Town and parish councils are the third tier of local government
in the Suffolk Coastal district, along
with Suffolk County Council (new window)
and Suffolk Coastal District Council.
The district is divided into 117 towns and parishes. The
majority have a town or parish council which meets regularly and is
supported by a clerk. The few that don't have an annual parish
meeting with the chairman usually acting as a point of contact.
Town and parish councillors
Each council is made up of councillors who are local
residents - for some, usually the larger councils, these
councillors would have been elected at the ballot box, but many of
the parish councils do not have
contested elections because not
enough candidates come forward.
Town and parish council elections are held every four years with
the last elections taking place in May 2007.
By-elections may be held to fill vacant seats as and when they
occur.
If you would like to find out more about becoming a parish
councillor and what they do, contact your local parish clerk or
visit the Suffolk Association of Local Councils website (new
window).
Town and parish council services
Each town or parish council can set its own precept to fund its
planned spending and this is collected by Suffolk Coastal as part
of your Council Tax bill. The parish precepts in the
district for a Band D house in 2008/09 range from zero in seven
parishes that did not set a precept up to the highest figure of
£97.53. Follow this link to find out the
precept set by each town or parish for 2008/09
(new window PDF 15KB).
Each town or parish is asked for comments on planning
applications in their area and they can provide a range of
services. A wide variety of powers enables them to provide
theatres, cinemas, community buildings, allotments, playing fields
and equipment, support to community groups, luncheon clubs, youth
clubs, village signs, festivals, footpath maintenance, street
lighting, allotments, cemeteries and burial grounds, traffic
calming as well as other facilities which enhance the life of the
village or town.
Getting in touch with your local town or parish council
Follow the links below to get the contact details for your
local parish or town clerk and a town and parish map:
Follow this link for help downloading and opening PDF
files.