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Appointment of Parish Path Liaison Officer (PPLO (s)) – a voluntary position
Priddy Parish Council is seeking a new PPLO or two if there are people who would like to share the role.
As PPLO(s) you will volunteer in partnership with Somerset’s Rights of Way team and Priddy Parish Council.
Priddy parish is the only parish that falls entirely within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Mendip Hills AONB is visited annually by thousands of people.
More information about this exciting opportunity here
https://volunteering.somerset.gov.uk/opportunities/rights-of-way-parish-path-liaison-officers/
It is really important that Priddy’s large network of footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways, byways, common land and open access land is accessible, with well-maintained and easy to find paths for everyone to explore, whether visitors to the area or local people. Many paths cross parish boundaries so this important role may bring you into contact with neighbouring PPLO’s and with the Mendip Hills AONB unit.
More about the Priddy rights of way network, including a map, can be found here
https://osm.mathmos.net/prow/progress/somerset/mendip/priddy/
This role might suit keen active walkers and / or runners, it will certainly keep you fit! It is hoped that the initial activity would include a parish wide rights of way condition survey starting this summer with the help of volunteers.
In the first instance please email parish.clerk@priddyparish.org to register your interest in becoming PPLO.
Priddy Parish Council would like to thank the outgoing PPLO for all his efforts on behalf of Priddy.
NOTICE OF CO-OPTION OF ONE PARISH COUNCILLOR
Following the May 2022 elections there remains one vacancy for the Parish Council, which is now open to be filled as a casual vacancy by co-option. Notices and details can be found on the Parish noticeboards.
If you are interested in serving as a Parish Councillor, please write to the Parish Clerk’s office parish.clerk@priddyparish.org confirming that you are qualified to be a Councillor (see Appendix A of the below Co-option procedure). Please include some background details about yourself and a brief explanation of why you are interested in joining the Parish Council.
The Council meets 6-weekly with additional meetings when required, see the provisional meeting schedule.
If you would like to know more about the role, please contact the Clerk’s office email parish.clerk@priddyparish.org
Candidates will be invited to speak at a Parish Council meeting after which a vote by Councillors will take place.
Full details of the process can be found in the below Co-option procedure.
Email: parish.clerk@priddyparish.org
Post: Priddy Parish Clerk, Saddlers, Long Street, Croscombe, BA5 3QJ
PRIDDY PARISH COUNCIL CO-OPTION PROCEDURE
Introduction
If no request for an election is received by Mendip District Council by the date of the Notice of Vacancy, the Electoral Services Department will advise the Parish Council that it may co-opt to the vacancy. Co-option is the process by which the Parish Council selects a new Councillor and it is done as an agenda item within a regular Parish Council meeting.
The Parish Council manages the process of co-option by itself and aims to demonstrate that
it is fair and transparent by following the procedure set out below:
Procedure
1. Priddy Parish Council invites interested candidates to write to the Clerk by a specified date via notices place on its noticeboards and website. Candidates will be asked to confirm that they are qualified to be a Councillor (ref. Appendix A) and to include their CV and a brief explanation of why they would like to be a Parish Councillor. Copies of the information received from candidates will be circulated by the Clerk to all Councillors prior to the meeting of the Parish council during which the co-option will be considered.
2. At the Parish Meeting candidates will be invited to say something about themselves and what they would like to achieve as a Priddy Parish Councillor. Each candidate will be allocated a maximum of six minutes.
3. In a closed session of the Parish Council meeting, without the public present, Councillors will discuss and consider the candidates. The public are invited back into the meeting before voting takes place.
4. Voting will take place by secret ballot. Councillors will have one vote per vacancy. In the event of a tie between two candidates for one vacancy the Chairman will exercise his casting vote.
5. If there is only one candidate for one vacancy they are not automatically co-opted – a yes/no vote will take place.
6. The successful candidate/s will be declared co-opted to the Parish Council and, after signing the declaration of acceptance of office paperwork, will be asked to join the meeting.
7. The successful candidate is a Councillor in their own right and is no different to any other member; co-option is a legitimate form of election as part of the election process.
Appendix A
Qualifications to be a Councillor
A person is qualified to be elected and to be a Councillor if they are a British, Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen and on the relevant day (that is, the day of nomination or election) they are 18 or over.
In addition, the person must meet at least one of the following criteria
(1) on the relevant day and thereafter they continue to be on the electoral register for the parish, or
(2) during the whole of the twelve months before that day they have owned or tenanted land or premises in the parish, or
(3) during the whole of the twelve months before that day their principal or only place of work has been in the parish, or
(4) during the whole of the twelve months before that day they have resided in the parish or within three miles of it.
Except for qualification (1), these qualifications then continue for the full term of office, until the next ordinary elections.
Certain people are disqualified from standing, and these include paid officers (including the Clerks) of the council, bankrupts and those subject to recent sentences of imprisonment.