- Screen Colours:
- Normal
- Black & Yellow
What is a Parish Council?
A Parish Council is a civil local authority. It is called a local council to distinguish it from the principal councils - District, County, Unitary and London Boroughs. It is the most locally elected body within the English system of local government.
Most such councils were formed by the Local Government Act in 1894 when after hundreds of years, civil matters were separated from church matters, creating the 'civil parish'. The main consolidated legislation governing parish councils now is the Local Government Act 1972.
Parish councils do not have a large number of statutory duties (things they must do by law) but their role is, broadly, to represent the local community, provide services to meet local needs and improve quality of life and community well being. To deliver this role, they have many statutory discretionary powers. That means they can exercise the powers voluntarily but do not have to. For example, they may own and manage village land, such as Kettleburgh Pound. A council may since 2012 apply for a 'General Power of Competence' that increases the scope of what it can do further still, but 'the bar is set high' for achieving this status. For example, the council's Clerk must possess the demanding CILCA qualification.
Parish councils are as diverse as the communities they serve and this is a great strength. Your council can respond to your needs with a sensitivity that is more difficult for the higher tiers of government.
More information on: local councils in England; the role of local councillors; and what you need to do if you would like to stand as a candidate in local parish council elections, is available in the Booklets and Resources section on the National Association of Local Councils web site. Find a simple view in All About Local Councils.
What are the tiers of Local Government in Suffolk?
Kettleburgh Parish Council is the first tier of a three tier system of local government, with East Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council being the next two tiers, all elected by people within the relevant areas.
Who is my Member of Parliament (MP)?
Dr. Dan Poulter 0207 219 7038 daniel.poulter.mp@parliament.uk
Who are my County and District Councillors?
County Councillor (Carlford Division): Elaine Bryce
District Councillors (Framlingham Ward): Owen Grey; Vince Langdon-Morris
Who are my Parish Councillors?
Kettleburgh Parish Council has eight seats for members, who must be elected every four years, but councillors can be co-opted at any time. The most recent election was held on 4th May 2023 and taking account of subsequent co-options, the following are the current councillors:
Edward Jardine (Chairman), Bridge Farm, Mill Lane; email edward.jardine@kettleburghpc.org.uk
Rob Booth, The Timbers, Church Road; email rob.booth@kettleburghpc.org.uk
Deborah Thomas, Corner House; email deborah.thomas@kettleburghpc.org.uk
Louise Clark; email louise.clark@kettleburghpc.org.uk
Patrick Garland; email patrick.garland@kettleburghpc.org.uk
John Mealing; email john.mealing@kettleburghpc.org.uk
Andy Barton; email andy.barton@kettleburghpc.org.ok
Vacancy
What does a Parish Councillor do?
The Local Government Assocation (LGA) tells us that: "Local councils are made up of councillors who are elected by the public in local elections. [Councillors retire after their four year term of office, but casual vacancies may arise in between elections.] Councillors work with local people and partners, such as community groups, businesses and other organisations, to agree and deliver on local priorities. The decisions are implemented by permanent council staff, council officers, who deliver services on a daily basis. [In our case, this is the Clerk/RFO.]
The role of a councillor is to serve and represent everyone in the ward that they are elected to (and not just those who voted for them). Some are also appointed to additional roles in the council, such as being a cabinet member. [We don't have a cabinet, but councillors can take on specific roles such as, staff matters, footpaths or waterways.]
The role brings people together. Councillors work with a diverse range of people from their community and have officers [the Clerk] to support them in their role at the council. Councillors lead the local conversation: you can be part of that to make your area the best place it can be."
Each councillor has their own reasons for running for office but the role offers the chance to make a real difference to the quality of life of people in the village. Being an effective councillor requires commitment and hard work and councillors have to balance the needs and interests of residents and the council. You can contribute that bit extra to your community and use some of your time to good effect by becoming a Parish Councillor. You could be representing the views of local people to ensure the community gets the right services, supporting a resident with an issue, or helping to shape the community by driving new ideas. To find out more please look at the following documents: Be A Councillor and/or It Takes All Sorts.
Do note that Councillors have to register their pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests with East Suffolk Council and these are published on East Suffolk Council's website Register of Interests. Just enter 'Kettleburgh' to find our councillors. Councillors are not paid although some expenses can be repaid. There is a time commitment, but much of that is in your own control.
You won't be in it alone! Training is provided and you will be supported by other councillors and the Clerk. The council belongs to the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) and through that, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).
How would I join up?
If you do decide it is for you, either fulfil the criteria for a regular election (look at the LGA website) or if there is a vacancy in between the regular elections, send your details to the Clerk saying briefly what you will bring to the role.
You must be at least 18 years of age on the day you are nominated, and either a British citizen, or a qualifying citizen of a Commonwealth country. You may be eligible as a citizen of the European Union, however the criteria have changed now that the UK has left the EU. Please check on the gov.uk website for advice about EU citizens’ voting and candidacy rights in local elections. You must also satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
- Be registered to vote in the parish; or
- Have owned a property or land in the parish for the last 12 months;
- Have worked in the parish in the last 12 months;
- Have lived in the parish, or within 4.8 kilometres, for the last 12 months,
before an election or being co-opted.
You can’t be a councillor if you:
- Work for the council you want to be a councillor for (you can work for another local authority as long as you are not in a political restricted post);
- Are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order;
- Have been sentenced to prison for three months or more (including suspended sentences) during the five years before election or co-option day;
- Have been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice by an election court; or
- Are subject to any relevant notification requirements, or a relevant order, in respect of a sexual offence.
Please read the full eligibility criteria from the Electoral Commission. If you are in any doubt about whether you are eligible to stand, you should contact the Electoral Services or Democratic Services team at your local council or the Electoral Commission for advice.
How does the Parish Council operate?
It's always worth remembering three basic rules for councils:
- A council must do what the law requires it to do
- A council may only do what the law says it may do
- A council cannot do anything unless permitted by legislation
Day-to-day, the Council is subject to standards and policies that govern its procedures. It has a set of rules called Standing Orders and a Code of Conduct by which the Council, its elected Members and its Officers (currently just the Clerk) conduct their activities.
All council decisions must be taken by the council as a whole, not individual councillors, or by correspondence, at a properly set up meeting. A defiined minimum number of councillors must be present - this is called a 'quorum'. Please refer to the Meetings Pages for more detail.
If you would like a detailed insight into how councils and councillors are required to operate, or perhaps you are thinking about becoming a councillor, read the Good Councillors's Guide.
How can I keep in touch with council business?
To be kept in touch with parish council business and receive items that the council is asked to push out to you, please email the Clerk requesting that your email address be added to the Parish Email Distribution List (the PEDL). The PEDL system is more useful the more people subscribe to it, but you can request that your email address be removed at any time. The operation of the PEDL will soon be reviewed (September 2023).
How is the Parish Council funded?
Parish councils receive the majority of their funding by levying a precept on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish (or parishes) covered by the council to the district council. Other funding may be obtained by local fund-raising or grants for specific activities. Grants may for example be bid for from the budgets held by District and County Councillors. The use of the public's money allocated to councils is governed by strict Financial Regulations and day to day Financial Controls.
Websites: