Responsibilities and Roles
A Parish Council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in a 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 district 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
It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions. But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the District or County council, health authorities, police etc).
In this respect parish councils are extremely powerful. The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.
Given the geographies that each of these council’s cover, the Brantham Parish Council is the only pillar of local government which cares exclusively for the village of Brantham – Brantham and its residents are our priority.
Our focus and activity involves the following, amongst other things:
- the play areas and making sure we have enough relevant play equipment;
- footpaths and other services (e.g., dog litter bins, bus shelters, grit bins etc) ensuring that issues are either dealt with or referred to the correct authority (e.g. liaising with the land owner and Suffolk County Council over the invasion of Japanese knotweed in Factory Lane)
- we are consulted on all planning applications in the village;
- we own the Leisure Centre and liaise frequently with the tenants which ensures its continuing success as a village social hub;
- we are the sole trustee for the Village Hall, liaising with and helping the Management Committee, where we can, to ensure its continued success.
- We also provide grants to local groups to again make Brantham a better place to live – examples being assisting with the costs of The Bugle, helping the Scouts pay for their asbestos removal, contributing towards the costs of the Platinum Jubilee and King’s Coronation events and providing equipment and training for the Brantham Open Spaces team who do much valued work keeping our paths and verges clear!
Brantham Parish Council comprises 11 members of the public from Brantham (or with a direct connection to Brantham) and they are elected onto the Council at the elections in May typically, with the last election being in May 2023. Some councillors are also co-opted and they have joined the council after the election. The full council meets on the first Wednesday of every month. We currently have a full complement of Parish Councillors, but please keep an eye on the Bugle and our social media for updates if you are interested in joining us.
The Brantham ward is represented at Babergh District Council by Alastair McCraw. The District Council covers a large geography bordered by the River Stour in the south, extending up to Shotley Gate in the north east, then stretching across past Sudbury in the west and Audley End in the north west. It is primarily responsible for litter collection and recycling; collecting Council Tax, housing and also planning applications, be it a single extension to a home up to a new housing estate.
Brantham as part of the Shotley Peninsula is represented by Simon Harley at Suffolk County Council, which has a wide set of responsibilities including education, planning, safety, social care, libraries and trading standards. They are also responsible for transport which includes most of the roads in Suffolk and, of course Brantham - One notable element being the A137 which runs the length of the Brantham village.
You can find out more about the Council structure here and about the different Councils' roles here.
Additional information about the workings of the council can be found in these pages: