A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Local government in the United Kingdom is arranged into four different systems with one each for England Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales The civil parish has its origins in the system of ecclesiastical parishes, but civil parishes have often deviated from the latter's borders as time has progressed. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches

The use of parishes varies across the constituent countries of the UK. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping In England, the parish forms a feature of local administration and is the lowest unit of government, below districts and counties. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London All pre-existing civil parishes in England and Wales, formed in 1894, were abolished as of 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, with new parishes created by or under that Act for England. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales In Wales parishes were replaced by communities; community councils in Wales are in all essential aspects equivalent to parish councils in England. Community councils (CCs are the most local statutory representative bodies in Great Britain.

In Scotland, parishes - formerly akin to those of England - have lost the majority of their status, although are still in existence. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. As in Wales, a new system of communities has arisen and these have taken on some of the roles of parishes. However, unlike in England and Wales, the Scottish community council has no statutory powers, although in some cases local councils have a legal obligation to include them in consultation exercises. For local government purposes Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as

There are no civil parishes in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The smaller subdivision of a county (apart from the obsolete barony) is a townland, a purely geographical division very much smaller than an English parish would be. "Baron" was also a title in the Peerage of Ireland. Such barons had no connection to any geographic barony Believed to be of Gaelic origin a townland is a term for a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland; the term was at one time also used in Scotland

In the Republic of Ireland civil parishes often still reflect the ancient religious parishes - they are divided into Townlands and assembled into Baronies; they are maintained legally but only for limited purposes. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Believed to be of Gaelic origin a townland is a term for a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland; the term was at one time also used in Scotland A barony is an Administrative division of a country usually of lower rank and importance than a County. There is a provision in Irish law for "local councils" but it has never seen significant implementation^[1].

History

The division into parishes is an ancient one, the name is ultimately derived from the Latin parochia, which were divisions used by the early Christian Church. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In England and Wales parishes arose from Church of England divisions, and were originally purely ecclesiastical divisions, but over time they became used for some purposes of civil administration. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican ^[2]

Under the Highways Act 1555, parishes became responsible for upkeep of roads. The Highways Act 1555 (2 & 3 Ph & Mary c 8 sometimes the First Statute of Highways, was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of England passed in Every adult inhabitant of the parish was obliged to work four days (and soon after six days) a year on the roads, providing their own tools, carts and horses. The work was overseen by an unpaid local appointee, the Surveyor of Highways. This function was transferred to Highway Boards in 1855 and later to County Councils. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. See also toll roads. A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards

The poor had previously been looked after by the monasteries until their dissolution. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded In 1572, the magistrates were given power to 'survey the poor' and impose taxes for their relief. This system was made more formal by the Poor Law Act 1601, which made parishes responsible for administering the Poor Law. The Poor Law Act 1601 was also known as the Elizabethan Poor Law, 43rd Elizabeth Old Poor Law after the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 This article deals chiefly with the English Poor Laws covering England and Wales They appointed overseers, who could charge a rate to support the poor of the parish. Rates are a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one used to fund Local government. The 19th century saw an increase in the responsibility of parishes, although the poor law powers were transferred to Poor Law Unions. A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century These often later became Rural Districts. Rural districts were a type of Local government area &ndash now superseded &ndash established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and

The parishes were run by vestries, meeting annually to appoint these officials. A vestry is a storage room in or attached to a church or Synagogue. Most were "open" (where all ratepayers in the parish could attend) but a few were "select" (elected). These parishes were generally identical to ecclesiastical parishes. However some townships in large parishes administered the Poor Law themselves. In England, township (latin - vill) usually means a village or hamlet This article deals chiefly with the English Poor Laws covering England and Wales The latter part of the century saw most of the ancient irregularities in the system cleaned up, with the majority of exclaves abolished. The Poor Law Amendment Act 1866 declared all areas that levied a separate rate (that is, extra-parochial areas and townships, and chapelries) become civil parishes as well. In the United Kingdom, an extra-parochial area was an area considered to be outside any Parish. In England, township (latin - vill) usually means a village or hamlet Also borders were altered to avoid parishes being split between counties. Any place that could claim to be free of any poor rate obligation was referred to as "extra-parochial". Such places were often old church lands, and a few still existed in the 20th century.

