Carlton and Chellington Parish Council

Part-Time Parish Clerk: 37 hours per month to be worked flexibly

Carlton and Chellington Parish Council seeks a highly motivated and enthusiastic person to take on the post of Clerk to the Council and Responsible Finance Officer, from 1st March 2026 when the current Clerk retires.

The successful candidate will be employed for 37 hours per month to be worked on a flexible basis, working independently from home. Attendance will be required in person at the monthly Parish Council meeting which is held in the evening on the second Monday of the month (apart from February and August). In addition the Parish Council is the sole Trustee of the Playground Charity and attendance at bi monthly evening meetings will be required.

The role of Clerk is to ensure that the Council conducts its administrative functions and services professionally and in accordance with all relevant statutory obligations.

The Clerk is the main point of contact for all other authorities, contractors, suppliers and the public and plays an important role in Council meetings.

Duties will include, but are not limited to:

– Arranging and attending Parish Council meetings including , preparing agendas, meeting papers to enable the Council to make informed decisions, taking minutes and undertaking all actions arising from the meeting
– Providing legal, procedural and administrative guidance to the council
– Receiving and dealing with all correspondence
– Liaising with Councillors, outside bodies and residents as required,
– Managing finances and preparing the Annual Accounts for audit
– Management of council assets, including ensuring various contractors undertake duties to a high standard and maintenance of the Council’s website and social media presence
– A fuller job description can be found on the Parish Council website

The ideal candidate will have the following experience and skills:

– Applicant to hold, or work towards a Certificate in Local Council Administration (CILCA)
– A good understanding of Local Council administration and legal framework
– Competent use of Email, Microsoft Office, Word and Excel
– Posses a high degree of literacy and numeracy
– Excellent written and verbal communication skills
– Good organisational skills

Remuneration will be in accordance with National Local Government Pay Scales and set within salary range £25,583-£31,022 pro rata dependant on experience and qualifications. A monthly working from home allowance of £26 is also provided.

For more information, please contact Mandy Wilson, current clerk, on 01234 782816 or email clerk@carltonwithchellington-pc.gov.uk

To apply, please send a CV with a short covering note and your full contact details to Jason.Julyan@carltonwithchellington-pc.gov.uk

Closing date for applications is Friday 19th December 2025 The interviews will be during week commencing 5th January 2026

The post will be available from 1st March 2026 but an earlier start date may be desirable to allow for a handover period.

A new programme of Communications and Data Compliance training delivered by Breakthrough Communications in partnership with BATPC is now available, with dates running through from November 2025 to March 2026.

The training available via these remote, live sessions delivered over Zoom by subject specialists includes Social Media for Councils and for Councillors, Data Protection and GDPR, FOI, Canva (getting started and advanced) and more.   You can find the full new programme here.

The BATPC member council rate per delegate for these courses is £35 per session.

Please contact Tracy Moorhouse at admin@batpc.co.uk to make booking requests.

Booking is now open for the below remote training sessions with BATPC, with courses taking place via Teams as follows:

• New Councillor Induction: Thursday 15th January 2026, 7:30pm–9:30pm (£35 per delegate)

This session guides parish and town councillors through the basics of local council practice, including roles & responsibilities, councils’ powers & duties, council meetings and more. The session is designed for new councillors, but bookings are open for all councillors on BATPC member authorities and all are welcome.

• Chairing Meetings 1:  Thursday 29^th January 2026, 7:30pm–9:30pm (£45 per delegate)

This session is designed for new Chairs and Vice Chairs and covers the basics of the role – the role of the Chair, preparing for a meeting, the agenda, and knowing the rules.  This training is offered both as in-person and remote sessions. 

• Chairing Meetings 2:  Thursday 26^th February 2026, 7:30pm–9:30pm (£45 per delegate)

This session is designed for Chairs and Vice Chairs with some experience and covers chairing styles, managing the meeting, handling conflict, stimulating discussion and ethics.

Please email Tracy Moorhouse (admin@batpc.co.uk) to make a booking enquiry/request.

LOCUM REQUIRED FOR FAIRFIELD PARISH COUNCIL

Fairfield Parish Council require the services of a CiLCA qualified locum clerk for approx. 6-10 hours a month for between 4-12 weeks.

Duties to include issuing the agenda, meeting minutes and advising the Councillors of points of protocol.

