The Parish Council is run in an open and transparent manner and is keen to promote good communication. All are welcome and encouraged to come to the regular Parish Council meetings which are held in public, usually on the first Wednesday of each month from 7-9 pm in the Red Lion.
At the start there is a public participation slot where matters can be raised by members of the public. It maybe something that can be answered immediately but if it is of a significant nature it may need to be considered in greater detail and therefore added to the items for the next meeting. This is to ensure that the matter is publicised in advance and all interested parties know that it is a subject that has been raised. For those who cannot attend meetings then please feel free to contact us in writing.
Please bear in mind that we are a small council with limited powers and very limited resources. The Clerk is the only paid employee and the formal point of contact. All five councillors are volunteers who give up their time freely on behalf of the community and are happy to be approached with any issues. They will do their best to help, but no formal decisions can be made outside the regularly convened meetings.
Please note that in the interest of openness and transparency any member of the public or media has the right to record meetings of the council, provided that this does not disrupt the meeting.
History of Parish Councils
Parish councils have their origins in medieval times, in an era when money was seldom used and when few people lived in the countryside. Communities came together in order to organise land management, agriculture and settle disputes.
The current system of parish councils was formed in 1896 when they were separated as an administrative body away from the Parish Church but many people today still wrongly believe they are linked to the Church of England. There are currently around 10,000 parish councils in the country.
Local councils have evolved considerably over the last 1000 or so years, but one thing remains the same: they are the tier of local government which is closest to individual communities and therefore have the greatest potential for identifying, understanding and addressing the needs of the communities they serve.