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Powers and duties of parish councils
The following is a list of powers and duties of all Parish Councils as defined by various Governemnts acts. Not all of these apply to Langham Parish Council as for example we do not have any baths or washhouses within the village boundary.
| Function | Powers & Duties | Statutory Provisions | |
| Access land | Power to enforce byelaws made by another authority | Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, s. 17 | |
| Allotments | Duty to provide allotments. Power to improve and adapt land for allotments, and to let grazing rights | Small Holdings & Allotments Act 1908, ss. 23, 26, and 42 | |
| Baths and washhouses | Powers relating to provision of public baths, washhouses and bathing huts | Public Health Act 1936, ss. 221 223 and 225 - 227 | |
| Burial grounds, cemeteries and crematoria | Power to acquire and maintain Power to provide Power to agree to maintain monuments and memorials Power to contribute towards expenses of cemeteries |
Open Spaces Act 1906, Ss 9 and 10; Local Government Act 1972, s. 214; Parish Councils and Burial Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970, s. 1 Local Government Act 1972, s. 214(6) |
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| Bus shelters | Power to provide and maintain shelters | Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1953, s. 4 | |
| Bye-laws | Power to make bye-laws in regard to pleasure grounds Cycle parks Baths and washhouses Open spaces and burial grounds Mortuaries and post-mortem rooms Public Conveniences |
Public Health Act 1875, s. 164 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s.57(7) Public Health Act 1936, s.223 Open Spaces Act 1906, ss.15 and 12 Public Health Act 1936, s.198 Public Health Act 1936, s. 87 |
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| 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 | Power for parish council to contribute to expense relating to scheme for the regulation and management of a common | Commons Act 1899, s.5 | |
| Common Pasture | Powers in relation to providing common pasture | Smallholdings 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 recreational objectives | Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 s.19 | |
| Crime prevention | Powers to install and maintain equipment and establish and maintain a scheme for detection or prevention of crime | Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.31 | |
| Drainage | Power to deal with ponds and ditches | Public Health Act 1936, s.260 | |
| Entertainment and the arts | Provision of entertainment and support of the arts | Local Government Act 1972, s.145 | |
| Financial assistance | Duty to require information | Local Government Act 1972, s.137A | |
| General Powers | Power to incur expenditure for certain purposes | Local Government Act 1972, s.137 | |
| Gifts | Power to accept | Local Government Act 1972, s.139 | |
| Highways | Power to maintain footpaths and bridleways Power to light roads and public places Provision of litter bins Powers to provide parking places for bicycles and motor-cycles, and other vehicles Power to enter into agreement as to dedication and widening Power to provide roadside seats and shelters Consent of parish council required for ending maintenance of highway at public expense, or for stopping up or diversion of highway Power to complain to highway authority as to unlawful stopping up or obstruction of highway or unlawful encroachment on roadside wastes Power to provide traffic signs and other objects or devices warning of danger Power to plant trees and lay out grass verges etc. and to maintain them |
Highways Act 1980, ss.43,50 Parish Councils Act 1957, s.3; Highways Act 1980, s.301 Litter Act 1983, ss.5,6 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, ss.57,63 Highways Act 1980, ss.30,72 Parish Councils Act 1957, s.1 Highways Act 1980, ss.47,116 Highways Act 1980, s.130 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s.72 Highways Act 1980, s.96 |
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| 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 Power to accept gifts of land |
Local Government Act 1972, ss.124, 126, 127 Local Government Act 1972, s.139 |
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| Litter | Provision of receptacles | Litter Act 1983, ss.5,6 | |
| 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 | |
| Open spaces | Power to acquire land and maintain | Public Health Act 1875, s.164 Open Spaces Act 1906, ss.9 and 10 |
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| Parish documents | Powers to direct as to their custody | Local Government Act 1972, s.226 | |
| Public buildings and village hall | Power to provide buildings for public meetings and assemblies | Local Government Act 1972, s.133 | |
| Public conveniences | Powers relating to provision of public conveniences | Public Health Act 1936, s.87 | |
| Recreation | Power to acquire land for or to provide public walks, pleasure grounds and open spaces and to manage and control them Power to provide gymnasiums, playing fields, holiday camps Provision of boating pools |
(see Local Government Act 1972, Sched.14 para.27) Public Health Act 1875, s.164 Public Health Acts Amendment Act 1890 s.44 Open Spaces Act 1906, ss.9 and 10 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, s.19 Public Health Act 1961, s.54 |
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| Town and country planning | Right to be notified of planning applications | Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Sched.1, para.8 | |
| Tourism | Power to encourage visitors and provide conference and other facilities | Local Government Act 1972, s.144 | |
| Traffic calming | Powers to contribute financially to traffic calming schemes | Highways Act 1980, s.274A | |
| Transport | Powers in relation to car-sharing schemes, taxi fare concessions and information about transport. Powers to make grants for bus services |
Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.26, 28 and 29 Transport Act 1985, s.106A |
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| War memorials | Power to maintain,repair, protect and alter war memorials | War Memorials (Local Authorities' Powers) Act 1923, s.1; as extended by Local Government Act 1948, s.133 |
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| Water supply | Power to utilise well, spring or stream and to provide facilities for obtaining water from them | Public Health Act 1936, s.125 | |
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Community Park Refurbishment July 2021
The Community Park has now been open for a few days and we are delighted to see so many people of all ages enjoying the new equipment.
