Your Parish Council actively participates in external forums. Through these our councillors actively engage with our neighbours to discuss matters of mutual interest. The forums vary from time to time but the following are those in which we currently participate:

The Parish Councils Airport Association (PCAA)

The Parish Councils Airport Association is a voluntary organisation that

represents 22 Parishes surrounding Bristol Airport in the Districts of North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. Its main objective is to minimise the impacts of airport activities on Parishes and the local and global environment. The PCAA responds to consultations at local, regional and national level. The PCAA takes the collective view of its Parishes and each Parish is able to submit its own response to consultations and issues arising from the aviation sector.

Chew Valley Area Partnership

The Chew Valley Area Partnership is made up of representatives from the Bath & North East Somerset Council, Town and Parish Councils, businesses, voluntary and community sector organisations and local residents. Its purpose is to develop a thriving, vibrant and sustainable community by building effective links with its partners and harness the skills and enthusiasm for the benefit of all.

Its aims and objectives are to:

• ensure that local people, organisations and community groups have the opportunity to engage with the Partnership and to shape its future development.
• actively seek to identify potential funding streams for projects prioritised by the Partnership.
• ensure continued recognition for the Partnership and its inclusion within an engagement with emerging Council strategies.
• update the Partnership on a regular basis, measure its delivery and communicate the results to our partners.
• promote the economic development potential of the Chew Valley area and attract inward investment.
• act as a ‘champion’ on behalf of the Chew Valley area and to ensure the appropriate linkages are made with the LSP.
• encourage community planning in the Chew Valley area.

Avon Local Councils Association (ALCA)

Avon Local Councils Association comprises the unitary areas of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. Each of these areas has its own ALCA Area Group with its own Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary. Area Groups meet three to four times a year. A Management Team deals with the day to day running of the organisation. The aims and objectives of the Association are to:

• promote good local government
• protect and promote the interests, rights, functions and privileges of Member Councils
• assist Member Councils in the performance of their duties to promote a widespread and well informed interest in local government

The organisation is funded through member subscriptions. By paying the subscription member councils are able to access free legal and professional advice on all aspects of local councils business provided by ALCA backed up by experts at National Association of Local Councils (NALC) which works on behalf of local councils at a national level.

Feedback from each forum is reported to the next following Publow with Pensford Parish Council meeting and is included in our own Parish Council Minutes.

Please contact the Parish Clerk if you would like to know more about these forums