Parish Council – How It Works

West Bergholt Parish Council

AI generated image representing a Parish Council meeting in the style of Paul Gauguin
Parish Council meeting in the style of Paul Gauguin (AI generated)

The West Bergholt Parish Council consists of 11 Parish Councillors (see the contacts page), who are responsible for administering a significant budget for the benefit of the local community.  The Parish Council has powers to provide local infrastructure such as allotments, play areas, village halls and, by being closer to the local community, can more easily meet local needs.  Importantly the Parish Council is also entitled to be consulted on any planning applications that affect the village.

Meetings

The Parish Council meets every fourth Wednesday of each month except August and December. The Clerk will post The Agenda for each meeting on the notice boards at least five clear days before the meeting and it will also be available on the website here.  You can find all minutes and annual reports of the Parish Council and its sub-committees under the Parish Council sub-menus.

The Parish Council is part of open-government and meetings are open to the public except in specific circumstances where it is appropriate that agenda items must be addressed in a closed forum. On those rare occasions, the agenda will contain details of the closed elements when it is issued.

Upcoming Meetings

April 11, 2024
  • Environment & Highways Committee

    April 11, 2024  4:30 pm - 5:30 pmSocial Club Meeting Room, Orpen Memorial Hall, 45-57 Lexden Rd, West Bergholt, Colchester CO6 3BG, UK
    - April 11, 2024

    The Environment Committee meetings normally review Handymen activities and maintenance/development plans for Playgrounds, Ponds, Trees & Local Highways.

    See more details

April 15, 2024
  • Planning & Development Committee

    April 15, 2024  7:30 pm - 8:30 pmJohn Lampon Hall, Orpen Memorial Hall, 45-57 Lexden Rd, West Bergholt, Colchester CO6 3BG, UK
    - April 15, 2024

    The standard Agenda for these meetings include:

    1. To receive any pre-application representations regarding proposed Planning Applications.
    2. To discuss and make decisions on applications.
    3. Review Planning Decisions.

    Members of the public are welcome to attend.  The full agenda is published online in advance of each meeting.

    See more details

April 24, 2024
  • Parish Council

    April 24, 2024  6:30 pm - 7:00 pmJohn Lampon Hall, Orpen Memorial Hall, 45-57 Lexden Rd, West Bergholt, Colchester CO6 3BG, UK
    - April 24, 2024

    The Agenda for each Parish Council meeting is published online in advance, normally on the Friday prior.  Normally this will include some 'housekeeping' items, like prior minutes, apologies etc... and will then go through reports from any Borough/County Councillors present, committee minutes etc...

    See more details

  • Annual Parish Meeting

    April 24, 2024  7:15 pm - 9:30 pm
    - April 24, 2024

    Annual Parish Meeting is a meeting of the electors of the parish. 

    Paragraph 14(1) of Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires the parish meeting to assemble annually between 1 March and 1 June inclusive.

    See more details

Have Your Say

In 2009 the Parish Council introduced a 15-minute “Have Your Say”’ session at the start of all council meetings, for members of the public to voice their issues and concerns. The council will address issues or concerns raised by the public prior to the next council meeting.

Parish Clerk

The Parish Clerk is a statutory position and is paid for by the community through the general council tax bill. An element of each council tax bill for each household in the village, known as a Precept, helps pay for the Clerk’s salary as well as other operating costs incurred in the running of the village.

Becoming a Parish Councillor

Elections to the parish council are held every 4 years when each Councillor is subject to re-election. They are not held if 11 or less residents apply to be elected to the Council. At other times, when casual vacancies arise, new councillors can be co-opted.

Eligibility for Office

Qualifications:

West Bergholt Parish Council is able to consider any person to fill a vacancy provided that they are a qualifying UK, Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland citizen, over the age of 18 and:

  • on the day the candidate is a Parish Council elector; or
  • they have for the past 12 months rented/tenanted land or other premises in the Parish; or
  • their principal place of work during those 12 months is in the Parish; or
  • they have lived either in the Parish or within 3 miles of it during the whole of those 12 months.

Disqualifications

A person may be disqualified from being elected if they:

  • hold a paid office in the council or under a company controlled by the council.
  • are subject to a bankruptcy restriction order.
  • have, within 5 years of the election, or since, been convicted in the United Kingdom, the Channel Isles or the Isle of Man of any offence and has been sentenced to not less than 3 months’ imprisonment (whether suspended or not) without the option of a fine.
  • are convicted of offences involving corrupt or illegal practices.
  • have been convicted for the failure to register or declare disclosable interests under the Localism Act 2011.

Trusteeships

West Bergholt Parish Council is the sole trustee of  five village Charities; upon joining the Parish Council members automatically become a Trustee:

  •     Orpen Memorial Hall (which includes the John Lampon Hall)
  •     Lorkin Daniell Playing Field
  •     Village Green (land to the front of Heathlands)
  •     Poors Land (recreational area to the rear of Heathlands)
  •     Allotments

Parish & Neighbourhood Planning

The 2011 Localism Act introduces many new powers and capabilities for the Parish Council to use if it desires; they include:

  •     Neighbourhood planning – details where village development is acceptable,
  •     Control of community assets – including right to Buy and Build,
  •     Provision of services previously reserved for CBC or ECC.

The Parish Council adopted a Parish Plan in 2008 by a Parish Plan Committee formed from members of the village community.  The Council uses the Parish Plan to inform and guide its work in the future; it also gives residents a broader idea of how the village might develop.  You can view a copy of the Parish Plan, as adopted, online.  The Parish Plan helps develop the strategy of the village and many items identified through the plan have been implemented since its production.

West Bergholt has a Village Design Statement produced by a community sub-committee.  The Parish Council adopted this Statement and put it forward to Colchester Borough Council for it’s adoption as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Colchester Borough Council adopted the Neighbourhood Plan, produced by a Neighbourhood Plan Committee comprising members of the community, in 2019. The Neighbourhood Plan sets out a number of policies all of which have the aim of preserving the unique characteristics of the parish, whilst welcoming improvements and change that will ensure the vibrancy of the community into the future.

Comments are closed.

Skip to content