Democracy at work at the grass roots (From Western Telegraph)

Democracy at work at the grass roots

TO MANY PEOPLE, the words 'community council' evoke images of cosy village fetes and busybodies.

But the truth is that these committees of elected, unpaid councillors are at the core of village life in rural Pembrokeshire.

The county's 70 parish councils are watchdogs of our villages and countryside. It is the community councillors who, with their eye on the need for better amenities and the sensible control of planning, improve the quality of life for all who live in these rural areas. They also give villagers a voice to be heard by the decision-makers.

But new layers of government red tape mean that this democratic tradition is now under serious threat.

Soon, government legislation will demand that these volunteer politicians explain publicly, by registering personal and private details, that they have no ulterior motive for giving up their time and energy to help their communities.

I have served as clerk to Stackpole Community Council for the last seven years. I meet monthly with the eight elected councillors whose job it is to ensure the smooth running of the affairs of the four parishes they serve - Stackpole, Bosherston, St Petrox and St Twynnells.

Topics that regularly crop up on the agenda include road safety at St Petrox Bends, the need for a vehicle passing bay on Loveston Hill, St Twynnells, and unpleasant odours wafting through the village of Stackpole from the local sewage treatment plant.

No pothole goes unreported, no drains stay blocked. The council is the eyes, ears and voice of the community. On bigger issues our council has helped set up a senior citizens luncheon club, which has become an important social link for local pensioners.

The council is exploring opportunities for a new village hall and has successfully fought for new public loos at Bosherston.

These hard-working councillors turn out on the coldest winter evenings to deal with issues ranging from flooded ditches to fly tipping. It will never be a stepping-stone to becoming prime minister - they are simply interested in and care for the area in which they live.

They believe that it is only at community council level that many local problems - such as the lack of rural public transport - can be understood and solved.

My role as parish clerk is not onerous. It is not difficult to take the minutes of the monthly meetings or to deal with the correspondence which lands on my doormat daily. When I was appointed in 1996, I believed that everything one needed to know about local politics could be divined from an episode of 'The Vicar of Dibley'. But I was wrong. Parish politics has nothing to do with raising money to repair the church roof and everything to do with democracy.

Last year, community councils across Pembrokeshire signed up to the Parish Councils (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2001. This code has seen a councillor in England disqualified from holding office for a year for failing to record in a publicly displayed register every detail of his financial interests.

Councillors have resigned over the code. Fortunately, Stackpole Community Council remains at full strength and a recent vacancy attracted interest from more than one candidate.

But some councils are struggling to get new councillors - why should they volunteer to do unpaid work to help the community and disclose their private finances. The Welsh Assembly has yet to issue clear guidance on the 'declaration of interest' rule and, as such, the majority of councils have not signed up.

Community council elections will be held in Pembrokeshire next year. Already there is concern that councillors will stand down rather than reveal their personal finances. Geoffrey Elcock, clerk to Rudbaxton Community Council and secretary of the Pembrokeshire Association of Local Councils, urged the Welsh Assembly Government to publish its formal and final guidance on the declaration of interest issue.

He feared it would deter rather than encourage the public from serving as councillors. "In rural areas it can be difficult to fill all the seats on councils,'' said Mr Elcock. "I believe it is going to be a problem but, because the Welsh Assembly has not come up with the goods, we are still in the dark.''

It has been suggested that this new legislation should be revised before democracy, even at the lowest level, is lost forever.

In the meantime, community councils across Pembrokeshire await with interest the guidance from the Welsh Assembly.

* Pictured above: Watchdogs of villages and the countryside: Debbie James at a meeting of Stackpole Community Council. PICTURE: Debbie James.