public
(i)
The
Clerk will clear all press reports, or comments to the media, with the Chair of
the council or the Chair of the relevant committee.
(ii)
Press
reports from the council, its committees or working parties should be from the
Clerk or an officer or via the reporter’s own attendance at a meeting.
(iii)
Unless a Councillor has been authorised by the
council to speak to the media on a particular issue, Councillors who are asked
for comment by the press should make it clear that it is a personal view and
ask that it be clearly reported as their personal view.
(iv)
Unless a Councillor is absolutely certain
that he/she is reporting the view of the council, they must make it clear to
members of the public that they are expressing a personal view.
(v)
If Councillors receive a complaint from a
member of the public, this should be dealt with under the Council’s adopted
complaints procedure, or via a council agenda item.
D. Councillor Correspondence to external
parties
(i) As
the Clerk should be sending most of the council’s correspondence from a
Councillor to other bodies, it needs to be made clear that it is written in
their official capacity and has been authorised by the parish council.
(ii)
A copy of all outgoing correspondence
relating to the council or a Councillor’s role within it, should be sent to the
Clerk, and it be noted on the correspondence, e.g. “copy to the Clerk” so that
the recipient is aware that the Clerk has been advised.
E. Communications with Parish Council Staff
(i)
Councillors must not give instructions to
any member of staff, unless authorised to do so (for example, three or more
Councillors sitting as a committee or sub-committee with appropriate delegated
powers from the council).
(ii)
No
individual Councillor, regardless of whether or not they are the Chair of the
council, the Chair of a committee or other meeting, or are styled “Leader” of
the Council, may give instructions to the Clerk or to another employee which
are inconsistent or conflict with council decisions or arrangements for
delegated power.
(iii) Telephone calls should be appropriate
to the work of the parish council.
(iv) E-mails:
·
Instant replies should not be expected from
the Clerk; reasons for urgency should be stated;
·
Information to Councillors should normally
be directed via the Clerk;
·
E-mails from Councillors to external parties
should be copied to the Clerk;
·
Councillors should acknowledge their e-mails
when requested to do so.
(v) Meetings
with the Clerk or other officers:
·
Wherever possible an appointment should be
made;
·
Meetings should be relevant to the work of
that particular officer;
· Councillors should be clear that the matter is legitimate council business and not matters driven by personal or political agendas.
Version Number |
Date Approved |
Amendments made |
Next review Date |
V1 |
September 2020 |
|
September 2022 |
|
July 2023 |
None |
July 2025 |
|
|
|
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