Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, is something that can give a sense of achievement and pride.
Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community. Probably the most common topics that parish councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), crime prevention, helping local groups, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.
It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions. But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the borough or unitary council, health authorities, police etc).
In this respect parish councils are extremely powerful. The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.
Councils usually meet once a month for the council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited. Meetings normally last around 2 hours and in addition to the regular meetings, Councillors can attend other meetings representing the council, for example acting as a representative on an outside body, community activities or helping develop a new project for the community. Such meetings won’t happen every day, so it’s not going to take over your life.
Once elected, parish Councillors sit on the council for a maximum of four years. If they then want to stay in the post they can stand for re-election.
Applicants should note that Councillors are expected to attend regular meetings and any additional meetings as may be arranged, and to represent the electors of Bramfield and Thorington in raising and discussing those issues of interest and concern on which the Parish Council is empowered to act.
You have to be:
and additionally you have to be one of the following
You cannot stand for election if you
You don’t have to be connected to a political party.
If you do become a parish councillor you will have to sign up to the Code of Conduct which is available on this website under Policies and Procedures
They have a wide range of powers which are essentially related to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, street lighting, bus shelters, car parks and much more. The council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept. The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax. The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the district council, which collects the tax for the parish council.
Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council has 11 Councillors who stand for election every four years. The duties and functions of a parish council are many and varied.
The Council meets monthly (except in August & December) and considers planning applications and any other matters referred to it by local residents, East Suffolk District Council, Suffolk County Council and by central government. All meetings are open to the public and there is a forum at the start of the meeting in which members of the public can raise concerns and ask questions of items on the agenda. There is also an annual meeting which all parishioners are invited to attend. All meetings are advertised on the council notice boards and on this website. Residents can bring to the attention of the parish council anything that concerns them though the clerk. If matters raised are not the responsibility of the council, the clerk can bring them to the attention of the proper authority.
The best way to find out what it’s like to be a parish Councillor is to talk to someone who’s doing it now.
Come along to a parish council meeting, or speak to one of our Councillors and find out what they think of the job.
