Winterbourne Abbas & Steepleton Parish Council
Governance and Standing Orders
Winterbourne Abbas & Winterbourne Steepleton Parish council is a group parish council consisting of the adjoining parishes of Winterbourne Abbas & Winterbourne Steepleton about 4 miles west of Dorchester, Dorset.
The parish council is the local tier of government, serving as autonomous corporate body responsible for championing community interests and managing small local public assets. The parish council is governed by statutory frameworks and operates independently from the Dorset Council, the county’s unitary authority.
Governance Framework
Statutory Powers: The parish council acts under the Local Government Act 1972. It has limited powers and can only act if it has a specific legal power to do so, otherwise its actions are deemed ultra vires (beyond their powers). It can comment or object to planning applications made to Dorset Council’s planning department. It manages the bus shelters, and adjacent seats in each village as well as the defibrillator in Winterbourne Abbas and the SID in Steepleton. It applies to Dorset Council for annual precept funding (see below).
The Councillors: These are elected representatives of the local parish electorate. The numbers are dependent on the number of electors in each parish - Winterbourne Abbas has four whilst Steepleton has three. There is thus a total of 7 councillors in this group parish council. They were elected in May 2024 and must be re-elected every 4 years.
The Clerk: The parish council has to appoint a Clerk, who acts as the administrator and Responsible Financial Officer (RFO), ensuring all meetings and decisions are legally compliant. The present clerk is Mr Richard Crumbleholme who was appointed in May 2023. The clerk is the parish council’s only employee.
The Chairman: Elected annually at the May meeting from among the councillors, the Chairman presides over public meetings and is the joint signatory with the clerk to council documents and returns. The current Chairman is Mr Tony Hancox. (elected 11/5/2026)
The Vice Chairman : Elected annually fat the May meeting from among the councillors, the Vice Chairman can deputise for the Chairman if he cannot attend a meeting. The current vice chairman is Mr Steve Tilley (elected 11/5/2026)
Parish Council Meetings: The councillors make decisions collectively at parish council meetings that are held in May, July, September, November, January and March. The parish council’s year end is 31st March. A quorum of 3 councillors is required in order that a parish council meeting can proceed.
Agendas and Minutes: The clerk publishes an agenda a week prior to the meeting and publishes the draft minutes of the meeting within 30 days of the date of the meeting. Decisions made by the parish council are proposed and seconded by councillors and then approved and recorded in the meeting’s minutes. Agendas and minutes are displayed on the parish council’s website and on both village notice boards in the bus shelters. Minutes of the previous meeting are approved by councillors at each meeting and then signed by the Chairman in the minute book.. The minutes also are published on the website and noticeboards.
The Annual Parish Meeting is held in May for each parish and consists of informal verbal reports to summarise the past year’s events and achievements.
The Annual Council meeting is held in May to elect the Chairman and Vice Chairman. The internally audited accounts for the preceding year are presented and approved together with the completion and signing of the Annual Governance & Accountability Return (AGAR) (see below):
Public Participation: At each parish council meeting, there is a dedicated public session giving local residents a chance to ask questions and make suggestions. Whilst local residents have a legal right to attend parish council meetings, they have no legal right to speak unless during the above period or if authorised by the chairman. All persons present at a meeting shall treat all others with respect and comments shall be made politely and shall not be personal in nature.
Financial Governance and Auditing
The Precept: The parish council is funded primarily by a "precept" which is a mandatory sum added to local residents' Annual Community Charge by Dorset Council. The amount of this precept is calculated by a cashflow forecast for the following year to include the costs of repairs, maintenance and administration. It is formulated by the clerk as the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) and presented in draft form at the November meeting.
Dorset Council provides data later in January that allows the forecast to be finalised and agreed at the January meeting. It is submitted to Dorset Council by 31st January. It is paid to the parish council by Dorset Council in two equal instalments – one in April and the second in September.
Transparency & Accountability: The parish council is subject to the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. As Winterbourne Abbas & Steepleton parish council has an annual budgeted turnover of less than £25,000, it is classed as a “Smaller Authority” and is exempt from a limited assurance review under section 9 of the Local Audit (Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015. It must however publish a transparency code on its website.
Annual Governance & Accountability Return (AGAR): The parish council must formally approve and sign an annual statement confirming they conform to strict financial, accounting, and internal control measures. At the May meeting the internally audited accounts for the preceding year are presented and approved. The Annual Governance & Accountability Return (AGAR2) is then completed and signed by the clerk and chairman. This is submitted to the external auditor by the end of June. A Notice of Public Rights & Publication of AGAR is also published (on the website & notice boards) with the public inspection period being 30 working days and must include the first 10 working days of July.
Accounting: The clerk of the parish council maintains a cashflow forecast throughout the year and this is presented to councillors at each meeting. It is also published on the website. A record of all expenditures over £100 is kept and also published on the website. At the end of the year (31st March), the clerk prepares the annual accounts which are internally audited by a suitably qualified non-council member. The internal auditor has all invoices and expenditures, receipts and bank statements and signs the documents and page 4 of the AGAR form. At May 2026, the parish council has no borrowings or outstanding debts.
Internal Control Procedure: The parish council has developed its own internal control procedure and check list. It is completed by the clerk and designated councillor (Mr David Taylor) before the May and November meetings. The procedure list checks that the council’s financial management is effective, adequate and that it has a robust system of internal control. It also confirms that non-financial items are satisfactory. The Health & Safety policy is reviewed and the condition of the council’s assets are in safe condition. This is then approved at the next meeting, recorded in the minutes and then displayed on the website.
Parish Council Assets: The parish council owns and manages the bus shelters and adjacent seats in each village as well as the defibrillator in Winterbourne Abbas and the SID in Steepleton. The locations and values of these assets are detailed on the website. The parish council does not own or rent any other land.
Updated May 2026