Civil parishes in their modern sense were established in 1894, by the Local Government Act 1894. The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict c 73 created a system of Urban districts and Rural districts with elected councils in all areas of England The Act abolished vestries, and established elected parish councils in all rural civil parishes with more than 300 electors. A vestry is a storage room in or attached to a church or Synagogue. These were grouped into rural districts. Rural districts were a type of Local government area &ndash now superseded &ndash established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and

Urban parishes continued to exist, and were generally coterminous with the urban district or municipal borough in which they were situated. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to Large towns originally split between multiple parishes were, for the most part, eventually consolidated into one parish. No parish councils were formed for urban parishes, and their only function was as areas electing guardians to Poor Law Unions. A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century With the abolition of the poor law system in 1930 the parishes had only a nominal existence.

In Scotland, parish councils were established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 and then abolished in 1930. The Local Government (Scotland Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict c 58 created a Local Government Board for Scotland, and replaced existing Parochial boards with Parish The parishes themselves were formally abolished in 1975, but were replaced with communities. Community councils (CCs are the most local statutory representative bodies in Great Britain.

In 1965 civil parishes in London were formally abolished when Greater London was created, the legislative framework for Greater London did not make provision for any local government body below a London borough (since all of London was previously part of a metropolitan borough, municipal borough or urban district, no actual parish councils were abolished). London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs.

In 1974 the Local Government Act 1972 retained civil parishes in rural areas and small urban areas, but abolished them in larger urban areas. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales In Wales civil parishes were abolished by the 1972 Act, and replaced with community councils. Community councils (CCs are the most local statutory representative bodies in Great Britain. Many former urban districts and municipal boroughs that were being abolished rather than succeeded were continued as new parishes. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to Urban areas that were considered too large to be single parishes were refused this permission and became unparished areas. In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a Civil parish.

The Act also led to the possibility of sub-division of all districts (apart from London boroughs, reformed in 1965), into multiple civil parishes. For example, Oxford, whilst entirely unparished in 1974, now has four civil parishes, covering part of its area. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire,

England

Geography

Civil parishes do not cover the whole of England, and most exist in rural and smaller urban areas. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time Civil parishes were abolished in London in 1965, and in other large urban areas in 1974, by which time their influence was largely nominal in the urban districts and boroughs. Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice

Civil parishes vary greatly in size: many cover tiny hamlets with populations of less than 100, whereas some large parishes cover towns with populations of tens of thousands. A hamlet is (usually&mdashsee below a Rural community — that is a small settlement — which is too small to be considered a Village. Weston-super-Mare, with a population of 71,758, is the largest civil parish. Weston-super-Mare is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish in North Somerset, England. In many cases, several small villages are located in a single parish. A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City.

Large urban areas are mostly unparished, as the government at the time of the Local Government Act 1972 discouraged their creation for large towns or their suburbs, but there is generally nothing to stop their establishment. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales For example, Birmingham has a parish, New Frankley, whilst Oxford has four, and Northampton has seven. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um New Frankley in Birmingham is the only Civil parish in Birmingham, England. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, This article is about Northampton in England for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation Northampton ( is a large Market Parishes could not however be established in London until the changing of the law in 2007 and as yet none have been established there.

The present government encourages the creation of town and parish councils in unparished areas. In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a Civil parish. The Local Government and Rating Act 1997 created a procedure which gave local residents the right to demand that a new parish and council be created in unparished areas. The Local Government and Rating Act 1997 allows a community at the village neighbourhood town or similar level beneath a district or borough council to demand its own elected parish ^[3] This was extended to London boroughs by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ^[4]

If at least 10% of electors in an area of a proposed new parish sign a petition demanding its creation, then the local district council or unitary authority must consider the proposal. A petition is a request to change some thing most commonly made to a government official or public entity The final decision rests with the Department for Communities and Local Government. The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities

Recently established parish councils include Daventry (2003), Folkestone (2004), and Brixham (2007). Daventry (ˈdævəntri or ˈdeɪntɹɪ is a Market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22367 (2001 Census) Folkestone (ˈfoʊkstən is a resort town on the south coast of Kent, England, traditionally known as "The Garden Coast" Brixham (ˈbrɪksəm is a small town in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. In 2003 seven new parish councils were set up for Burton upon Trent, and in 2001 the Milton Keynes urban area became entirely parished, with ten new parishes being created. Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a large town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, Milton Keynes ( ˌmɪltənˈkiːnz often abbreviated to MK, is a large town In 2003, the village of Great Coates (Grimsby) regained parish status. Great Coates is a village and Civil parish in North East Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby (or archaically Great Grimsby) is a Seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. Parishes can also be abolished on request, such as Birtley, which was abolished on April 1, 2006. Birtley is an area in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, in Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Names

A parish council can become a town council unilaterally, simply by making a resolution to do so. Around 400 parish councils are called town councils.

Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, a civil parish may now call itself by an "alternative style" meaning one of the following:

• community
• neighbourhood
• village

A parish can gain city status but only if that is granted by the Crown. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy In England, there are currently seven parishes with city status: Chichester, Ely, Hereford, Lichfield, Ripon, Truro and Wells. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, England. It has a long history as a settlement its Roman past and its subsequent importance Ely (, rhyming with "freely" is a Cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England. Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. Lichfield is a city and Civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Ripon is a Cathedral city, Market town and Civil parish within the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England. Truro (ˈtruːrəʊ Truru is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration leisure Wells is a small Cathedral city and Civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip The chairman of a town council will have the title "town mayor" and that of parish council which is a city will usually have the title of mayor.

As a result, a parish council can also be called a town council, a community council, a village council or occasionally a city council (though most cities are not parishes but principal areas, or in England specifically metropolitan boroughs, non-metropolitan districts). A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or Parishes A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England covering urban areas within metropolitan counties. Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England.

Parish administration

A parish bulletin board in Willersey in the Cotswolds. See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England"

Every civil parish (or community) has a parish meeting, consisting of all the electors of the parish (or community). Generally a meeting is held once a year. A civil parish may have a parish council which exercises various local responsibilities given by statute.

If a parish has fewer than 200 electors it is usually deemed too small to have a parish council, and instead will only have a parish meeting; an example of direct democracy. A parish meeting, in England, or a community meeting, in Wales, is a meeting to which all the electors in a Civil parish or a Welsh community Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Alternatively several small parishes can be grouped together and share a common parish council, or even a common parish meeting. In places where there is no civil parish (unparished areas), the administration of the activities normally undertaken by the parish becomes the responsibility of the district or borough council.

There are about 8,700 parish and town councils in England, and about 1,500 parishes with only parish meetings. ^[5] Since 1997 around 100 new civil parishes have been created, in some cases splitting existing civil parishes, but mostly by creating new ones from unparished areas.

Powers and functions

Typical activities undertaken by parish or town councils include:^[6]

• The provision and upkeep of certain local facilities such as allotments, bus shelters, parks, playgrounds, public seats, public toilets, public clocks, street lights, village or town halls, and various leisure and recreation facilities. Allotment gardens are characterised by a concentration in one place of a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individual families A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard or lamp standard, is a raised source of Light on the edge of a Road

• Maintenance of footpaths, cemeteries and village greens

• Since 1997 parish councils have had new powers to provide community transport (such as a minibus), crime prevention measures (such as CCTV) and to contribute money towards traffic calming schemes. A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement "Microbus" redirects here For the Volkswagen Microbus see Volkswagen Type 2. Closed-circuit television ( CCTV) is the use of Video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place limited set of monitors Traffic calming is a set of strategies used by Urban planners and traffic engineers which aim to slow down or reduce Traffic, thereby improving safety

• Parish councils are supposed to act as a channel of local opinion to larger local government bodies, and as such have the right to be consulted on any planning decisions affecting the parish. See Development control in the United Kingdom for an explanation of how planning control is exercised in the UK

• Giving of grants to local voluntary organisations, and sponsoring public events, including entering Britain in Bloom. Grants are funds dispersed by one party (Grant Makers often a Government Department Corporation Foundation or Trust to a recipient, often (but not always Britain in Bloom is a horticultural competition in the United Kingdom.

The role played by parish councils varies. Smaller parish councils have only limited resources and generally play only a minor role, while some larger parish councils have a role similar to that of a small district council. Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England.

