How the Parish Council Works
Brampford Speke Parish Council has seven serving members and employs one part time Parish Clerk. The Parish Council is within the East Devon District. Our Parish Clerk is available between 9am and 4pm weekdays. If you need to contact the Clerk outside of these times please do so by emailing, in the first instance, clerkbspc@gmail.com.
Council Meetings are held on the FIRST Tuesday of the month bimonthly, except in August and December. Meetings are usually held in the Village Hall at 7.30pm. The Schedule of Meetings, agendas and minutes can found here.
| Councillor Name | Register of Interests |
|---|---|
| Cllr Richard Tillett | Cllr Tillett Register of Interests |
| Cllr Stuart Luxton (Chairman) | Cllr Luxton Register of Interests |
| Cllr Elaine Hollingsworth | Cllr Hollingsworth Register of Interests |
| Cllr Will Honan (Vice Chair) | Cllr Honan Register of Interests |
| Cllr Ian Bannister | Cllr Bannister Register of Interests |
| Cllr Lisa Langdon | Cllr Lisa Langdon Register of Interests |
| Cllr Vacancy |
The Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer is Tracy Watkins
Lead Councillor Roles for 2025-2026
The lead councillor roles were agreed as:
| Role | Councillor Responsible |
|---|---|
| Brampford Speke Village Hall Trust: | Cllrs Tillett & Honan |
| Verges: | Cllr S Luxton |
| Trees & Natural Environment: | Cllr Hollingsworth |
| Highways & Traffic Management: | Cllr Tillett |
| Footpaths and Open Spaces: | Cllr Ian Bannister |
| Planning: | Cllr Honan |
| Communications: | Cllr Lisa Langdon |
| Finance: | Cllr Luxton |
| Community Grant Fund: | (All Councillors) |
Outside Bodies Representatives 2024-2025
| Outside Body | Councillor Representatives |
| Community Land Trust | Cllr Tillett |
| Raddon Hills | Cllr Tillett |
Elections and Vacancies
The Council is elected every four years and the next ordinary election is May 2027.
If any of the Councillors resign from the Council during their term of office the Parish Council will co-opt to fill the vacancy. You can find details of our current vacancies on our news page.
General Power of Competence
Brampford Speke Parish Council adopted the General Power of Competence in May 2019:
Local Councils in England were given a General Power of Competence in the Localism Act 2011, Sections 1-8. This means that Councils, once adopting the power, no longer need to ask whether they have a specific power to act. The Localism Act 2011 s1 (1) gives local authorities including town and parish councils “the power to do anything that individuals generally may do as long as they do not break any other laws”. It is a power of first resort.
Restrictions in law which apply to the use of the General Power of Competence include the duties on councils to act to prevent crime and disorder; to respect human rights; to consider biodiversity; and to protect personal data. Sometimes a council can do things that an individual can’t do such as creating byelaws, raising a precept or issuing fixed penalty notices but it must do so using the specific original legislation. The General Power of Competence does not mean the Council can delegate decisions to individual councillors. This procedural matter remains enshrined in law.
Brampford Speke Parish Council re-adopted the General Power of Competence at its meeting on 6th September 2023. This power remains with the Parish Council until the Annual Meeting following the next ordinary election; it can then be readopted at that Annual Meeting if the Council is still eligible.
In order to be eligible for the General Power of Competence there are two criteria that must be fulfilled:
At the time when the General Power of Competence is adopted, at least two-thirds of the total seats on the council must be held by members who stood at the last ordinary election or subsequent by-election, i.e. council members who have been elected (even if unopposed) rather than co-opted or appointed.
The Clerk must hold the Certificate in Local Council Administration or an equivalent qualification.