There are over 8000 parish (and town) councils in England. Most parish councils were established in 1894 by an Act of Parliament. This created the civil parish, separating it from the church after a long history of delivering local services such as care for the poor, maintenance of roads and collecting taxes. Local councils are public bodies. They are the first tier of government – the closest tier to the people and embedded within their communities. They have extensive statutory powers that they have discretion to use and are subject to procedures that govern those procedures.

A typical parish council serves around 1700 people but some have much larger populations and some represent only very small communities. Some deliver a wide range of services and others less. The diversity of parish councils is their strength. Each can make a unique response to the needs of their community with a sensitivity that is more difficult for more remote organisations.

Click here to find out what Parish Council's do?

Click here to see a list of Parish Council websites on onesuffolk

© Suffolk Association of Local Councils