How your Parish Council works

Winterbourne Parish Council has 16 Councillors elected for a term of four years. The Councillors are split into two wards: Winterbourne Ward, which includes Winterbourne Down and Hambrook, (12 Councillors) and Frenchay Ward (4 Councillors). There are also two elected Councillors to South Gloucestershire Council who represent the Parish Councils interests at this level.

The Parish Councillors are unpaid, and do not receive any attendance allowance or payments for their duties, which they undertake on a purely voluntary basis.

Winterbourne Parish Council strives to look after the interests of the communities of Winterbourne, Winterbourne Down, Hambrook and Frenchay. A Parish Council is the tier of government closest to the community and are statutory bodies. Councillors are elected by residents every 4 years at the same time as the elections to South Gloucestershire District Council. If a vacancy arises during the term of a council, for example due to a resignation, then a replacement will be sought either by election if called for by parishioners or by co-option by existing council members.

The Full Parish Council meets approximately 12 times a year on the first Monday of the month at 7pm. It has two main committees as below and ad hoc sub committees that meet as required. These committees make decisions under their remitted powers or make recommendations for ratification by full Council.

The Finance Committee makes decisions and recommendations to the full Council on all financial and policy matters. The committee usually meet on the third Monday of the month at 7.15pm.

The Planning and Environment Committee meets twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the Month at 6.30 pm and makes recommendations on all planning applications within the Parish to the Planning Authority (South Gloucestershire Council) and notes any planning enforcement, footpath closures, road closures and licensing issues for example.

The Climate and Nature Committee usually meet the third Monday of the month at 6.10pm.

The Committee are responsible for the Parish Councils Climate and Nature Local Action Plan.

Subject matters are brought before Council by means of the Agenda, which is issued a minimum of three clear days before a meeting of the council (excluding the days of issue and meeting, Sundays, the days of Christmas, Easter and Bank Holiday breaks and days appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning) and is posted on this website and is also available for collection from the Parish Council office. All meeting dates and times are also publicised on public notice boards throughout the Parish.

We welcome and encourage feedback and comments from members of the public and you are welcome to attend the above meetings. Please do contact the Clerk where possible prior to the meetings to raise any local comment or concern you may have. There is also an Annual Parish Meeting when parishioners are encouraged to attend. This is held in April each year. Please contact us for the date of the next meeting. At the Annual Parish Meeting it is an opportunity for each committee to report and reflect on the past year at Winterbourne Parish Council.