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The roles and responsibilities of your local government
Established in 1999, the role of Beverley Town Council is to act as the lowest tier of local government nearest to the residents it serves. Although it is not responsible for major services such as council tax, housing, refuse collection, highways, licences, etc. (these falling under the management of East Riding of Yorkshire Council), it is a publicly elected body that represents the town of Beverley.

The parish itself is split into the four wards of Minster North, Minster South, St Mary’s East and St Mary’s West. Each of these four wards having either three or four Town Councillors, totalling fourteen in all. With a wide age-range and a variety of skills and experiences, the Town Council represents the community it serves and is headed by the Town Mayor of Beverley, who is elected annually from amongst councillors. This particular role is one of great historic and local significance and it is a great honour to be elected to the position, as the Mayor not only chairs Full Council meetings but is also an ambassador and figure-head for Beverley.

Some areas that are assumed to be within the parish boundary of Beverley Town Council are not. The neighbouring Parish Councils of Woodmansey and Molescroft also play a significant role. In addition, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council wards of Minster and Woodmansey and St Mary’s encompass the whole area (see map on page 25).

Whilst the town and parish councils may not have the finances and powers of a larger authority, what they do excel in is working closely with community groups and carrying out services that are very local to their area. For example, Beverley Town Council manages the Spark Mill, Queengate and Kitchen Lane allotments, works closely with Beverley in Bloom, provides funding to a range of local community-based organisations, funds elements such as street lighting and litter bins and manages a range of projects and events. These have included the Beverley Skate Park, Battle of Beverley, the 50th Anniversary of V.E. Day Celebration and Beverley Food Festival. The quarterly Town Council Newsletter is distributed to all houses in its area. In addition, Beverley Town Council was the first council in the north of England to be granted “Quality Status” by the government in 2004.

Beverley Town Council continues to be at the heart of the local community and hopes to strengthen its working relationship with neighbouring parishes over the coming years. All councillors are dedicated to their role and staff work hard to ensure the organisation continues to provide a worthwhile service for the residents of Beverley.

Beverley Renaissance Partnership

The Beverley Renaissance Partnership is one of several renaissance partnerships within the East Riding of Yorkshire supporting the region's market towns.

The Beverley Renaissance Partnership brings together over thirty private, voluntary and public sector organisations who aim to develop Beverley and its surrounding area making it a more attractive place to live, work, visit and invest, whilst respecting the natural and built environment in order to cherish the town's ancient past.

The current partnership debates issues that affect all parts of our society and environment, undertaking a number of regeneration projects to benefit residents, visitors and businesses in the town.

Website - www.beverleyrenaissance.co.uk