A brief explanation of the local government set-up.
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is your major local authority, providing services for education, social services, highways, waste collection, environmental health, planning and licensing. Most of the council tax you pay to the Borough Council is used in order to pay for these services.
Barnsley is split into three main areas, each of which is represented by one Member of Parliament (MP). The Western Barnsley area which includes Penistone is further split into two areas known as Penistone East and Penistone West, each of which is represented by three Councillors who sit on the main Barnsley Council. The Penistone East and West areas are then sub divided into various Parishes each covered by a Parish council, and Penistone Town Council, which covers the main Penistone area.
Penistone Town Council is the successor body to the Penistone Urban District Council, which was abolished in the local government re-organisation of 1974. As such, the chair of Penistone Town Council keeps the title of Mayor of Penistone. In addition to chairing Town Council meetings, the Town Mayor carries out various civic duties during his/her year of office. A new Mayor is elected at the annual Town Council meeting each May.
Penistone Town Council consists of 15 seats covering the greater Penistone area which, since 2007 has been split into four ‘Wards’, with specific Councillors being responsible for each ward. The wards are: -
- Penistone with 6 seats
- Thurlstone (including Millhouse Green) with 3 seats
- Hoylandswaine with 2 seats
- Springvale and Cubley with 3 seats
Every four years all 15 seats on the Town Council come up for election. A new Town Council was elected in May of 2007, with many new members joining the Council. The next Town Council elections will take place in 2011.
Penistone Town Council is a minor authority, operating the Penistone Paramount, (used for cinema, theatre, and concert productions), and St John's Community Centre, which is a vital community resource. The Town Council has an important role in commenting on all local planning applications before they go to the Planning Board in Barnsley.
Your Town Council is real grass roots democracy. The national government is giving greater powers to local councils such as Penistone Town Council, and the range of services we provide will certainly grow.
