Annual Parish Meeting

Under the Local Government Act 1972 S9 all parishes in England must hold an Annual Parish Meeting between 1st March and 1st June every year. This is not a Council meeting but a meeting of registered local government electors in the parish.

Such a meeting may be convened by the Chair of the Parish Council, two Councillors on the electoral role or six local government electors in the parish.

Section 9 of the Local Government Act 1972 states that “for every parish there shall be a parish meeting for the purpose of discussing parish affairs and exercising any functions conferred on such meetings by any enactment…”

The meeting is open to the public and all residents who are on the electoral role of the parish are entitled to raise an issue of their choice and vote at the meeting.  Any Councillors attending do so as members of the public.  If the Chair is not a registered elector of the parish, the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12, Paragraph 16 states

‘The chairman of a parish council shall be entitled to attend a parish meeting for the parish (or, where a grouping order is in force, for any of the parishes comprised in the group) whether or not he is a local government elector for the parish, but if he is not such an elector he shall not be entitled to give any vote at the meeting other than any casting vote which he may have by virtue of paragraph 18(3) below’.

The agenda should be issued and displayed on a website and on the noticeboard(s) at least 7 clear days before the meeting.

The Chair of Clifton Community Council and Council Officers will aim to address electors questions and any resident wishing to raise a specific matter which requires a detailed answer are asked to give prior notice with details in writing, in order that a full and complete response may be provided at the meeting. Information regarding how to submit a question is provided on the meeting agenda, which will be published three weeks before the meeting.