The Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme aims to to provide benchmark minimum standards for parish and town councils across the country. In order to achieve Quality Status, parish and town councils must demonstrate that they have reached the standard required by passing several tests including: electoral mandate; qualifications of the clerk; council meetings; communication and community engagement; annual report; accounts; code of conduct; promoting local democracy and citizenship; and training.

Buxted Parish Council is working towards quality status and hopes to achieve it at the end of this year. Over the last year the council has supported the clerk, Beccy Macklen, in working towards the Certificate in Local Council Administration – a necessary requirement for the council to seek ‘quality council’ status. Beccy will soon submit her CiLCA portfolio for examination and is now starting to compile the council’s portfolio which we will put forward for quality status.

Further information from the National Association of Local Councils