Parish councils receive funding by levying a "precept" on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish. Council Tax is the system of local Taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each

Councillors and elections

Parish councils are run by volunteer councillors who are elected to serve for four years and it is rare for them to be paid. A councillor or councilor ( Cllr, Coun, Clr or Cr for short is a member of a Local government council such as a An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office Different councils have different numbers of councillors.

Most parish councillors are elected to represent the entire parish, though in parishes with larger populations or those that cover large areas, the parish can be divided into wards. These wards then return a certain number of councillors each to the parish council (depending on their population).

Only if there are more candidates standing for election than there are seats on the council will an election be held. It is common in rural parishes for the number of seats available to exceed the number of candidates. When this happens, the vacant seats have to be filled by co-option by the council. A co-option or more often co-optation is an election where members of a Committee (or similar group vote in order to fill a vacancy on that committee

When a vacancy arises for a seat mid-term, an election is only held if a certain number (usually 10) of parish residents request an election. Otherwise the council will co-opt someone to be the replacement councillor.

Every Parish and Community Council in England and Wales must adopt a code of conduct, and parish councillors must comply with its standards, enforced by the Standards Board for England or the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The Standards Board for England is a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (in Welsh Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Cymru) was established by the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales Act 2005 (Scottish community councillors are not subject to similar personal controls. )

Charter Trustees

When a city or town has been abolished as a borough, and it is considered desirable to maintain continuity of the charter, the charter may be transferred to a parish council for its area. Where there is no such parish council, the district council may appoint Charter Trustees to whom the charter and the arms of the former borough will belong. In England and Wales, Charter Trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a Town charter or City charter after a district with the status The Charter Trustees (who consist of the councillor or councillors for the area of the former borough) maintain traditions such as mayoralty.

An example of such a city was Hereford, whose city council was merged in 1998 to form a unitary Herefordshire. Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. Constitution Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new Non-metropolitan district (effective 19th July 1996 and as a new County comprising the area of the The area of the city of Hereford remained unparished until 2000 when a parish council was created for the city. The charter trustees for the City of Bath make up the majority of the councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES or B&NES) is a Unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996

Deserted parishes

The 2001 census recorded several parishes with no inhabitants. These were Chester Castle (in the middle of Chester city centre), Newland with Woodhouse Moor, Beaumont Chase, Martinsthorpe, Meering, Stanground North (subsequently abolished), Sturston, Tottington, and Tyneham. Chester Castle is an area around the castle in Chester. It was historically an Extra-parochial area and today remains a Civil parish, although Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Newland with Woodhouse Moor is a Civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, consisting of some open countryside Beaumont Chase is a Civil parish and former Extra-parochial area in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. Martinsthorpe is a deserted village and Civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. Meering is a geographically small Civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. Stanground North was a Civil parish in the City of Peterborough, England. Sturston is a deserted Village and Civil parish in the English County of Norfolk. Tottington is a deserted Village and Civil parish in the English County of Norfolk. Tyneham is a ghost village in south Dorset, England, near Lulworth on the Isle of Purbeck. The last three had been taken over by the British Armed Forces during World War II and remain deserted. The Armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Scotland, Wales and Ireland

Civil parishes in Scotland can be dated from 1845, when parochial boards were established to administer the poor law. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. This article deals chiefly with the English Poor Laws covering England and Wales While they originally corresponded to the parishes of the Church of Scotland, the number and boundaries of parishes soon diverged. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. Where a parish contained a burgh, a separate landward parish was formed for the portion outside the town. A Burgh (ˈbʌʀə is an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a Town. Until 1891 many parishes lay in more than one county. The counties of Scotland were the principal divisions of Scotland until 1975 In that year, under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 the boundaries of the civil parishes and counties were realigned so that each parish was wholly within a single county. The Local Government (Scotland Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict c 50 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was passed on 26 August 1889. In 1894 the parochial boards were replaced by more democratically elected parish councils. These were in turn abolished in 1930, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929. The Local Government (Scotland Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo V C25 reorganised local government in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint County councils Although civil parishes have had no administrative role since that date, they have continued to exist. They were used to define some of the local authorities created by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, they continue to be used for census purposes and they are used as part of the coding system for agricultural holdings under the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) used to administer schemes within the Common Agricultural Policy. The Local Government (Scotland Act 1973 (1973 c 65 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland The Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) is a system of European Union Agricultural subsidies and programmes According to the website of the General Register Office for Scotland, there are now 871 civil parishes. The General Register Office for Scotland (Oifis Choitcheann a’ Chlàraidh na h-Alba is a Non-ministerial directorate of the Scottish Government that administers ^[7]

Since 1975, Scotland has had bodies called community councils, but these are not equivalent to and have fewer powers than the English parishes and Welsh communities. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The area of some of these is defined in terms of civil parishes.

In the Republic of Ireland, counties are divided into civil parishes. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae Irish civil parishes are themselves divided into townlands. Believed to be of Gaelic origin a townland is a term for a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland; the term was at one time also used in Scotland Counties are also divided into larger subdivisions called baronies, which are made up of a number of parishes or parts of parishes. "Baron" was also a title in the Peerage of Ireland. Such barons had no connection to any geographic barony Both civil parishes and baronies are now, for the most part, obsolete (except for some purposes such as legal transactions involving land) and are no longer used for local government purposes.

For poor law purposes District Electoral Divisions replaced the civil parishes in the mid-nineteenth century. This article deals chiefly with the English Poor Laws covering England and Wales A District Electoral Division (often abbreviated as DED) was a low-level territorial division in Ireland.

The future

In October 2006, the DCLG white paper Strong and prosperous communities proposed a wide-ranging set of reforms to the future of civil parishes. The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that often addresses problems and how to solve them This includes ending the Secretary of State's power to approve the creation of new parishes and by-laws, ending the legislative bar on the creation of civil parishes in London (mentioned above), the power to enforce by-laws through fixed penalty notices and the ability to style parish councils as 'community', 'neighbourhood' or 'village' councils. The power to approve new parishes will now reside with district or unitary councils, who will also have the right to provide for alternative arrangements in non-parished areas such as neighbourhood committees. ^[8]

Parishes in other countries

Main article: Parish (country subdivision)

In the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, like Ireland, civil parishes still exist but only as largely obsolete (and obscure) geographical references, used almost exclusively in legal documents relating to land titles, see cadastral divisions of Australia. A parish as an Administrative division of several countries. In England and in one American state ( Louisiana) it is sometimes called For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world A parish as an Administrative division of several countries. In England and in one American state ( Louisiana) it is sometimes called Cadastral divisions of Australia (also called Land administrative divisions) refers to the parts of Australia which are divided into the cadastral units

Parishes survive as valid administrative units in various other Commonwealth countries such as Grenada (see Parishes of Grenada). Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. |||} Grenada is divided into six Parishes Saint Andrew Saint David Saint George Saint John

In Norway, the Local Government Act 1837 divided the country into municipalities and civil parishes. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The civil parishes had a very few functions in the 20th century (mainly church maintenance), and were abolished in 1950. The parishes are still subdivisions of the Norwegian State Church. The Church of Norway ( Den norske kirke in Bokmål or Den norske kyrkja in Nynorsk) is the state church of Norway

In Portugal there are over 4,200 civil parishes (officially known as freguesias). Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. "Freguesia" ( pron fɾɛgɨ'ziɐ is the Portuguese term for Civil parish, a secondary Local administrative unit in Portugal They resulted from the transformation, starting with the administrative reform of 1836, of religious into civil units. Parishes have elected officials, and among their functions are local roads, kindergartens, retirement houses, parks, and cemeteries.

Parishes are used in the U.S. state of Louisiana instead of counties. The US state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes in the same way that 48 of the other states of the United States The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America A county of the United States is a local level of government created as a subdivision of a state by the state government or by the federal or territorial government as a subdivision

See also

• List of civil parishes in England
• List of civil parishes in Scotland
• Community councils in Wales and Scotland
• Communes of France - The French equivalent of civil parishes. This is a list of Civil parishes in England split by ceremonial county. This is a list of the 871 civil parishes in Scotland. From 1845 to 1930 parishes formed part of the Local government system of Scotland having Community councils (CCs are the most local statutory representative bodies in Great Britain. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic.
• Civil township - US equivalent of civil parishes. A civil township is a widely used unit of Local government in the United States, subordinate to a county.

References

External links

• The National Association of Local Councils - represents English parish councils and Welsh community councils
• One Voice Wales
• Consultation document explaining costs and benefits of a parish council for RamsgatePDF