Contact Parham Parish Clerk

PARHAM PARISH COUNCIL's Annual General Meeting will take place in the Jubilee Annex of Parham Village Hall on Friday, 6th June 2008 - all parishioners are welcome to attend. 

There is a period in the earlier part of the meeting where parishioners are able to address the Council on any agenda items.

Click here for Parish Councillor's Biographies

Click here for Complaints Procedure re Bioganix Composting Plant

Click here for more Information about Parish Council Meetings

Click here for Information about Planning Applications

The Parish Council consists of 5 members appointed as a result of the uncontested election that took place on the 3rd May 2007 and will serve for 4 years; 1 member was co-opted at the 10th July 2007 Parish Council meeting and 1 member co-opted at the 2nd May 2008 Parish Council meeting.  Parish Councillors are all unpaid volunteers who operate on a non-party political basis.   Parham Parish Council employs a Parish Clerk, who carries out administrative duties and is a contact person for the public.

Parham Parish Council meets six times a year: in January, March, May, July, September and November. The Annual General Meeting is held in May, when the officers are re-elected for the ensuing year and the accounts for the preceding year are presented for approval.

In addition, the statutory Annual Parish Meeting is held in March. This is a general meeting of parishioners, at which reports from village organisations are received and discussed, and relevant matters are referred to the Parish Council and other agencies.

Duties & Responsibilities

Parham Parish Council has a number of duties and responsibilities, defined by various acts of parliament including the Local Government Act (1972).  It is currently responsible for the maintenance of the closed Church Yard, the Pound and the Play Area.  A Scheme of Regulations and Management of Common Land was granted by SCDC allowing the Parish Council to manage the three village greens that were registered ownerless under the 1965 Commons Registration Act.  These are North Green, Mill Green, and Silverlace Green on which are a number of village ponds, which are currently being reclaimed.

Planning Applications

Local planning applications are received from Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) from time to time.  Three clear days notice is given of the Planning Committee meeting in Parham Village Hall to discuss such applications.  Planning Applications are examined in detail and the Parish Council's comments, including a recommendation to support or object, are referred back to the District Council (Planning Authority).   If an application is contentious the whole Council will discuss the matter and possibly call a public meeting to allow parishioners to express their opinions.

Representation on other organisations

Parham Parish Council is a member of SALC (Suffolk Association of Local Councils) and Suffolk ACRE (Action with Community in Rural England).  It is represented on Parham Village Hall Management Committee, Parham Bio-diversity Advisory Group, SCDC’s Green Print Forum, Suffolk County Council’s (SCC) Transport Forum, Framlingham & District Development Trust and Framlingham Volunteer Centre. 

It also appoints a Tree Warden, Mr Adam Paul, in charge of hedges and trees in the parish and a Footpath Officer, Ms Rosie Carr, who keeps an eye on Rights of Way and reports problems to SCC.