+ Residents have a right to know how their money is spent - say readers

Community (Parish)councils (they are shown in our menu under Neath Community Councils) spend OUR money looking after community centres, playing fields and open spaces - and our readers say we have a right to know what is spent on what.

Every household in Neath pay their Community Council through  council tax.    One reader says that the accounts of each council should appear on the Community Councils websites, which, he claims, are not being kept up-to-date as they should be.

Community Councillors get no pay, allowances or expenses but the clerk, the RFO - Responsible Financial Officer, gets an alleged £31,000 per annuum.   One clerk is reported to be looking after two councils.

Below we give a link to the NPT website which lists the clerks of all the community councils:

https://democracy.npt.gov.uk/mgParishCouncilDetailsList.aspx

Note.... It appears that NPT council are using an encrypted link, which means you have to copy and paste it to your browser.  You can, however, go to the menu on Neath Community Councils.

+ Follow up

In response to a reader's letter it would appear that the following Community (Parish) Councils do publish their accounts on their website:

Pontardawe, Briton Ferry. Coedffranc, Resolven, Dyffryn Clydach, Crynant, Glynneath, Seven Sisters and Onllwyn.

There were varying degrees of clarity with Coedffranc showing the most details.   It must be said, however, that no council showed the payments (wages) to the clerk, the RFO.    It appears that this came under a total figure 'payments to staff/employees'.

All accounts are said to be separately audited.

Readers not familier with the geography of Community Councils should be aware that Blaenhoddan Community Council includes: North Bryncoch, South Bryncoch, Caewern, Cadoxton, Cilfrew and Aberdulais, each having their own community centre.

Cilybebyll Community Counci includes Rhos and Alltwen.