The Council

Agendas

Minutes

Policy Documents
Code of Conduct
Standing Orders
Financial Regulation
Accounting Policy
Business Planning Group
Complaints Procedures

2006 Parish Plan

2011 Design Statement & Updated Parish Plan

Localism Bill Impact Assessment

2011 Chair Report

Verge Markers Policy

There are several ways in which you can draw a councillor’s attention to a matter that concerns you. In all cases, unless you give express permission, your name will only be disclosed to the Parish Councillors and will not be openly revealed during the meeting. If correspondence needs to be forwarded to other agencies, the Parish Council may ask your permission to include your contacts details. If you refuse, your details will not be included. 

Any elector within the parish may put a question to the meeting about a matter for which the council has responsibility. Do by all means approach your councillor directly, but again please be considerate.

Discussing complex issues over the phone or face to face is not recommended unless you have sent a letter first. Misunderstandings can easily occur if the facts of your concerns have not been written down and thoroughly understood before discussion takes place.

Letter or email is the most effective way to raise an issue. It’s very helpful to have any issues written down as this assists with any action the council may be able to take on your behalf. You should write either to the Parish Clerk or to an individual councillor; anonymous correspondence will be disregarded.

Any councillors who have a personal or prejudicial interest must declare it at the meeting and then may not contribute in any way to the discussion or vote.

Code of Conduct
The council operates within a Code of Conduct. This and other policies can be seen by clicking the links above.

Meeting Format
Villagers are welcome to attend all meetings, however, only councillors are permitted to speak during the meeting. This is a legal requirement.

Open Forum
Before the meeting is opened, an Open Forum is held. If you have matters that concern you, this is your opportunity to speak to the council. However, it would be useful if the Clerk could be given prior notice of the issue you wish to raise.

If it is an Agenda item, for instance you have a Planning Application, the Chair may agree to close the meeting to enable you to speak, after which the meeting will be reopened and resume.

Planning
The Parish Council is required to comment on Planning Applications falling within the Parish against the following criteria:

• Local Plan for the area
• Village Plan or Design Statement
• Site’s planning history (earlier applications)
• Accessibility / Traffic / Road and parking
• Impact on neighbours
• Whether listed or not
• Archaeology

Please be aware that the Parish Council has limited powers to object to an application. You, as a parishioner have far more leeway to bring in other matters that concern you.

Applying for Planning Permission?
You may wish to come to the meeting to present your case and to answer questions. As this will be an Agenda item, the Chair may agree to close the meeting to enable you to speak, after which the meeting will be reopened and resume. The council is required to take into account the whole community and their written response will reflect this.

If You Want to Object or Support a Planning Application
• Write to the Parish Council
• Attend the Parish Council Meeting
• Write to Wiltshire County Council
• Attend the Planning Meeting

Objections
Whilst planning issues may really upset individuals, any objections will be far more effective if it relates to the criteria outlined and does not rely upon personal views, prejudices and comments.

Click here for the East Wiltshire Planning Portal