The Parish Council is democratically accountable and rules have been developed to demonstrate and guarantee that accountability, and to ensure that councils operate on a regulated and consistent basis. Councils are required to conduct their business in an open way with properly organised meetings and agendas, and proper records of decisions. Formal arrangements for the regulation of meetings should be provided in standing orders. Financial arrangements for the regulation of the council’s financial affairs should be provided in financial regulations. Where functions are delegated, delegation arrangements should formally record such delegation provision to provide evidence of authority and transparency of approach.

Parish councils must adopt and have readily available the Code of Conduct issued by the Secretary of State under the Local Government Act 2000. This code is derived from the standards formulated by the Committee for Standards in Public Life. Arrangements for dealing with complaints must be provided to outline the formality of approach and a means of identifying problems in service provision. 

There are certain obligations which by law a Parish Council must fulfil. For example:

• It must hold an annual meeting;
• It must hold at least three other meetings a year;
• It must appoint such officers as it believes necessary for the proper discharge of its functions eg. Parish Clerk 
• It must make Standing Orders for the supply of goods and services to the Council.