Powers and Duties of a Parish Council
Below is a list of powers and duties of parish councils. This is a summary of the main functions of a parish council; it is not intended to be a definitive list of such functions.
| Function | Powers & Duties | Statutory Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Allotments | Powers to provide allotments. Duty to provide allotment gardens if demand unsatisfied | Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 ss.23, 26 and 42 |
| Baths and washhouses | Power to provide public baths and washhouses | Public Health Act 1936 ss.221, 222, 223 and 227 |
| Burial grounds, cemeteries and crematoria | Power to acquire and maintain | Open Spaces Act 1906 ss.9 and 10; Local Government Act 1972 s.214 |
| Power to provide | Local Government Act 1972 s.214 | |
| Power to agree to maintain monuments and memorials | Parish Councils and Burial Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970 s.1 | |
| Power to contribute towards expenses of cemeteries | Local Government Act 1972 s.214(6) | |
| Bus shelters | Power to provide and maintain shelters | Local Government (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 1953 s.4; Parish Councils Act 1957 s.1 |
| Bye-laws | Power to make bye-laws in regard to pleasure grounds | Public Health Act 1875 s.164 |
| Cycle parks | Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 s.57(7) | |
| Baths and washhouses | Public Health Act 1936 s.223 | |
| Open spaces and burial grounds | Open Spaces Act 1906 s.15 | |
| Mortuaries and post-mortem rooms | Public Health Act 1936 s.198 | |
| Clocks | Power to provide public clocks | Parish Councils Act 1957 s.2 |
| Closed churchyards | Powers as to maintenance | Local Government Act 1972 s.215 |
| Commons and common pastures | Powers in relation to enclosure, as to regulation and management, and as to providing common pasture | Enclosure Act 1845; Local Government Act 1894 s.8(4); Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 s.34 |
| Conference facilities | Power to provide and encourage the use of facilities | Local Government Act 1972 s.144 |
| Community centres | Power to provide and equip buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or educational objectives | Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 s.19 |
| Crime prevention | Powers to spend money on various crime prevention measures | Local Government and Rating Act 1997 s.31 |
| Drainage | Power to deal with ponds and ditches | Public Health Act 1936 s.260 |
| Education | Right to appoint school governors | Education (No.2) Act 1986 s.4 |
| Entertainment and the arts | Provision of entertainment and support of the arts | Local Government Act 1972 s.145 |
| Gifts | Power to accept | Local Government Act 1972 s.139 |
| Highways | Power to repair and maintain public footpaths and bridleways | Highways Act 1980 ss.43 and 50 |
| Power to light roads and public places | Parish Councils Act 1957 s.3; Highways Act 1980 s.301; Local Government Act 1972 Sch.14 para 27 | |
| Power to provide parking places for vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles | Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ss.57 and 63 | |
| Power to enter into agreement as to dedication and widening | Highways Act 1980 ss.30 and 72 | |
| Power to provide roadside seats and shelters, and omnibus shelters | Parish Councils Act 1957 s.1 | |
| Consent of parish council required for ending maintenance of highway at public expense, or for stopping up or diversion of highway | Highways Act 1980 ss.47 and 116 | |
| Power to complain to highways authority as to protection of rights of way and roadside wastes | Highways Act 1980 s.130 | |
| Power to provide traffic signs and other notices | Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 s.72 | |
| Power to plant trees etc. and to maintain roadside verges | Highways Act 1980 s.96; Countryside Act 1968 | |
| Investments | Power to participate in schemes of collective investment | Trustee Investments Act 1961 s.11 |
| Land | Power to acquire by agreement, to appropriate, to dispose of | Local Government Act 1972 ss.124, 126 and 127 |
| Power to accept gifts of land | Local Government Act 1972 s.139 | |
| Litter | Provision of receptacles | Litter Act 1983 ss.5 and 6 |
| Lotteries | Powers to promote | Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 s.7 |
| Mortuaries and post mortem rooms | Powers to provide mortuaries and post mortem rooms | Public Health Act 1936 s.198 |
| Nuisances | Power to deal with offensive ditches | Public Health Act 1936 s.260 |
| Open spaces | Power to acquire land and maintain | Public Health Act 1875 s.164; Open Spaces Act 1906 ss.9 and 10 |
| Parish property and documents | Powers to direct as to their custody | Local Government Act 1972 s.226 |
| Public buildings and village hall | Power to provide buildings for offices and for public meetings and assemblies | Local Government Act 1972 s.133 |
| Public conveniences | Power to provide | Public Health Act 1936 s.87 |
| Recreation | Power to acquire land for or to provide recreation grounds, public walks, pleasure grounds and open spaces and to manage and control them | Public Health Act 1875 s.164; Local Government Act 1972 Sch.14 para 27; Public Health Acts Amendment Act 1890 s.44; Open Spaces Act 1906 ss.9 and 10 |
| Power to provide gymnasiums, playing fields, holiday camps | Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 s.19 | |
| Provision of boating pools | Public Health Act 1961 s.54 | |
| Town and country planning | Right to be notified of planning applications | Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Sch.1 para 8 |
| Tourism | Power to contribute to organisiations encouraging | Local Government Act 1972 s.144 |
| Traffic calming | Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes | Local Government and Rating Act 1997 s.30 |
| Transport | Powers to spend money on community transport schemes | Local Government and Rating Act 1997 ss.26-29 |
| War memorials | Power to maintain, repair, protect and adapt war memorials | War Memorials (Local Authorities' Powers) Act 1923 s.1 as extended by Local Government Act 1948 s.133 |
| Water supply | Power to utilise well, spring or stream and to provide facilities for obtaining water therefrom | Public Health Act 1936 s.125 |