Great Gransden Parish Council is committed to operate in an honest, open and transparent manner, and has produced or adopted a number of policy documents that describe and control how it operates. All the policies listed below are available in PDF form for offline viewing and printing, and the scope of each policy is outlined below or on a linked web page. In case of conflict, the PDF version of the policy takes precedence.
Model Standing Orders
The latest version of our standing orders were adopted in July 2021, and describe the rules under which the council operates.
Privacy
How do we protect information about you? This web page says how.
Accessibility
We want all our parishioners, and all with a need to access our website, to be able to read and navigate it! To this end, we use high-contrast colour schemes, and try and ensure all text is of a legible size; where necessary, you should be able to use your browser facilities to enlarge text as needed, and use text-to-voice software. A web page describes our accessibility policy, and allows you to download a copy in PDF form for offline reading and printing.
Archiving (records management and retention)
The Parish Council recognises that the efficient management of its records is necessary to comply with its legal and regulatory regulations and to contribute to the effective overall management of the Parish Council. This PDF document provides the policy framework through with this effective management can be achieved and audited. It covers:
- Scope
- Responsibilities
- Relationships with existing policies
- Retention Schedule
Complaints
Information about our complaints procedure can be found on this page.
Equal Opportunities
The following statement about our Equal Opportunities policy is also available in PDF form.
We are committed to a policy of equality of opportunity for all our residents, customers, staff and potential staff and will fulfil our legal responsibilities under
all legislation concerning equal opportunities.
We will actively develop positive practices which promote equality of opportunity and enable residents and customers to fully participate and staff to
realise their full potential. No resident, customer, job applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, race, colour, creed,
nationality, ethnic or national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or will be disadvantaged by any condition which
cannot be justified. We will aim to deliver all decisions on participation, recruitment, selection, training, promotion and career development that are
based on abilities, merits, and objective job related criteria. All staff is required to behave in a non-discriminatory manner and to create a
culture in which people can feel confident of being treated with fairness, dignity and tolerance. It is the responsibility of all Parish Council Members and
employees to adopt and implement this policy as part of their professional activities and conduct.
Financial Regulatons
Our Financial Regulations set forth the rules under which the Parish Council operates regarding its finances, including issues such as authorisation, accountability and audits, as well as setting forward a timescale for actions to ensure audits and the delivery of the precepts can be performed in a timely fashion. The current version of the document was approved and adopted as a Parish Council meeting in September 2024.
Rules for Open Forums
The public have a right to attend parish Council meetings, but not to participate. However, in a spirit of openness the Great Gransden Parish Council normally schedule an Open Forum session as part of their meetings, where the public can raise questions, comment on items on the agenda, etc. To ensure these sessions run smoothly, the Parish Council has adopted a policy regarding these open forums, which can be read by following this link.
Safeguarding
Great Gransden Parish Council is committed to ensuring that children and vulnerable adults are protected and kept safe from harm whilst they are engaged in any activity associated with the Parish Council. The Parish Council does not currently organise events for children, but it does own land and maintain playgrounds throughout the parish; these are open to the public, including children, and parents and carers are expected to supervise their children at all times. Our detailed safeguarding policy can be downloaded, in PDF form.
Commercial use of the MUGA
There is a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) on the Playing Fields behind the Reading Room. In 2022 the Parish Council decided to allow commercial use of the MUGA subject to certain restrictions; you can download in PDF form the conditions for commercial use of the MUGA. The document also covers the rules of use and code of conduct.