About Deddington Parish Council
Background
Parish councils in England and Wales provide the third, but independent level, of local government, below county and district councils. They usually cover an area similar to that served by their local parish church, in parishes of 200 or more electors. Parish councils were first established by the Local Government Act of 1894 and today they are responsible for managing parish funds and providing local amenities such as monuments, playing fields, footpaths and churchyards - although they should not be confused with parochial church councils, which are directly concerned with church matters. Parish councils may impose a limited local rate, or precept, which is collected on their behalf by the district council as part of the Council Tax.
Parish councillors have to live in their parish and are elected every four years. They are all volunteers and receive no pay for their service. The only official officer of the parish council is the Clerk who is a paid employee. He or she deals with all the administrative matters and acts as an adviser to the councillors. The clerk is not allowed to vote at meetings, but they are empowered to make certain decisions on the councillors' behalf, and provides a vital link between the parish council and other agencies or public bodies. The Clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer for the Council.
Parish councils are publicly accountable and parishioners are entitled to attend all meetings, although there are some confidential matters which may be discussed by councillors in closed session. Most parish councils meet once a month, usually in a school hall, community centre, church hall or other public room in their parish. Of all local government bodies, it is parish councils which are closest to the electorate and, therefore, have the greatest interest in local concerns. Because the councillors live in their parishes they are close to what goes on and should be able to find out about the things that really matter to parishioners. Although they have no power over district or county council decisions on issues such as planning, library closures, traffic problems or local public transport, they are able to pass on their opinions and these can sometimes influence the decision makers at a higher level.
Deddington Parish Council
Deddington Parish Council covers the villages of Deddington, Clifton and Hempton. The first parish council in Deddington was formed in 1895. Currently, meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm. The meetings are rotated across the Parish, held at either the Windmill Centre, in the Parish Church or in the Hempton Church Hall.
Deddington has actively encouraged parishioners not only to attend meetings but also to address them. In July 1998 councillors agreed to allocate 10 minutes at the beginning of each meeting for the public to ask questions and have their say, without giving prior notice. This was a popular decision in the parish, and rarely a month goes past without someone taking advantage of it. Topics raised include unofficial road signs and advertising boards, traffic problems, especially speed and parking, a variety of planning concerns and, increasingly, environmental issues.
The council views the prudent management of parish funds as a priority and the bulk of the capital is invested safely in short-term deposits with institutions that are independently assessed as having a high level of credit worthiness. Local groups and organisations are entitled to apply for grants or loans (for capital projects but generally not for running costs) and the parish council also supports a variety of causes, such as the library and Remembrance Day.
Council Involvement in Local Charities
The parish council is represented on the committees that manage Deddington Charity Estates and the Windmill Centre, both of which are registered charities. It is also the sole trustee of the Castle Grounds charity and custodian trustee of the Holly Tree Club.
The Windmill is a remarkable resource for a parish the size of Deddington and provides meeting rooms for a wide range of clubs and societies inside, as well as several acres of playing fields for football and cricket, tennis courts and pavilion, an adventure playground and woodland trail for older children and a Pocket Park for the under-6s, an all-weather court and two multi-use games areas. The primary aim of the Holly Tree Club is to promote the welfare of older people in the parish. It achieves this by holding regular meetings, coffee mornings and film evenings. It also provides a weekly lunch club, and provides a useful space for exhibitions by local artists. The castle grounds is a delightful and sizeable public recreation ground and open space which, over the years, has been used in a variety of ways such as festivities and football matches.
Clerk: Clerk's Office, Windmill Centre, Hempton Road, Deddington, Oxon OX15 0QH. Tel/Fax: 01869 337447 (there is an answerphone).
Email deddingtonparishcouncil@googlemail.com.
Parish councils in England and Wales provide the third, but independent level, of local government, below county and district councils. They usually cover an area similar to that served by their local parish church, in parishes of 200 or more electors. Parish councils were first established by the Local Government Act of 1894 and today they are responsible for managing parish funds and providing local amenities such as monuments, playing fields, footpaths and churchyards - although they should not be confused with parochial church councils, which are directly concerned with church matters. Parish councils may impose a limited local rate, or precept, which is collected on their behalf by the district council as part of the Council Tax.
Parish councillors have to live in their parish and are elected every four years. They are all volunteers and receive no pay for their service. The only official officer of the parish council is the Clerk who is a paid employee. He or she deals with all the administrative matters and acts as an adviser to the councillors. The clerk is not allowed to vote at meetings, but they are empowered to make certain decisions on the councillors' behalf, and provides a vital link between the parish council and other agencies or public bodies. The Clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer for the Council.
Parish councils are publicly accountable and parishioners are entitled to attend all meetings, although there are some confidential matters which may be discussed by councillors in closed session. Most parish councils meet once a month, usually in a school hall, community centre, church hall or other public room in their parish. Of all local government bodies, it is parish councils which are closest to the electorate and, therefore, have the greatest interest in local concerns. Because the councillors live in their parishes they are close to what goes on and should be able to find out about the things that really matter to parishioners. Although they have no power over district or county council decisions on issues such as planning, library closures, traffic problems or local public transport, they are able to pass on their opinions and these can sometimes influence the decision makers at a higher level.
Deddington Parish Council
Deddington Parish Council covers the villages of Deddington, Clifton and Hempton. The first parish council in Deddington was formed in 1895. Currently, meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm. The meetings are rotated across the Parish, held at either the Windmill Centre, in the Parish Church or in the Hempton Church Hall.
Deddington has actively encouraged parishioners not only to attend meetings but also to address them. In July 1998 councillors agreed to allocate 10 minutes at the beginning of each meeting for the public to ask questions and have their say, without giving prior notice. This was a popular decision in the parish, and rarely a month goes past without someone taking advantage of it. Topics raised include unofficial road signs and advertising boards, traffic problems, especially speed and parking, a variety of planning concerns and, increasingly, environmental issues.
The council views the prudent management of parish funds as a priority and the bulk of the capital is invested safely in short-term deposits with institutions that are independently assessed as having a high level of credit worthiness. Local groups and organisations are entitled to apply for grants or loans (for capital projects but generally not for running costs) and the parish council also supports a variety of causes, such as the library and Remembrance Day.
Council Involvement in Local Charities
The parish council is represented on the committees that manage Deddington Charity Estates and the Windmill Centre, both of which are registered charities. It is also the sole trustee of the Castle Grounds charity and custodian trustee of the Holly Tree Club.
The Windmill is a remarkable resource for a parish the size of Deddington and provides meeting rooms for a wide range of clubs and societies inside, as well as several acres of playing fields for football and cricket, tennis courts and pavilion, an adventure playground and woodland trail for older children and a Pocket Park for the under-6s, an all-weather court and two multi-use games areas. The primary aim of the Holly Tree Club is to promote the welfare of older people in the parish. It achieves this by holding regular meetings, coffee mornings and film evenings. It also provides a weekly lunch club, and provides a useful space for exhibitions by local artists. The castle grounds is a delightful and sizeable public recreation ground and open space which, over the years, has been used in a variety of ways such as festivities and football matches.
Clerk: Clerk's Office, Windmill Centre, Hempton Road, Deddington, Oxon OX15 0QH. Tel/Fax: 01869 337447 (there is an answerphone).
Email deddingtonparishcouncil@googlemail.com.