Name/email address | Ward |
---|---|
Jeremy Hawthorne | Harwell |
Cath Convery | Harwell |
Tracey Pearson Chairman | Harwell |
Mamta Bajre | Harwell |
Robert Hughes | Harwell |
Mike Fox-Davies | Harwell |
Paul Luper | Harwell |
Martin Ricketts | Harwell |
Gavan Raine | Harwell |
vacancy | Campus |
vacancy | Campus |
The Parish Council currently has a Locum Clerk & RFO, all contact details remain the same. See the contact page for details of how to contact them.
Parish Councillors are elected for four years. The last elections were in May 2023. We currently have vacancies for 2 councillors, for the Campus Ward.
Councillors’ Registers of Interests can be found on the Vale of White Horse DC website.
If you are interested in becoming a councillor or learning more about the role, please contact the clerk.
QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A COUNCILLOR
A person is qualified to be a councillor if they are a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen and they are 18 or over. In addition, the person must meet at least one of the following criteria:
(1) They are on the electoral register for the parish, or
(2) During the whole of the twelve months before the day of an election or co-option they have owned or tenanted land or premises in the parish, or
(3) During the whole of the twelve months before that day their principal or only place of work has been in the parish, or
(4) During the whole of the twelve months before that day they have resided in the parish or within three miles of it. Except for qualification (1), these qualifications then continue for the full term of office, until the next ordinary elections.
Certain people are disqualified from standing, and these include paid officers (including the clerks) of the council, bankrupts and those subject to recent sentences of imprisonment.
Here is a brief outline of the Parish Council’s role and duties:
- Harwell Parish Council consists of up to 11 members working together to serve the community, bringing local issues to the Council’s attention, and making decisions on behalf of the local community.
- The Council is a corporate body, and its decisions are the responsibility of the whole body. It is granted powers by Parliament to set the “precept” – the Parish Council’s share of the council tax.
- Issues that concern parish councils are planning, highways, traffic, community safety, housing, street lighting, allotments, cemeteries, litter, war memorials, seats and shelters, and rights of way.
- Parish Councils are only FULLY RESPONSIBLE for the lands belonging to the parish; in Harwell, that is the recreation ground, allotments & cemetery. Freeman Orchard belongs to the council but is managed under a lease. The council maintains St. Matthew’s churchyard.
- The full Council meets 11 times a year, at present, on the second Tuesday of each month except August. These are meetings held in public, but are not public meetings.
- At the first meeting of the new Council, elected councillors sign a formal Declaration of Acceptance of Office, and agree to abide by the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council.
- The Annual Parish Meeting is a meeting for parish residents, usually in April or May. Any resident can suggest agenda items, speak at the meeting, and vote if necessary. It is not a council meeting but is chaired by the parish council chairman, if present.
Membership of each committee and representation on external bodies is confirmed at the annual meeting of the Council, each May.
Committees
Established under Standing Orders paragraph 4e. See the Meetings and Minutes page for details of the meetings – dates, times, agendas and minutes.
Terms of reference for each committee, and Standing Orders, can be found on the policies page.
Lands Committee – all councillors are members
Chair: Jeremy Hawthorne
Staffing Committee Tracey Pearson, Jeremy Hawthorne, Cath Convery
Harwell Community Orchard Group (HarCOG) – established 2022
Chair:
Mamta Bajre, Jeremy Hawthorne, Penny Kinloch, Claire Storey, Sue Greatbanks, Martin Ricketts
Representations on, or work with external bodies, and other councillor roles, alphabetical order.
Organisation or Role | Councillor |
---|---|
Allotment User Group Liaison | Neil Paterson (not a parish councillor) |
Annual Footpaths Walk organiser | Sarah Medley (not parish councillor) |
Bank signatories | Jeremy Hawthorn. Mamta Bajre, Robert Hughes to be added |
Defibrillator guardians | Tracey Pearson |
Didcot Community Forum and Great Western Park Liaison Committee |
Cath Convery |
Harwell Campus meetings with Joint Venture Partnership regarding future plans at Harwell campus, including North Drive | Cath Convery |
Harwell News Editor | Alison Fautley (not a councillor) |
Harwell News, Parish Council summary | summary written by clerk, final checks done by Chair of PC. Martin Ricketts (not a councillor) does proof reading, liaison with printer & is co-ordinator |
Harwell Stakeholders Group & Magnox Statutory liaison meetings (quarterly) |
Cath Convery, Mike Fox-Davies (not a councillor) |
Keep Harwell Rural | n/a |
Milton Park Liaison Meeting | Cath Convery, Reg Waite (not a councillor) |
OALC | No formal rep, councillors attend as available |
OCC Public Transport Representative | Cath Convery |
OCC Rights of Way Liaison | Clerk |
Ramblers Parish Path Warden | vacant |
RBL liaison (war memorial and parades) | Tracey Pearson |
SID data collection/presentation | Patrick Davidson-Locke |
Sports Club Liaison | Clerk and Tennis Club – Robert Hughes Bowls Club – Robert Hughes Harwellian – Cath Convery Scouts – J Hawthorne Football – Cath Convery |
Webmaster for PC website |
Clerk Outside help provided by Webscape Gardener |