About The Council

Parish Councils are the lowest tier of local government in England and have a range of roles and responsibilities within the communities they serve that is likely to increase under current and future legislation.

Papworth Everard Parish Council is responsible for the upkeep of many village facilities, including:

• The playing fields
• The main children’s play area and paddling pool
• The village hall
• Lighting in some residential side roads and footpaths
• Bus shelters
• The churchyard and cemetery
• Dog bins
• Some litter bins
• Public seating
• Notice-boards
• Grit bins
• The village flagpole

The Parish Council is not responsible for the open spaces or play areas on the Varrier-Jones Drive, Hayman’s Way, North Lodge Drive or South Park Drive developments, or on any of the land owned by the Varrier-Jones Foundation, the Papworth Trust, or the Papworth Hospital NHS Trust.

In addition to fulfilling its own responsibilities, the council also monitors items that are the responsibility of the county council, including roads, pavements, street lighting, verge cutting and public footpaths. Small grants can be made by the Parish Council to village organisations for items that the council does not normally have the power to fund.

The Parish Council is consulted on all planning applications made to the District and County Councils, which affect the parish. However, while comments made by the Parish Council are taken into consideration, all planning decisions are made by the referring authority. The council may also be asked to express the views of the village on other new proposals and on local planning policy, such as the potential use of the Papworth Hospital site after the hospital’s move to Cambridge in Spring 2019.

Papworth Everard Parish Council receives the funds that it uses to fulfil its role in the village in the form of an annual precept, which is collected on its behalf by South Cambridgeshire District Council, as part of the Council Tax charge. In addition, the Parish Council – and the village – is fortunate to be benefiting from sums of money that developers have been obliged under planning agreements, to contribute towards capital projects for the provision of community facilities.

The Parish Council may also apply for funding from a variety of grant-giving bodies and local authorities.

If you would like to know more about the work of the Parish Council, please contact the Parish Clerk.

Joining The Council

Elections to Papworth Everard Parish Council are held every four years. The Election for May 2022 was uncontested so did not go to the polls. The next elections are scheduled for May 2026. In certain circumstances, an election may he held to fill a vacant seat on the council or, more usually, the council is able to ‘co-opt’ new members.

Vacancies are advertised on the Parish Council notice-board on the wall of the  Papworth Co-Op Store. If you would like to be considered for co-option to the council, should a vacancy arise, please refer to the list below to check your eligibility – a positive response to all questions is essential. You may then request an application form from the Parish Clerk.

If an application is received before the agenda for the next full council meeting is published, a formal resolution to co-opt may be tabled at that meeting. You will be invited to attend the meeting, so that you are able to discuss the interest you have shown. The council will then make a decision on the co-option and you will be informed of the outcome within a few days.

New members sign a ‘Declaration of Acceptance’ and complete a ‘Register of Interests’ and agree to abide by the council’s ‘Code of Conduct’. Information provided on these declarations will be open to public inspection.

Eligibility for office as a Parish Councillor

You must:

  • Be over 18 years of age
  • Be a British Citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a citizen of the Commonwealth. You may also be eligible as a citizen of the European Union, however the criteria has changed now that the UK has left the European Union. Please check on the gov.uk website for advice about EU citizens’ voting and candidacy rights in local elections.
  • Be on the parish electoral roll on the day of co-option and thereafter,  or
  • Have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish during the whole of the 12 months preceding the day of co-option, or
  • Have had your principal or only place of work in the area during the whole of the 12 months preceding the day of co-option, or
  • Have resided in the parish, or within 3 miles of it, for the whole of the 12 months prior to co-option, and
  • Have not held any paid office or employment under this authority
  • Have not been a person adjudged bankrupt
  • Have not been a person who, within five years before the day of co-option, has been convicted of any offence and has had passed on him/her a sentence of imprisonment for a period of not less than 3 months (whether suspended or not) without option of a fine

Councillors

Mr Paul Phillips (Chair) paul.phillips@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Mr Terry Cook (Vice Chair) terry.cook@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Mr Paul Hicks paul.hicks@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Dr. Chris Howlett chris.howlett@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Mr Mark Hersom mark.hersom@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Ms Michele Eidevik-Skinner michele.eidevik-skinner@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Mr James Garrett james.garrett@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Dr. Chris Dawson chris.dawson@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Mr Mark Honeywood mark.honeywood@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Mr Stuart Rondeau stuart.rondeau@papwortheverardpc.org.uk

Mr Grant Cooper (awaiting email)

There are currently 2 vacancies on the Parish Council

Staff & Offices

The Clerk to the Council is the Executive Officer responsible for the council’s administration – this role is held by Sarah Cruse.

Sarah is assisted by Clare Taylor, who has particular administrative responsibility for matters relating to planning. Clare is also the Village Hall Bookings Clerk and deals with all enquiries and bookings for the Hall.

The Clerk is based in the Parish Office on the first floor of the Papworth Everard Village Hall

Normal office opening hours:

Monday – Thursday  10:00-14:00 (if you are planning to visit the office, please call ahead 01480 830360)

Committees

To make its operation more effective, efficient and responsive, the Parish Council has set up a number of committees and working groups to oversee administration and spending in specific areas of its responsibility. These are composed mostly of Parish Council members, but non-members may also be invited to serve where this is considered beneficial by the council. Non-council members do not have voting rights. The chairman and vice-chairman of the Parish Council are ex officio members of all committees and working groups.

All committee and full Council meetings are held face-to-face in the Bob Baker Room at the Village Hall, are open to the public and are fully documented with agendas and minutes being issued. Working Groups are non minuted, more informal discussions/meetings which are held remotely via Zoom and are not open to the public. Working Groups are not permitted to make any decisions or commit to spending funds but may submit recommendations to the main Parish Council meeting for approval.

Membership of the council’s committees and working groups  is as follows:

Finance and HR Committee :
Paul Phillips (Chair), Paul Hicks, Chris Howlett, Chris Dawson, Mark Hersom, Terry Cook, Michele Eidevik-Skinner, James Garrett, Mark Honeywood, Stuart Rondeau, Grant Cooper

Planning Committee: (incorporated into Parish Council Meetings)
Chris Howlett (Chair), Chris Dawson, Paul Hicks, Mark Hersom, Terry Cook, Michele Eidevik-Skinner, James Garrett. Mark Honeywood, Stuart Rondeau, Grant Cooper

Amenities and Playing Fields (WORKING GROUP):
Paul Phillips (Lead), Chris Howlett, Paul Hicks, Terry Cook (also Bowls Club Rep), Michele Eidevik-Skinner, James Garrett, Mark Honeywood, Stuart Rondeau, Grant Cooper

Paulson Xavier* (Cricket)  Tennis Club Representative* (Tennis Club), Alison Rayner * (Blasters Football)

Village Hall (WORKING GROUP):
Stuart Rondeau (Lead), Chris Howlett, Paul Phillips, Paul Hicks, Terry Cook, Mark Honeywood, James Garrett, Clare Taylor (Bookings Clerk)*

* Not a member of the Parish Council (a non-councillor may be a member of any committee, except the Finance and HR Committee)

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