The Heckington Parish Council is made up of eleven elected members - comprising the Chair, Vice-Chair and nine members - all unpaid volunteers who work for the benefit of the community and all local residents.
The Clerk to the Parish Council is a paid, part-time employee.
The Parish Council is fully accountable and subject to detailed audit.
Meetings of the Heckington Parish Council are normally held in the Council Chambers, St Andrews Street, Heckington commencing at 1900hrs. Residents may attend full council meetings and can speak briefly on village matters at the commencement of the meeting in Parishioners Items.
All enquiries about this website or content, please contact the Parish Clerk at heckingtonparishcouncil@outlook.com.
Parish Councils are the part of local government closest to the people. It is not a voluntary organisation, a charity or something to do with the church. It is an elected body made up of Councillors who are volunteers and not paid for the service they give to the community. Parish Councils serve the smallest area and are responsible for the most local matters. Very importantly, Parish Councils can “precept” – raise a sum collected with the council tax each year to improve facilities and service for local people.
Parish Councils were first created under the Local Government Act 1894 and they are still being created. As Parish Councils were created in law, they can only act within the law by exercising those powers and functions, which have been conferred on them by Statute (ie Acts of Parliament).
The Council represents and serves the whole community. Most communities are made up of smaller communities, often with different interest; a Council’s duty is to serve them all. The Council balances the needs of different elements of all the community to get the best results. Frequently, Councils have the difficult task of deciding what the best result might be.
Parish Councils have a number of basic responsibilities in making the lives of local communities more comfortable, many of which are often taken for granted. Essentially these powers fall within three main categories; representing the whole electorate within the parish; delivering services to meet local needs; and striving to improve the quality of life in the parish.
Services
The Council provides several services.
Grounds Maintenance – the Council maintains a number of green areas around the Parish, and our full time Caretaker is also responsible for sweeping some roads in the centre of the village, emptying litter dog bins, and many other ad hoc tasks.
Notice Boards – the Parish Council ustilises 3 notice boards - Parish Council offices on St Andrews Street, the Village Green and outside the Village Hall.
Cemeteries – the Council is responsible for the cemetery on Boston Road.
Streetlighting/Potholes etc - Lincolnshire County Council are responsible for matters on the Highways. Faults to street lighting or road surfaces can be reported directly to them via their website. However, residents who are not able to do this are welcome to report issues to the Parish Council and the Clerk will report the issue on their behalf..
General Information and Signposting - as part of North Kesteven area, the Clerk may be able to signpost residents to services provided by North Kesteven District Council. The office also holds various contact information for other volunteer/social groups within the area.