Your Council

What do Parish Councillors do?

Parish councillors are local people who help make decisions about issues affecting their community.

Councillors work together as a council to represent residents, consider local concerns, agree priorities and decide how the council’s money should be spent. This can include things such as local services, community facilities, planning matters, highways concerns, environmental issues and projects to improve the parish.

Individual councillors do not have the power to make decisions on behalf of the council themselves. Decisions are normally made collectively at council meetings, with the Clerk providing advice and putting the council’s decisions into effect.

Councillors are also there to listen. Residents are welcome to contact councillors about local matters, raise concerns or suggest ideas for the parish.

Being a councillor is an unpaid public role and councillors are expected to follow the Council’s Code of Conduct and uphold high standards of behaviour.

Want to know more?

These guides provide some useful further information:

• The Good Councillor’s Guide – National Association of Local Councils (NALC)

• NALC Roles and Responsibilities Guidance – explaining the different but complementary roles of councillors and council officers

• Councillor Code of Conduct and Guidance – Local Government Association

• The Seven Principles of Public Life (Nolan Principles) – the standards expected of people holding public office