News from our partners: Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council achieves national excellence award

News from our partners Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council 

Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council is celebrating achieving the Quality Gold level of the national Local Council Award Scheme.

The Quality Gold standard is the highest level of the scheme and Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council is the first local council in Shropshire to achieve it. The scheme exists to recognise excellence in governance, community engagement and continual council improvement.

The award was presented to the council’s Chair Councillor Andrew Haydon and Clerk Carole Warner by Shropshire Council Chairman Ann Hartley at Shropshire Council’s full Council meeting today, Thursday 16 May 2019.

From l-r: Councillor Mike Dinsdale – Vice Chairman, Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council; Carole Warner – Clerk, Welshampton and lyneal Parish Council; Councillor Andrew Haydon – Chairman, Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council; Ann Hartley, Chairman of Shropshire Council; Brian Williams, local Shropshire Councillor for The Meres; Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, place planning and regulatory services.

Ann Hartley said:

“Although being a small parish council in the north of the county, Welshampton and Lyneal continually represent their community at all levels of government and Shropshire Council has been pleased to work them on many occasions.”

Councillor Andrew Haydon, Chair of Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council, said:

“I am delighted that the parish council’s efforts, its understanding of good governance, the desire for community engagement and on-going planning for the parish’s future has been recognised.  I would especially like to thank and acknowledge our clerk, Carole Warner’s contribution as without her experience, professionalism and commitment to the council and the community we would not have attained this prestigious award.”

From l-r: Councillor Mike Dinsdale – Vice Chairman, Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council; Carole Warner – Clerk, Welshampton and lyneal Parish Council; Councillor Andrew Haydon – Chairman, Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council; Ann Hartley, Chairman of Shropshire Council; Brian Williams, local Shropshire Councillor for The Meres.

Clerk Carole Warner said:

“Achieving this award recognises the effort and hard work put in over the years by everyone involved with the council. Without the backing of councillors who always support each other and look for ways to make a difference, we could not have reached Quality Gold.  Every member of the council team has reason to be proud.”

Katrina Baker, MBE, President of Shropshire Association of Local Councils and Chairman of the Accreditation Panel, said:

 “We congratulate Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council in obtaining Quality Gold.  They have worked so hard to achieve this award from being the first council in Shropshire to achieve Quality standard, the middle level of the scheme, just over one year ago.”

Further information

In England: There are approximately 10,000 local councils (town councils and parish councils) and 100,000 councillors.  They collect around £400m annually in precept income, investing around £2billion annual in local communities.

In the county of Shropshire:  There are 180 parish councils (153 in Shropshire, 27 in Telford & Wrekin) with nearly 2,000 parish and town councillors (1977 seats, 1688 in Shropshire and 289 in Telford & Wrekin). 

The Shropshire Association of Local Councils has 96% in membership (only 6 in Shropshire and 1 in TWC remain outside of membership).

Local councils are at grass roots level of governance: Local councillors are, real hyperlocal heroes, who are spending their time and energy helping their communities. This should be celebrated and recognised more. Local councils are actually becoming one of the most important parts of local government as they are closest to the people and covering the issues that really matter in a time of real disenchantment. They are the only growing part too as several are created each year.

Local Council Award Scheme: Is a peer assessed programme that has been designed to both provide the tools and encouragement to those councils at the beginning of their improvement journeys, as well as promoting and recognising councils that are at the cutting edge of the sector. It is through the sector working together to share best practice, drive up standards and supporting those who are committed to improving their offer to their communities that individual councils and the sector as a whole will reach its full potential. In Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin we have 15 councils that have achieved the Foundation level, 3 who have achieved Quality and one has achieved the top award Quality Gold.  This prestigious award recognises that the council achieves good practice in governance, community engagement and council improvement, going above and beyond their legal obligations, leading their communities and continuously seeking opportunities to improve and develop even further.  These councils are at the front line of the government’s localism agenda and are doing as much as they can to delivery services whilst being efficient and cost-effective.

For more information contact SALC at alc@shropshire.gov.uk; 01743 252744.