Governance & Finance

The Council and Councillors are bound by a number of codes, regulations and orders. The main ones which the Council operates to are listed below:

Councillors are required, in order to comply with the Code of Conduct, to register their pecuniary & non-pecuniary interests with Allerdale Borough Council Monitoring Officer. Copies of each Council member’s Register of Interests are included in the ‘Your Local Councillors’ section.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Council provides information on its operations as set out in its Publication Scheme. Any enquiries concerning the Council should be directed, in the first instance, to the Town Clerk.

Members of the public are welcome to attend any Town Council meetings. The Council publishes an agenda in advance of meetings setting out the items for discussion at those meetings. A minority of items of business are conducted in private due to their confidential nature. Further details are set out in the Council’s Standing Orders, Section 3.

Open Government & Transparency

Maryport Town Council is committed to being open and transparent, providing non-sensitive data to the public in an accessible format. This information includes data published under the Local Government Transparency Code. Further information may be obtained, in accordance with the Council’s Publication Scheme, by contacting the Town Clerk.

The following information relevant to Maryport Town Council’s operations, not available elsewhere on the website & published in accordance with the Transparency Code is available to download:

Town Council Strategy

The Town Council Strategy is a statement of the Council’s vision for the town, setting out its purpose, values, objectives & key priorities over the following five years. The Strategy is a five-year plan, developed in consultation with the local community, & was introduced on 1 April 2015; it is updated annually to ensure it is a contemporary document.

The Strategy is based on five key strategic aims:

  • Attractive Maryport
  • Active Maryport
  • Promote Maryport
  • Pride in Maryport
  • Participate in Maryport

The Strategy tells the communities of Flimby & Maryport what the Town Council does, as well as what it doesn’t do, & how the Council uses money collected from the people of the area to support the community. It is the basis around which the Council plans its priorities over the following five years.

Budget

The Council’s Budget is developed on an annual basis & sets out what the Council intends to spend on particular services for the year ahead. The Council’s budget is informed by the Council Strategy & is funded largely by Council Tax collected from the people of Maryport on the Town Council’s behalf by Allerdale Borough Council through a demand made by the Town Council called the ‘Precept’.

A copy of the Council’s latest Budget is available here.

Annual Governance & Accountability Return

The Annual Return is the main means of reporting on the Council’s outcomes for the previous financial year. It consists of two main parts, the Annual Governance Statement & the Annual Statement of Accounts.

The Annual Governance Statement recognises that those that are responsible for the conduct of public business & for spending public money are accountable for ensuring both that public business is conducted in accordance with the law & proper standards, & that public money is safeguarded & properly accounted for, & used economically, efficiently & effectively. In discharging this accountability, public bodies & their management are responsible for putting in place proper arrangements for the governance of their affairs & the stewardship of the resources at their disposal.

The Annual Statement of Accounts represents the statutory accounting statements that councils are required to prepare, to have audited & to publish.

The Return recognises that the Council has a duty to maintain an adequate & effective system of internal audit of its accounting records & of its system of internal control in accordance with the proper practices in relation to internal control. The Council contracts an independent Internal Auditor to report on its arrangements in this respect & the Return includes a report by the Internal Auditor.

The Return also includes a report by the Council’s External Auditor. The auditor’s formal report recognises the relative statutory responsibilities of the Council & its auditors, & sets these out in the Annual Return. The auditor’s report contains an opinion on the accounting statements.

Copies of the last five years’ Annual Returns are available below.

<!–

  • Unaudited Annual Governance & Accountability Return & Public Notice 2022.23
  • –>

    Grant Funding

    Maryport Town Council provides financial support to local groups & organisations within the parish area through the award of grants. Grant funding is available to the following under the stated circumstances:

    • Any not-for-profit organisation operating within the parish boundaries of Maryport.
    • Individuals who are able to demonstrate the benefit of the proposal to the Maryport area as a whole.
    • Applications are not made available for purposes for which financial support is available from another more appropriate source.

    Grant support will be considered under the following categories:

    • Annual Grants receiving regular, ongoing annual support with no financial limit.
    • Larger Grants for one-off events, with no financial limit.
    • Larger grants for regular festival events with a financial limit of £2,000 per day.
    • Medium-sized grants are provided in budget with a financial limit of £1,000.
    • Sundry Grants awarded during the year in response to general applications with a general limit of £1000.

    Grant support will accord with the above categories, save in the case of exceptional cases, such as international sports representation or significant commemorative events, such cases to be determined by the Council as appropriate.

    Applications for financial support should be made to the Council by completing & returning the appropriate application form, available from the Council office, or through downloading the form below, noting the Council’s application criteria, below.