Your council is a corporate body, a legal entity separate from that of its members. Its decisions are the responsibility of the whole body.
The council has been granted powers by Parliament including the important authority to raise money through taxation (the precept) and a range of powers to spend public money.
Your council is an elected body in the first tier of local government. Other tiers, known as principal councils or authorities, have many legal duties to deliver services such as education, housing, town and country planning, transport, environmental health and social services.
Local councils have the legal power to take action, but they have fewer duties and greater freedom to choose what action to take. They can play a vital part in representing the interests of the communities they serve and improving the quality of life and the local environment. Furthermore they influence other decision makers and can, in many cases, deliver services to meet local needs.
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East Sussex County Council
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Lewes District Council
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