We still haven’t managed to get a small minority of people to understand that litter should go into litter bins, and some people still feel that if their dog is sitting quietly under a pic-nic table it is OK - it isn’t. Dogs must either be tied within the designated Dog Zone, or kept out of the park completely.
These issues, we are sure , will sort themselves out as we all take collective pride in a facility that few villages can boast.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Grand Opening Picnic in the Park on Saturday July 24th at 12.30. This will be a bring-your-own picnic event due to Covid restrictions but we hope many will make the effort to join us to thank those that made this renovation possible and to enjoy talking with friend and neighbours from the whole parish whilst having a go on as many of the new pieces of equipment as possible.
Community Park refurbishment - June 21
We've been lucky with deliveries, weather and work rate, and find we can now open the Langham Community Park on July 10th
As you may know we are in the process of improving the layout and facilities available to Langham at Munday’s Close playing field. We want it to be an area not just for children, but where everyone will want to congregate as there will be something there for all ages and abilities. For this reason we will re-brand the playing field area as ‘Langham Community Park’.
This venture is only possible due to the grant of £54.5k made to us by FCC Communities Foundation and a further £20k made available from Langham Parish Council funds. We would like formally to thank FCC Communities Foundation for their generosity.
To select the best supplier that this money could provide we asked six highly reputable companies to submit bids. All were excellent and showed a real understanding of what we wanted from our new Community Park, and this made the task of selecting just one extremely difficult. In the end we chose to partner with a company called HAGS who we believe will give us slightly more value for our money.
In order to carry out this work we will need to close the playing field from Monday 21 June to Saturday 10 July 2021.
We appreciate that this is not ideal – having been locked down with Covid, we are all anxious to get out and enjoy activities that have been on hold for so long. However, we hope you will appreciate that a relatively short period of closure will be more than worth it when you see the new Community Park.
Please keep watching the website for updates on this project.
Click on any picture below to view a larger image
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Community Park 19 June 2021
Work is progressing well and is on schedule
Click on any picture below to see a larger image
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The Annual Parish Meeting
All Parish and Town Councils throughout England are required by law to hold an annual parish meeting between the 1st March and 1 June inclusive.
Our Annual Parish meeting will be held in the Village Hall at 7.30pm on Monday 9th May 2022. We will report on what we have been spending your money on and our progress on the projects we are pursuing on your behalf (improvements to road safety on the A606; the effect of the lack of a Rutland Local Plan on planning applications in our parish; what our latest Neighbourhood Plan says; the rewilding of verges around Langham; etc. It’s an opportunity for you to tell us what you think needs to be done around our parish. It would be great to hear your views on the night or any time.
What is the purpose of the Annual Parish Meeting?
The meeting allows the Council to explain what it has undertaken on your behalf over the last year and it is where you, as an elector, can have your say about matters concerning the parish.
Who may attend the meeting?
Anyone may attend, but only registered electors of Langham Parish may speak and vote.
Will I be able to ask questions and make suggestions?
A registered elector may ask questions of the council. These will usually be answered by the council chairperson, by the parish clerk or a designated councillor. An elector may also make suggestions and, comment on anything pertinent to the people of Langham. This is the purpose of the meeting.
Who will chair the meeting?
Those registered electors present will elect a chairperson, this may be the parish council chairperson, a parish councillor or one of the registered electors present a the meeting. For more details please see LGA 1972 pt III below.
Will Parish Councillors be there?
Some will attend and will speak if need be. But the purpose of the meeting is to enable the ordinary electors to have their say. Councillors present will listen and as electors themselves, also have the opportunity to raise questions and make comments if they wish.
Will notes be taken of the meeting?
A written record of the meeting will be taken by the Clerk and this will be presented at a full meeting of Council for its consideration. You can view minutes of previous Annual Parish Meetings here
How long will the meeting last?
It really depends on those present and the number of questions raised and the discussion that follows. Generally, the meetings last approximately an hour, no limit is imposed.
For full details please see the Local Government Act 1972, Part III
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Langham Annual Parish Meeting
Tuesday 27th May 2025
7.00 pm In the Langham Village Hall
All welcome
AGENDA
- Welcome & Introductions
- Apologies
- To approve the minutes of Annual Parish Meeting May 2024
- Report from the Chairman of Langham Parish Council
- Parish Council Finances
- Flooding - progress on the development of an action plan to help Langham residents.
- Ward member
- Report from the Trustees of the Charity - Langham Parochial Charities
- Appointment of Trustees
- Reports from village groups.
- Any other business
Helen Duckering. Parish Clerk, 20th May 2025