About the Council
The Parish Council is made up of seven members and a Parish Clerk. All the councillors are unpaid and periodically elected by the parish, while the Parish Clerk is an employee of the Parish Council. The clerk is paid from parish funds according to the number of hours worked.
Parish funds consist of an annual precept collected from parishioners by the City Council along with the council tax. This is forwarded to the Parish Council and is used to meet expenses. Details of these expenses are listed in the minutes of each meeting and further discussed at a public meeting annually, following which a copy of the accounts is posted on the notice board. The accounts are voluntarily audited by a parishioner (currently: David Rawsthorn) and submitted for inspection to the audit commission, at the Parish Council’s expense.
The councillors elect a chairman (currently: Hilary Holland) and a vice chairman (currently:David Low) while the Parish Clerk is Tricia Meynell. The Parish Council meet every two months to discuss any issues relevant to the parish. The meeting place is in the Watson Hall and takes place on a Wednesday evening, generally falling on the second Wednesday of every other month.
An agenda is posted on both this website, the Castle Carrock & Geltsdale Parish Council facebook page and the village notice board at least five days before a meeting. Minutes from the meetings are similarly posted.
Parishioners may attend these meetings and are encouraged to address the council prior to the start of the meeting, particularly if they have information regarding an agenda item or want to request the inclusion of an item for a future meeting. Once the meeting starts, however, the public is requested not to interrupt proceedings but may speak if requested to do so by the chairman. Between meetings, parishioners are encouraged to contact any member of the council or the Parish Clerk to discuss any issue relevant to the parish and have them added to the next agenda.
Meetings are regularly attended by both our City Councillors (Mike Mitchelson, Keith Meller, Raymond Tinnion) and our County Councillor (Roger Dobson), so this also presents an opportunity for parishioners to make contact with them and raise issues outside the scope of Parish Council.
The Parish Council is committed to serving the parish by providing services not provided elsewhere and bringing any shortfalls in services provided by others to their attention. Both budget restraints and legal powers limit the Parish Council’s attempts at providing services, so value for money and what is possible, inevitably determines what is done and what is not. However, if it can be done, the Parish Council’s role is to try to see it done.
Any parishioner is welcome to apply for a position on the Parish Council. Details of the process are available from the Parish Clerk (see below).
Your Parish Councillors
Chairman - Hilary Holland
Fellfoot, CA8 9DW, 01228 670051
Vice Chairman - David Low
Virginia Cottage, CA8 9NB 01228 670466
Parish Council Rep on the Village Hall Committee - Alison Goodchild
9 Rectory Rd, CA8 9LY 01228 670914
Parish Council Rep on the Allotment Society - Hilary Holland
Fell Foot, CA8 9DW, 01228 670051
-Cllr Robert Murray
Roughet Hill, CA8 9DP, 01228 670350
Cllr Claire Rawsthorn,
Moor House, Castle Carrock. CA8 9BX , 01228 670608
Cllr Kerryn Price-Kirkham
6 Arthur's Place, Castle Carrock, CA8 9BP , 07974 213631
Parish Clerk - Tricia Meynell
Shepherd’s View, CA8 9NB 01228 670054