Parish Charter

Parish Charter

Parish Charter

There are 19 parishes in Bradford District. Parish, town, community, neighbourhood or village councils are the most local level of government in England. They are independent of other levels of local government such as metropolitan district and county councils; however they maintain a close working relationship with them. The services provided by parish councils vary depending on how large and how active the councils are. Some meet infrequently and are actively involved in very few matters, whilst others undertake many duties such as managing cemeteries, allotments, commons, village halls, war memorials and much more.
What is a Parish Charter?

Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the Parish and Town Councils within the district have worked together to develop a Parish Charter which sets out a commitment to work in partnership for the benefit of local residents. A Parish Charter is a voluntary agreement between the Principal Authority (Bradford Metropolitan District Council) and Local Councils (Parish and Town Councils within Bradford District).
A Parish Charter establishes a commitment for Principal Authorities and Local Councils to work together and sets out a number of general principles by which all partners will agree to approach their work together.
The Parish Charter for Bradford

The Parish Charter for Bradford is the result of extensive consultation with Parish and Town Councils within the district. The Parish Charter sets out what Parish and Town Councils within Bradford can expect from Bradford Metropolitan District Council and what Bradford Metropolitan Dsitrict Council expect in return. The Charter commits each organisation to principles and standards across a range of areas including information, communication, consultation, local governance, sustainability and planning.
Adoption of the Parish Charter

The Parish Charter was updated in 2015 and is available for download on the link below and from the ‘Documents and Publications’ page. To date, 18 Parish Councils have adopted the Parish Charter. Since adoption, Bingley Town Council was created on 01 April 2016. The Parish Councils which have chosen to adopt the Parish Charter are listed below

Addingham
Baildon
Bingley (created since adoption)
Bradford Trident
Burley
Clayton
Cullingworth
Denholme
Harden
Haworth, Cross Roads & Stanbury
Ilkley
Keighley
Menston
Oxenhope
Sandy Lane
Silsden
Steeton with Eastburn
Wilsden
Wrose