Article updated 20 March 2025:
The Chair of B&NES Council, Cllr Karen Walker, has presented Cllr Phil Harding with the ‘Peter Duppa-Miller Award for Parish Councillor of the Year’, in recognition of his outstanding commitment and service.
Cllr Harding was presented with his award and certificate at the B&NES Council Parish Liaison meeting on 19 March, as attended by Parish & Town Councillors from throughout the B&NES area. SPC colleagues and B&NES Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell were pleased to be present to see Phil receive his award.
SPC is delighted that Cllr Harding, who has served SPC for 10 years and is currently SPC’s Planning Committee Chair, has been recognised with this special B&NES Council award.
Below are some photos from the award presentation:
Original article:
Saltford Parish Council (SPC) is delighted to have been informed by B&NES Council that Cllr Phil Harding has been awarded the B&NES Council ‘Peter Duppa-Miller Community Award’ in recognition of his commitment and service as a Parish Councillor.
This award recognises the many hours Cllr Harding has given to Saltford Parish Council – and Saltford’s residents – with regards to a wide-range of matters in the village. Residents may know Cllr Harding best for his knowledge of planning matters and his keen interest in issues relating to the local environment.
As those that have attended SPC’s meetings or served on the Parish Council with him will know, Phil’s interest and understanding of Saltford and its residents is both wide-ranging and in-depth.
SPC views this award as testament to all the time and expertise that he has provided to the Parish Council and the village during the past 10 years.
Cllr Phil Harding
Unbeknown to Saltford Parish Council or to Cllr Phil Harding, a nomination for The Peter Duppa-Miller Community Award had been made in December. Cllr Harding was nominated by the President of a Saltford-based club – who is also the Chair of a Saltford-based club that covers the Bristol Avon area (including the River Avon in Saltford) – to recognise Cllr Harding’s outstanding contribution and service as a Parish Councillor.
As part of their nomination, the person who nominated Cllr Harding shared with the judging panel “I have always been very impressed by the vigour, tenacity, and enthusiasm with which Phil works constantly to protect everything and everyone in the Parish. He works constantly to protect Saltford, the river which flows through Saltford and the people who live in it. I have the greatest admiration for him and would truly like to see his hard work and dedication recognised by him being receiving the Peter Duppa-Miller Parish Award.”
Cllr Phil Harding was elected to Saltford Parish Council in 2015, and he is currently serving in his third consecutive term as a Saltford Parish Council Councillor. Cllr Harding has held various roles on the Parish Council since his first election, including as SPC Vice Chair for seven years from 2015-2022. Cllr Harding is currently Chair of SPC’s Planning Committee, a position he has held since May 2018, having been Vice Chair of Planning Committee since his election to SPC in May 2015. As well as these roles, Cllr Harding is a very active member of the Parish Council, including involvement in SPC working groups, being a ‘SPC Link Member’ for Saltford Environment Group (of which, independently of SPC, Phil is Chair) and as SPC’s lead Councillor for Environmental matters.
At SPC’s March 2025 meeting and soon after being informed of the news, B&NES Ward Councillor Duncan Hounsell shared that it was a ‘very prestigious award’. The B&NES Council website gives more information, as follows: ‘The Peter Duppa-Miller Award was established in memory of Peter Duppa-Miller, who passed away in 2015. Peter was a dedicated advocate for rural communities and parishes in the Bath and North East Somerset area. This award aims to acknowledge the commitment and service provided by Town or Parish Councillors within the region’.
When informed of the news, Phil was asked for a few words, which SPC is pleased to share as follows:
‘To discover that I had been nominated for, and given, this award was completely unexpected. Serving the local community on a Parish Council is in itself an honour and a privilege, but I am pleased to receive the award to shine a light on the work that Saltford Parish Council does, often behind the scenes and unnoticed, to help keep Saltford as a great place to live and a safe rural village for residents and visitors alike. I work with a multi-talented group of colleagues on the Parish Council who give their time and attention to many of the most important matters that affect the general health and well-being of our community and Saltford’s rural surroundings’.
As residents may be aware, Parish Councillors are not paid (SPC’s Chair receives a small honorarium of £300 p.a.) and Parish Councillors give their time freely for the benefit of the village. This not only includes attending SPC’s Full Council and committee meetings, but also correspondence between meetings, responding to matters arising, and supporting the Parish Clerk to achieve the responsibilities and business of the Council.
Phil will receive his award from the Chair of B&NES Council at a presentation during a B&NES Council Parish Liaison Meeting on 19 March – as attended by Parish and Town Councillors, Ward Councillors, and Parish and Town Council staff. SPC will look to share photos taken at the meeting, as well as B&NES Council publicity in due course.
B&NES Council Community Awards
More information about B&NES Council’s Community Awards can be found on the B&NES Council website at https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/community-awards-2024
There are nine categories in total, with six of the B&NES Community Award categories chosen by a judging panel, as was the case with the award given to Cllr Phil Harding.
Three awards are chosen by the public. These are:
• Charity of the Year
• Volunteer Team of the Year
• Young Volunteer Team of the Year
These ‘public vote’ categories are still open for voting. Residents can vote on the B&NES Council website at https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/vote-community-awards until March 24.