Otley village has around 275 dwellings within the parish boundaries with a population of over 700.
Parish Council Membership
Otley Parish Council members (9 in all) are elected by the Community to serve for a four year term. If a vacancy arises and nobody presents themselves for election then a new member may be co-opted.
What do they do?
The Parish Council is the liaising agency between the Village and Suffolk Coastal District and Suffolk County Councils.
The Parish Council is the custodian of all the village affairs. They monitor :-
Æ Highways
Æ Street lighting and pavements
Æ Footpaths – maintenance & rights of way
Æ Traffic movement e.g. HGVs through the village and local area
Æ Speed restrictions and speeding
Æ Planning issues including growth of village
Æ Hedge row maintenance & grass verge cutting
Æ Boundary matters
Æ Building and tree preservation
Æ Recycling of waste materials
Æ Illegal tipping and refuse collection
Funding
Otley Parish Council is solely funded by monies from Suffolk Coastal District Council Tax. The Precept, which is the official name for the periodical amount forwarded to Otley Parish Council from Suffolk Coastal District Council, is set by the Parish Council on an annual basis for the following year. Over the last few years the Precept has been around £4,000 per year. This equates to just over £15 per household per year.
Recent Achievements
Over the last few years Otley Parish Council has :-
Æ Installed a bus shelter
Æ Replaced a village notice board
Æ Installed a bike shelter in the surgery car park
Æ Installed two metal seats (to celebrate the millennium)
Æ Replaced a wooden bench
Æ Provided doggie bins
Æ Provided waste paper bins
Æ Piped a ditch between school and village hall car park
Æ Installed a war memorial
Æ Provided financial support to many organisations within the village
And Finally
Æ Otley Parish Council is affiliated with Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC)
Æ Parish Council nominated representative on the governing body of Otley Primary School
Æ We take the lead in dealing with any natural or man-made disasters (e.g. storms, floods, road or air crashes) until the Emergency & Voluntary Services take over. We would then assist the services, where practicable, in order to maintain the welfare of the villagers.
Æ We sponsor Neighbourhood Watch.
Æ We have the power to take part in any public local enquiry and to take legal proceedings, prosecute or defend, in the interest of the village.
Æ We keep the Parish Council Minute Books, retain financial records, definitive maps and maintain the Parish Council notice boards.
Æ We are able to give monetary grants aid to voluntary organisations including Community Council, Scouts and Play Group.