Official Website of Stone-cum-Ebony Parish Council

Serving Stone-in-Oxney and Ebony, Kent

 

Welcome to Stone-cum-Ebony Parish Council. Our meetings are normally held every third Wednesday of every other month, usually at 7.30pm, in the Memorial Hall. Parishioners may attend as observers if they are not councillors. It's your village: help us improve it together.

Our next meetings for the year ahead: Wednesday 17th September 2025, Wednesday 19th November 2025.

 

 

What is a parish council?

We are the first tier of local government, and members are democratically elected. There are seven members on the parish council, including the Chairman and Vice Chairman, and we are assisted by the Clerk. Details of your local Stone-cum-Ebony councillors can be found in the ‘Your Councillors’ section.

To become a parish councillor, you must be –

• A British citizen, or citizen of the commonwealth or EU.
• At least 18 years old on the day you are nominated as a candidate.
• A registered local government elector within the parish.
• A resident in the parish, or within 3 miles of the parish, or working full time in the parish for at least 12 months prior to the nomination.

We have a wide range of powers, representing the interests of local people and ensuring local services meet residents needs. These range from managing community buildings and spaces, planning applications, street lighting, gullies, children’s play areas, signs, notice boards and clubs to name a few.

Some background

Most English parishes have origins dating back 500 years, to a time when England was divided into areas knows as ‘manors’ owned by Lords. Over time, the Lord of the Manor’s rights were taken over by the church, and the obligations were managed by each church’s parochial area also known as ‘parishes’.

Over the course of several hundred years, the church’s control declined, until 1894 when Parliament passed the Local Government Act. This created local authorities, with responsibility for the administration of each Parish’s services and civil functions. These are now known as parish councils.