The Role of the Parish Council
Parish Councils are the lowest level in the British Governmental Structure and closely represent the interests of local communities. The Parish Council should not be confused with the Parochial Church Council (PCC) which deals with all matters relating to the church.
Parish Councils are an essential part of the structure of local democracy and have a vital role in acting on behalf of the communities they represent.
Parish Councils can:
• give views, on behalf of the community, on planning applications and other proposals that affect the parish
• undertake projects and schemes that benefit local residents
• work in partnership with other bodies to achieve benefits for the parish
• alert relevant authorities to problems that arise or work that needs to be undertaken
• help the other tiers of local government keep in touch with their local communities
The things that Melton Parish Council specifically deals with are:
• Liaising with local authorities on behalf of the parish
• Responding to planning applications
• Managing the playing fields and Burkes Wood
• Maintaining the bus shelters
• Organising the annual parish meeting
• Offering grants and donations to local societies and charities
• Overseeing the website
The basic arrangement of Parish Councils is governed mostly from the Local Government Act 1974 and stemming from this and a variety of amendments and other Acts and Regulations councils have various powers (rights to undertake functions) and duties (requirements to undertake functions).
Councillors are elected by electors of the parish – elections being held every fourth year – or co-opted in order to fill a vacancy, although in certain circumstances an election must be held to fill a casual vacancy. Melton Parish Council meets every other month, except August, and there are also regular Planning & Transport, Finance and Recreation committee meetings. Full details can be found in the calendar and in the Calendar of meetings.
Councillors must comply with a Code of Conduct and are regulated by Standing Orders and Financial Regulations which they agree to from time to time.
Parish and Town Councils have the power to precept (tax) their residents to support their operations and to carry out local projects. In Melton the budget for the forthcoming year (April to March) is normally discussed and finalised at the January meeting when the precept for the following year is set. The precept is collected by the local authority as part of the Council Tax. The Parish Council also receives Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments.
Members of the public may attend Parish Council meetings and the arrangement in Melton is that they are given an opportunity to talk on any matter on the agenda in Public Time. The public may not speak whilst the formal business of the council is being conducted, unless invited to do so by the Chair. The minutes of each meeting are adopted (with or without amendment) at the next council meeting and then published on the website.
Every year the Parish Council facilitates the Annual Parish Meeting. Minutes from the 2021 meeting.
The Melton Annual Award is made by the Chairman of Melton Parish Council at the Annual Parish Meeting to recognise people who have made a special contribution to the community of Melton.
This PDF contains a map showing Melton Parish boundary.
Produced in 2019, this Melton Village Profile contains a range of statistics, including population, number of homes, and a map of the parish boundary.
The Woodbridge, Melton and Deben Peninsula Community Partnership Profile, produced in 2019, includes data on areas such as health deprivation, life expectancy, social inclusion, air quality, children in care, community transport and housing.