Council Functions And Responsibilities Gloucestershire is administered by three levels of local authority (otherwise known as councils):

- County (Gloucestershire County Council)
- District/borough/city
- Parish/town

You can find out which councils cover your property by checking your Council Tax bill. You can also use the checker on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council/forest-of-dean The hundreds of local government functions and responsibilities are split between the different types of council. Which council does what is set out by Acts of Parliament - principally The Local Government Act 1972. The basic division of functions between county and districts is shown in the table below but this isn’t always set in stone. In some areas the responsibility is split and in some areas parish councils may have taken on functions of other councils. To find out about a specific service contact us, the county council or your town/parish council if it is not clear from the table.

Council function

Council responsibility

Leisure centres

Districts

Cemeteries and crematoria

Districts

Consumer protection

Counties

Education and schools

Counties

Environmental health

Districts

Fire and emergency management

Counties

Footpaths

Counties and districts

Housing

Districts

Licencing

Districts

Libraries

Counties

Local plans

Districts

Markets and fairs

Districts

Museums and galleries

Counties and districts

Planning applications

Districts

Public transport such as buses

Counties

Rate collection

Districts

Refuse collection

Districts

Adult social care

Counties





Childrens social care

Counties

Tourism

Counties and districts

Highways management

Counties

Transport planning

Counties and districts

Parish and town councils

Responsibilities Parish and town councils are responsible for a range of local issues. The role played by these 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.

Parish councils receive funding by levying a "precept" on the Council Tax paid by the residents of the parish. Their responsibilities can include those listed below but this will depend on the set up in each parish council :

- 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
- Maintenance of footpaths, cemeteries and village greens
- The chance to provide community transport (such as a minibus), crime prevention measures (such as CCTV) and to contribute money towards traffic calming schemes
- Parish councils 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
- Giving of grants to local voluntary organisations, and sponsoring public events, including entering Britain in Bloom

Related Pages
- About the council
- Gloucestershire County Council
- Parish and town councils

📌 Council functions and responsibilities (Plympton-Wyoming)
🏢 Forest of Dean District Council
📍 Plympton-Wyoming