Meetings are the second Wednesday of the month and the first meeting attendance is required for is Wednesday 10^th December 2025.

The Council requires an immediate start.

Please contact Councillor Tracey Riley (Chair) to apply or for more information.

Email: tracey.riley@fairfieldparishcouncil.gov.uk

Phone: 07900 844485

Booking is now open for the below training course, delivered remotely for BATPC by Lion Planning:

Planning Application Responses – Wednesday November 5th, 7pm

This course focuses on the practical element of responding to planning applications, looking at what should – and should not – be included in your responses.

Key areas covered in this course include pre-application enquiries, the process & timescales, assessing the application, the parish/town council response, what happens next, and appeals and legal challenges.

This is a live, interactive course with the opportunity for questions to planning expert Lance Wiggins of Lion Planning, who delivers the session, and to share best practice and ideas with with Clerks and Councillors from across the county.

This course is for clerks and councillors with some knowledge/experience of planning.  It builds on the content included in the Planning Nuts and Bolts Course, and so it is recommended that delegates undertake that training first.

Places are available to councillors and officers of BATPC member councils only, at a cost of £40 per place.

This is a live, remote training session delivered online by planning expert Lance Wiggins, an experienced planning consultant who has worked for local councils, a volume house builder and a planning consultancy.

As an interactive session at which the trainer will welcome questions, at the trainer’s request places are limited and bookings are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bookings can be made by contacting Tracy Moorhouse at admin@batpc.co.uk.

NALC is running a survey in partnership with Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) to help identify the support and resources required by town and parish councils in respect of local flood resilience. They are seeking responses from councils by the forthcoming closing date on 29^th August 2025 to ensure they have as comprehensive and representative a picture as possible of what councils need, as their below text explains:

“NALC has partnered with Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) to launch a new survey designed to help parish and town councils enhance their flood resilience. The short survey will capture what information and support parish and town councils need to better plan for flooding. The results will directly shape the development of practical resources tailored to local needs, ensuring that any future resources are genuinely helpful and relevant.

Alongside ACRE, we are particularly keen to ensure that the voices of parish and town councils are heard so that we can provide support that addresses real on-the-ground challenges. Member council participation will help both organisations deliver meaningful action that improves community resilience.

Parish and town councils are encouraged to respond to the survey by 23:45 on 29 August 2025. To ensure a broad and representative range of input, we request one response per parish or town council. This initiative supports Action 20 of the Rural Flood Resilience Partnership Action Plan, which aims to help communities plan for flooding. The survey link is here.”

ENDS

Flooding and flood resilience is the key theme for BATPC’s 2025 AGM, which is taking place on the evening of 16^th October 2025 at the Rufus Centre in Flitwick and to which entry is free for all councillors and officers of BATPC member councils.  The event will feature speakers from key agencies on the issue of flooding, with the opportunity for questions and discussion on this critical issue.  More details, including on how to register, will follow for BATPC member councils in due course.

BATPC has published an updated programme of Communications and Data Compliance training, delivered by Breakthrough Communications, covering the period August – November 2025, featuring a wide range of high quality, expert-led training for both councillors and officers at BATPC member councils.

The training available via these remote, live sessions delivered over Zoom includes Social Media for Councils and for Councillors, Data Protection and GDPR, FOI, Canva (getting started and advanced) and more, and the newly-published programme can be found here. 

The BATPC member council rate per delegate for these courses is £35 per session.

Please contact Tracy Moorhouse at admin@batpc.co.uk to make booking requests.

Central Bedfordshire Council has worked with Luton Borough Council, Bedford Borough Council, and various other stakeholders to develop a draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy. It outlines a shared, long-term vision to restore and enhance nature across Bedfordshire.

The LNRS includes:

• A description of Bedfordshire’s nature, its pressures and opportunities
• Important existing sites for nature in Bedfordshire
• The priorities and measures for nature recovery
• Areas where these measures can be delivered

How you can get involved?

Central Bedfordshire Council is running a public consultation on the draft strategy until 7 September. Your local on-the-ground knowledge and experience will help them to ensure the outcomes of the strategy are ambition but deliverable and represent your views.

To share your views or for more information, please visit:

Have Your Say Today – Bedfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy – Commonplace

They are keen to capture the views of as many people as possible. Therefore, they would be grateful if you would share this information with your local areas.