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GREAT ASHFIELD PARISH COUNCIL
The Role of the Parish Council
Parish Councils are a local authority that makes all kinds of decisions on behalf of its residents on issues that affect the local community with the intention of maintaining and improving the quality of the village and the lives of those residents within it, most commonly in relation to planning matters, crime prevention, community speed watch, streetlighting, litter, rights of way, roadside verges and signs and campaigning for and delivering better services.
Parish Councillors are unpaid volunteers who give their time and service freely to assist the local community. Great Ashfield Parish Council is made up of 7 Councillor seats, managed by a Chairman and assisted by a Parish Clerk.
ORDINARY PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS
Parish Council Meetings are not public meetings, but members of the public have a statutory right to attend meetings of the Council as observers. Meetings are held regularly throughout the year, the Agenda for each meeting is published on the village notice board and on this website. As part of community engagement members of the public are welcome to attend meetings, during which Great Ashfield Parish Council sets out a time for public participation at an agreed time when members of the public may be invited to speak.
EXTRA-ORDINARY PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS
These are meetings convened to discuss matters affecting the Parish requiring a decision where the deadline is before the next Ordinary Parish Council meeting. Often these meetings are convened to discuss planning applications.
ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
This meeting is usually held in May when the Parish Council Chairman and Vice Chairman for the forthcoming year are elected and Parish Council policies are reviewed and confirmed or amended for the following year.
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
The Annual Parish Meeting is held annually, usually preceding the May meeting of the Parish Council. This is a meeting where representatives of village groups meet to report on their activities during the previous year and let other people know of events to be held during the forthcoming year. This is not a Parish Council meeting, although it is chaired by a Parish Councillor.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
The Parish Council reviews all planning applications affecting the parish. We then pass our opinion to Mid Suffolk District Council which they may take into account when they make their decision to permit, deny or permit with conditions.
You can view all current and past applications by searching Mid Suffolk District Council's online planning page..
COVID-19
During the current Covid-19 crisis some Parish Council Meetings may be held virtually. Details of any such meetings will be published on this website.