Haxey Parish Council, Newsletter, June 2015
Parish Clerk - Deb Hotson Email:
Postal Address: The Foreman Carter Centre, Westwoodside Playing Field, Westwoodside, DN9 2DX
Telephone: 01652 618306 / 0784 220 1877
Website:
Haxey Parish Community Awards
Town and Parish Freemen
Individuals may enjoy special status in their local area in a variety of different ways. Such status can be by appointment, by conferment or by admission. Before the municipal reforms of 1835 there was a class of persons known as “freemen” in old corporate boroughs, enjoying special rights in the corporate property. The right to be admitted a freeman rested upon the custom of the borough, varied by the terms of its charter and, in certain cases, by local statutory provision.
Generally the admission of a freeman, as distinct from the conferment of the honour of an honorary freedom, might be acquired, amongst other things, by marriage, birth or employment to an existing freeman. The effect of successive reforms of local government law has been to continue the custom of maintaining a roll of freemen and regulating admission to it. Pursuant to section 248 of the Local Government Act 1972 Act (the 1972 Act) as amended by section 27 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (the 2009 Act), the admission of freemen (as opposed to admitting honorary freemen and honorary freewomen) of a pre-1974 municipal borough is approved by the chairman of the district council of the district in which the former borough lies.
Officers of dignity
Prior to local government reorganisation in 1974 a number of cities and boroughs exercised by, charter, custom or by statute, powers of appointment of local officers of dignity. Among the honorary appointments so made were those of sheriffs, high stewards, honorary recorders, honorary freemen and honorary aldermen. Where, as a result of local government reorganisation, the area of an existing city or borough became a parish in England or a community in Wales having a separate council, any powers to appoint local officers of dignity became exercisable by the parish or community council (Section 246(3) of the Local Government Act 1972).
Honorary titles (honorary freemen and freewomen)
After local government reorganisation in 1974, a number of local authorities were given the power to admit honorary aldermen and freemen pursuant to section 249 of the 1972 Act. However, that power was not extended to parish councils in England or community councils in Wales. The position was partially rectified by section 180 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 which permitted any parish or community having by grant under the royal prerogative the status of city and any parish or community entitled by such grant to be called and styled a royal town to admit honorary freemen. Prior to 12 January 2010, only 10 local councils had the standing to confer the title of honorary freeman; seven in England (the councils of the cities of Chichester, Ely, Hereford, Lichfield, Ripon, Truro and Wells) and three in Wales (the councils of the Cities of Bangor and St David’s and the Royal Town of Caernarfon).
On 12 January 2010, the 2009 Act amended the above provisions of the 1972 Act to enable all local councils to confer honorary titles. By virtue of section 249(5) and (6) of the 1972 Act as amended, all local councils may exercise powers to confer the title of “honorary freeman” or “honorary freewoman” to persons of distinction and those who, in the council’s opinion, have rendered eminent services to the council’s area. Section 249(8) of the 1972 Act as amended provides that the admission of an honorary freeman or honorary freewoman must be by resolution made at a meeting of the full council specially convened for such purpose and passed by no less than two-thirds of the members of the council. Section 249(8) also requires “notice of the object of the meeting” to be given. This confirms the need for the agenda with the public notice and summons to members in respect of the council meeting to itemise a motion to confer the title of honorary freeman or honorary freewoman. Section 249 (9) of the 1972 Act as amended provides that a local council may spend a reasonable sum as it thinks fit for the purpose of presenting an address or a casket containing an address to a person on whom it has conferred the title of honorary freeman or honorary freewoman.
Whilst recognising the aboveis available to the Haxey Parish Council, it is considered to be an infrequent award, so, in late 2014, Haxey Parish Council discussed the possibility of making another annual award to residents who have made a significant contribution to the Parish. In order to progress the idea, the Volunteer Award Working Group was set up with the aim of setting up and advising the Full Council on the initiative and the Group met for the first time on 16 December 2014 and subsequently on 24 February 2015. The following decisions/recommendations were made at the meetings:
a.There would be 2 awards: Haxey Parishioner of the year and Haxey Parish Group of the year.
b.It was recommended that the scheme should commence at the Annual Parish meeting in May of each year.
c.Recipients of the awards would receive a shield/certificate marking the award and that a larger shield should be displayed in the Parish Council Meeting Room recording the recipients and the year of the award.
d.Both Parish Primary schools would be invited to design a logo and certificate heading depicting an historical Parish event or activity.
e.The basic criteriafor the awards would be:
(1)Nominees could either live or work in the Parish.
(2)The activity nominees are involved in should benefit the Parish in some form.
(3)Further guidance on criteria would be published in due course; however, it was considered that Residents should have the maximum freedom of nomination.
f.Publication of the Award Scheme would be through the Arrow, the Parish Council Website and Parish Notice Boards, commencing from the Annual Parish Meeting in May with further reminder publications in August and October. Following the October publication, proforma for Residents to complete would be made available on the Parish Council Website, public locations and through the Arrow. Non-electronic completed proforma would be returned to the Awards Working Group via FREEPOST.
g.Nominations will close by 31 December; the Award Working Group will select recipients for ratification by the Full Parish Council at their February meeting.
h.The winner will be formally announced at the Annual Parish Meeting when the presentation will be made.
i.The scheme would commence in May 15 and if proven successful be continued each subsequent year.
Haxey Parish Council hopes that residents will support the above scheme which will commence later this year and enable deserving Parishioners to be recognised for any community work they carry out. Any comments would be welcome and should be made through the Clerk.
Best Kept Village Competition 2015
Just a reminder! Haxey Parish Council has entered the competition again for 2015. North Lincolnshire Council is providing hanging baskets for the parish and we have Parish Council led volunteers helping plant out some containers under the signage when entering the village from various locations.
Could you please help keep the parish tidy and litter free which will all count towards extra points?
Please trim back your hedges and mow your lawns. Together with the community planting this will show the villages at their best.
Parish Mere’s
Many people may have heard of the meres in the area. The Westwoodside mere lettings are every 3 years on Easter Monday at the Carpenter Arms. A number of councillors went along to see the proceedings along with a good number of interested parties making it a well-attended event and being part of what is one of the older traditions in England
Having ordered our beers we settled down to watch and in some cases learn. Any person attending has a right to vote and bid, the first order of the day was to elect the Mere Person and Secretary and Linda Weaver was passed without opposition as Mere Woman and Sandy Alexander as secretary.
Having taken up office the Mere Person inserted a pin into a candle and the first Mere was offered for letting. The person who made the highest bid before the pin falls out wins the bid and rents for three years. This is repeated until all Mere’s have been let and all that is left to do is pay the rents and be entered in the letting book.
While this may seem a strange way to rent land it is none the less one of the older traditions that people from here should be rightly proud of. It was all the better thanks to Bill and Ellie who made everyone welcome and a good dose of humour made for an interesting and informative event and insight into our living history.