Parish Council

The West Bergholt Parish Council consists of 11 Parish Councillors who are responsible for administering a significant budget for the benefit of the local community.  As District Councils have become more remote, powers to provide local infrastructure such as allotments, play areas, village halls have increasingly devolved to parish councils who, being closer to the ground, are expected to be able to more closely meet the needs of the local community.  Importantly the Parish Council is also entitled to be consulted on any planning applications that might affect the village.

The Parish Council is part of open-government and meetings are open to the public except in specific circumstances where it is appropriate that agenda items must be addressed in a closed forum. On these rare occasions details of the closed elements will be announced when the meeting agenda is issued. In line with modern thinking the Parish Council has decided that all council sessions will start with a 15-minute 'open forum' session in which members of the public can voice their issues and concerns (or maybe plaudits). The council will determine the most appropriate method to address issues or concerns that are raised prior to the next council meeting.

Elections to the parish council are held every 4 years when each Councillor is subject to re-election. Elections are not held if 11 or less residents apply to be elected to the Council. At other times , when casual vacancies arise, new councillors can be co-opted by the Parish Council.

All Parish Councillors automatically become Trustees of the five village Charities which are:

•     Orpen Memorial Hall
•     Lorkin Daniell Field
•     Poors Land
•     Allotments
•     Village Green

For a current list of parish councillors please check out the contacts page.

The Parish Council has committed funding to assist in the formulation of a Parish Plan which is being produced by a Parish Plan Committee formed from members of the village community.  If adopted the Parish plan will be used to inform and guide the work of the council in future and give residents a broader idea of how the village might develop.  You can read more about the progress of this on the parish plan news pages.

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Copyright © 2007 West Bergholt Parish Council
Last modified: 09-Mar-2008