Local Government

What is a Parish Council?

A Parish Council is a statutory local authority established under the Local Government Act 1972. It operates in the area of a defined civil parish or group of parishes.

What do we do?                           

We make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community and probably the most common topics that we get involved with are planning matters (we are a statutory consultee), crime prevention and highways. 

It is true to say that, on our own, we have limited powers to make decisions but we do have the ability to negotiate with and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions.  In this respect the Parish Council is extremely powerful, as the organisations that make the final decisions know that the Parish Council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something and its views will be taken seriously.

Issues Specific to Moulsford

In recent years there has been specific village interest in:

(1) Options to reduce the speed of vehicles driving through the village

(2) Local school catchment areas

(3) Access to riverside

(4) Development of village private schools

Both these issues have had Parish Council focus so in order to provide a "stake in the ground".

 

Powers and Duties of the Parish Council

We function within a legal framework of Powers and Duties.  We only have one Duty and that is to provide allotments but only when the criterion to invoke this duty has been met. South Oxfordshire District Council has duties such as collecting household waste and Oxfordshire County Council have a duty to maintain highways. Our Powers allow us to do a wide variety of activities at our own expense and where applicable with the consent of the authority who normally would have that duty.

 Moulsford Parish Council Meetings

Open to the public and normally held at Moulsford Pavilion on the second Thursday of the month, there are 10 monthly Parish Council meetings a year with the July and August meeting being combined and no meeting commonly held in January.

There is also an Annual Parish Meeting in May and this provides the opportunity to hear in one sitting a summary from the Parish Council and other village organisations about what has happened over the preceding 12 months and your opportunity to ask any questions. We are also keen for you as villagers to get involved and propose topics that would be of interest to you, such as conserving village wildlife.

Copies of Parish Council minutes are available on this website.  A copy of the latest minutes are pinned up on the noticeboard in Moulsford Pavilion.