A parish or town council is the lowest level of government but are vitally important to the community they serve.
They are given budgets by their parent authority. The budget comes from a percentage of council tax. The bigger the community the bigger the budget.
A town council may have a budget of millions of pounds.
A parish or town council has the power to acquire land for allotments.
If a parish or town council has a big enough budget it may run services such as leisure centres or museums.
Most parish or town councils can manage car parks, public gardens and parks, footpaths, community centres or village halls, public toilets and cemeteries.
Where town and parish councils come into their own is in their role in the planning process and their statutory consultation rights.
This gives local people a say in developments that affect the local community.
Newbury Town Council covers the Market Town of Newbury in Berkshire. It is situated west of Reading to which it is connected by Rail, The river Kennet, The Kennet and Avon canal and the A4. Once home to cattle markets it is now a vibrant shopping and tourist attraction and famed for the horse racing at Newbury Racecourse which is outside Newbury town council area. The town council is located in the iconic town hall with it's clocktower overlooking the market place.
| Yearly Budget: | £1,272,879 | Census Code: | E04001207 | Parent Council: | West Berkshire |
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