Parish Council
A parish council is a civil local authority found in England and is the lowest, or first, tier of local government.
Parish Council activities generally fall into three main categories: representing the local community, delivering services to meet local needs and improving quality of life and community well being.
The Parish Council meets and makes its decisions in public (except for those items where the Council formally resolves to exclude the public and press on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest. This would have to be due to the confidential nature of the business. This latter also applies to any sub-committee of the Parish Council) and is committed to community engagement and therefore warmly invites members of the public and press to attend meetings and contribute within the open forum.
A council meeting is not a public meeting. It is a meeting held in public to conduct council business and interruptions during council business are not permitted. There is no requirement in law to provide an opportunity for the public to question the council, however this council welcomes the opportunity to offer it.
Speaking at a Meeting - The agenda for each Parish Council meeting includes a 'Public Participation' item where any member of the public may ask a question related to the agenda or any topic within the remit of the parish council. Members of the public may not speak at other times in the meeting unless invited to do so by the Chairman.
Meetings
Did you know that the public are welcome to attend our Full Council monthly meetings and our fortnightly Planning Committee meetings? Come along and discuss your community matters.
Agenda items should be notified to the Clerk at least 7 days before a meeting.
Agendas and minutes of each meeting are published on this website.
Click below for a list of 2023 meeting dates.
Your Councillors
There are currently 10 members of Boughton under Blean Parish Council. All members volunteer their time for the benefit of the wider community.
There are a number of committees within the Parish Council, and you can find out who is on each committee HERE
Contact
The Parish Council operates via this website and also on Facebook.
For any queries or questions, please contact the Clerk directly via email or telephone.
Becoming a Parish Councillor
Becoming a Councillor is a rewarding and valued form of public service. Councillors (or Members as they are often known) have to balance the needs and interests of their residents, voters and local council. All of these groups will make legitimate demands on your available time.
All Councillors contribute to the work of the Parish Council by:-
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having a say about the things they care about;
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putting forward ideas for better services;
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responding to the needs and views of their constituents;
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seeking the best outcome to local issues; and
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getting involved in decision-making by voting.
An individual Councillor (including the Chairman) cannot make a decision on behalf of the Council. Therefore, co-operation between Councillors to achieve the best possible outcome for the community is the key to the success of the Council and the basis for a rewarding contribution. Importantly, this involves listening to the views of other Councillors and getting broad agreement on the best way forward. Parish Councillors do not get paid, but they are able to claim expenses for some duties.
To qualify to be a Parish Councillor you must be:
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A British citizen, a citizen of this Irish Republic or a citizen of any member state of the European Union.
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Over 18 on the day that he or she is nominated as a candidate
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A registered local government elector
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Resident in the parish, or within 3 miles of the parish, or working full time in the parish for at least 12 months prior to the nomination or election day.
A person is disqualified from holding office as a Parish Councillor if:
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They hold a paid office, or other place of profit in the Council
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They have been declared bankrupt in the past five years and have not repaid their debts
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They have been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to more than 3 years imprisonment within the last five years
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They incur illegal expenditure (when acting as a Councillor) of over £2,000, or are found guilty of using corrupt or illegal practices