What is a Parish Council?

A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish and has an overall responsibility for the well-being of its local community. It is the level government closest to the community, with the borough authority above it in the hierarchy.

As it is the authority closest to the people, parish councils are invariably the first place people will go with concerns or ideas. For this reason they are a vital part of any community.

Its work falls into three main categories:

representing the local community
delivering services to meet local needs
striving to improve quality of life in the parish

Parish Councils have a wide range of powers, which essentially relate to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, street lighting, bus shelters, car parks and much more. The council also has the power to raise money through taxation, known as the Precept. The Precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax. The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the borough council, which collects the tax for the parish council.

Enham Alamein Parish Council has 7 Councillors who stand for election every four years. The duties and functions of a parish council are many and varied.

The Council meets monthly (except in August) and considers planning applications and any other matters referred to it by local residents, Test Valley Borough Council, Hampshire County Council and by central government.

All meetings are open to the public and there is a period of public questions at the start of the meeting at which members of the public can raise concerns and ask questions.

There is also an annual meeting which all parishioners are invited to attend. All meetings are advertised on the council notice boards and on this website. Residents can bring to the attention of the parish council anything that concerns them, either directly or though the Parish Clerk. If matters raised are not the responsibility of the council, the Parish Clerk can bring them to the attention of the proper authority.