Ware Town Council

Ware Town Council is the first tier of local government for Ware, a historic town in Hertfordshire with a population of around 20,000. The powers and functions of the council are those prescribed for Parish Councils and governed by the Local Government Act 1972. In addition, the Town Council is the trustee of the Priory Charity. Services provided by Ware Town Council include allotments, cemeteries, neighbourhood planning, parks and play areas, public conveniences, street furniture, tourism promotion, town beautification, town centre events, town twinning, Ware Festival, and Ware Priory Lido; amongst others. Grants are also provided by the Council to various community groups, such as the Southern Maltings, allowing for the delivery of additional services to Ware residents. The Council is also responsible for the maintenance of the War Memorial, Clock, and Churchyards at the Grade I listed church of St. Mary the Virgin on Ware High Street. A number of local buildings are also owned by Ware Town Council, most notably Fletcher's Lea and Ware Priory. Furthermore, block grants are provided by the Council each year for the provision of various local amenities, such as Ware Museum. As the representative body of the views and opinions of the people of Ware, the Council is responsible for lobbying higher tiers of government on a whole host of issues and matters of local interest. Typically, this involves leading on a variety of local campaigns and working with a wide range of policy makers at different levels of government. The Town Council precepts on Council Tax for the amount of monies estimated to be required for Council purposes in each financial year. Additional revenues are raised through fees and charges for some local services, as well as through the trading arm of the Priory Charity, Ware Priory Trading Limited, which provides weddings, conferences, and other private functions on the Priory Estate. The Town Council has 11 elected members, including the Town Mayor.