HURWORTH PARISH COUNCIL 1998
The Hurworth Parish Council (1998) consists of 12 elected members, they are elected every 4 years by public election. A replacement can be appointed in the event of the death or resignation of a councillor by public election or if no one applies to be elected, by the decision of the remaining councillors to co-opt an agreed person. Similarly at the time of normal reelection if no one wishes to contest a seat the existing elected member can retain his seat. These 12 seats are divided as follows:
Hurworth Village 7 seats
Hurworth Place 4 seats
Blackwell Village 1 seat
At the moment there is a vacant seat which will be filled at the next election. The current council comprises 4 women and 7 men.
Geographically the parish extends from the Tees in the south to the Middlesborough railway line in the north and from the Tees & Blackwell in the west to Neasham/Middleton St. George in the east. The latest electoral register (1996) shows that there are 2596 persons entitled to vote in the Parish. Of these only about 11 bother to attend any parish meetings (the elected ones!) together with up to three (usually sleepy) reporters.
Perhaps the most difficult part is to explain what the Parish Council does and how little it does it with. The Parish Council is a minor Local Authority legally and as such is not able to gather its own rates or levies except on property owned by the Council. In our case the council owns the allotments off Strait Lane and the building and grounds of Hurworth Grange. These are let respectively to a selection of tenants and to Hurworth Community Association, each of which pay agreed rents. The main income to the Council is from the Local Authority, Darlington Borough Council, who pay a precept of some £10,000.00 per annum. The total annual income is about £12,500.00. The council also deal with any problems or complaints received by its members or clerk, either directly or by reference to the proper authority or body. It also deals with consultations on planning matters from Darlington Borough Council (or county matters if appropriate).
From this income the Council employs 2 persons, the Parish Clerk, Mr. Ian Murphy, and the village litter picker. It also pays for the village Xmas tree, maintenance of seats, bus shelters, allotments, footpaths, signs & insurance’s together with various sundry costs for repairs to various fences etc. on land not owned but maintained by the council. This applies to many planted areas throughout the village including, of course, the village green. Of late the largest expense to the Council has been dealing with costs from damage by tree roots to property.
The Council (or its forebears) have been doing this since 1559 ( believe it or not) and this could be taken as a sign that something is being done correctly or at least to the satisfaction of the electorate. Certainly that is the hope of most of the council members, a number of which have now served for over 25 years on a purely voluntary unpaid basis.
The only payment given to any of the members is the Chairman’s allowance of £60.00 per annum to cover his or her expenses.
The members of the Council are available to all members of the Parish and they can be contacted by getting in touch with the Clerk to the Parish Council, Mr Ian Murphy at the parish Office at Hurworth Grange every Tuesday or Friday morning, or by telephone on 01325 722171. Mr Murphy can also be contacted on 01642 787332. He will provide you with telephone numbers or addresses of any member for direct contact. Alternatively, a full list of councillors is posted on the Parish notice board on the Green (outside the Old Post Office). If you need advice or assistance on any matter concerning the village please do not hesitate to contact us.
David McBeath Chairman 1998/1999 20th September 1998
(These notes have been included by permission of Jean Kendall, Editor of ‘The Two Hurworth’s)