A Parish Council is the most locally elected body within the English system of local government. Most were formed by the Local Government Act in 1894 and they look after the interests of those who live within the parish. They have a wide range of powers at their disposal including giving grants to local organisations, promoting tourism, cleaning public places and providing recreational areas such as playing fields and village halls. The most important role is as a statutory consultee on planning matters. The Local Planning Authority has to consult the Council on all Planning Applications within the Parish boundary.

More information on local councils in England, the role of local councillors and what you need to do if you would like to stand as a candidate in local parish or town council elections is available in the Booklets and Resources section on the National Association of Local Councils web site.

Brantham Parish Council is the first tier of a three tier system of local government, with Babergh District Council, (in this area) and Suffolk County Council being the next two tiers, all elected by people within the region.

Our Babergh District Councillors for Alton Ward, are Alastair McCraw and Harriet Steer and their contact details can be found here.

Our Suffolk Councillor is David Wood and his contact details can be found here.

Brantham Parish Council has eleven members elected every four years, the most recent election was held on the 7th May 2015, also the day of the General Election. Being a Parish Councillor is a voluntary position; they receive no payment but they are entitled to receive allowances when they carry out certain "approved duties" outside of the Parish.

The Council employs a Parish Clerk who has responsibility for managing the meetings, dealing with correspondence and over seeing any contracts or purchasing, and a Responsible Finance Officer who is responsible for managing the Parish Council's financial affairs. The Council also employs two part-time litter pickers who keep Brantham looking its best.

The Council has a set of rules called Standing Orders by which the Council, its elected Members and its Officers conduct their activities. The Standing Orders and the Code of Conduct documents are available here under Documents and Policies along with information about Register of Interests.

The Parish Council delivers a range of services at a community level and their role is to represent the local community, provide services to meet local needs and improve quality of life and community well being.

Parish Clerk:

Sarah Keys, 34 Sycamore Way, Brantham, CO11 1TL

Tel: 07702 490212

e-mail: clerk@branthamparishcouncil.co.uk