The Role of a Parish Council?

Parish Councils are an essential part of local democracy and have a vital role in acting on behalf of the communities they represent.
They:

• 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.

Parish Councils have a wide range of legal duties and powers, such as the maintenance of community buildings and land and much more. They have the power to raise money through the local council tax.

(See the website of the Cumbria Association of Local Councils www.calc.org.uk for a fuller description).