A parish council is a civil local authority that makes decisions on behalf of people in the parish. They are elected corporate bodies with variable tax raising powers, they gain their income from the district council and are the lowest tier of local government.  Chilton Parish Council falls under Babergh District Council, who are responsible for many of the more local issues such as Planning, housing and refuse collection whereas many wider areas of responsibility such as social care and highways fall under Suffolk County Council

What does a Parish Council do?

The work falls into three main categories

  • Represents the community
  • Delivers services to meet local needs
  • Strives to improve the quality of life in the Parish

Why should I get involved?

Each councillor has their own reasons for serving but the role offers the chance to make a huge difference to the quality of life for people in your local area. Being an effective councillor requires both commitment and hard work. Councillors have to balance the needs and interests of residents, the political party they represent (if any) and the council.

The councillor’s role centres around community engagement, responsibilities include:

  • representing the parish for which they are elected
  • decision-making – developing and reviewing council policy
  • having a say in local planning
  • developing the resources within the parish

How can I get involved?

Chilton Parish Council is your most local and accessible form of government. It is made up from members of the community and it exists to serve the community. We therefore welcome any input to the Parish Council.

There are a number of ways of becoming involved with the council and its work:

  • Keep abreast of what’s happening in the community and our work, by following our news page
  • Look for opportunities to become a councillor as vacancies arise. Again, the news page will carry details of up-and-coming spaces.
  • Come along to one of the Parish Council meetings. All have an opportunity for public questions. You can learn what each councillor does from the Parish Council page and find details of meeting times on the news page
  • Contact our Parish clerk. You can do this to let us know about a problem, ask for advice, make suggestions or check up on what we’re doing about an issue.

We hope you will take the opportunity to get involved with the Parish Council. It’s your area – so why not have your say?