Public Accountability

A local council is a public authority under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  All town councils must have a publication scheme which details how it makes the information it holds available to the public.   The town council should also have a procedure for handling complaints.

If you feel any Town Councillor is or has not acted to an acceptable standard you are entitled to make a complaint. The link to make a complaint is below.

https://www.thanet.gov.uk/info-pages/complain-about-a-councillor/

The Local Government Transparency Code was issued meet the desire to place more power into citizens’ hands to increase democratic accountability and make it easier for local people to contribute to the local decision making process and help shape public services.

Transparency is the foundation of local accountability and the key that gives people the tools and information they need to enable them to play a bigger role in society. The availability of data can also open new markets for local business, the voluntary and community sectors and social enterprises to run services or manage public assets.

Westgate-on-Sea Town Council is committed to published more than the minimum requirements of the code and below you will find links to this information.

Powers & Policies

Town councils have various statutory powers which originate from legislation made from before 1894 to present day.  The council can choose which power it exercises and adopts a policy to show how it will perform this function.

The one statutory duty a town council has is to provide allotments.  The Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908- deals with the Provision of Allotments, Powers of Councils and Acquisition of Land.

The  Allotments Act 1925- specifies that land purchased or appropriated by local authorities for use as allotments must not be disposed of without Ministerial consent. The Secretary of State must be satisfied that 'adequate provision will be made for allotment holders displaced by the action of the local authority, or that such provision is unnecessary or not reasonably practicable'. (Section 8)

Below is a list of the powers available to Westgate-on-Sea Town Council and the policies it has adopted to discharge its functions. Some of these policies are in the process of being reviewed and adopted for 2025.

On Tuesday 23rd May 2023 the Town Council resolved to adopt the General Power of Competence for the next four year period until May 2027.