About the Council

Marlingford & Colton Parish Council consists of up to 7 residents of the parish of Marlingford & Colton. Members of the Parish Council are normally elected to serve, by the residents of the parish, every 4 years.

The Parish Council is responsible for many things including:

Monitoring and reporting on the general tidiness of the villages

Management of grass cutting in public areas

Expressing views and recommendations on local planning applications

Monitoring and reporting on the condition of local highways and footpaths

The provision and maintenance of:

Litter and dog bins

Colton Amenity area on Norwich Road, Colton

Marlingford Amenity area on Mill Road

Marlingford Conservation area

Parish Council Notice Boards in Colton and Marlingford

Members of the Parish Council meet bi-monthly at a Parish Council meeting to discuss, report, monitor and most importantly, make decisions on matters concerning the villages of Marlingford and Colton.

The Role of a Councillor

They are elected to represent the interest of the local community as a whole and promote a harmonious local environment. The number of elected Councillors depends on the size of the area, in Marlingford Parish Council we are able to have 7 Councillors.

Local Councils are the first tier of governance and are the first point of contact for anyone concerned with a community issue. They are democratically elected local authorities and exist in England, Wales and Scotland. The term ‘Local Council’ is synonymous with ‘ Parish Council, ‘Town Council’ and ‘Community Council’.

Local Councils are made up of locally elected Councillors. They are legally obliged to hold at least four meetings a year. Most meet on a monthly cycle to discuss council business and hear from local residents. District and County Councillors regularly attend parish meetings and report at the Annual Parish meeting. Councillors are expected to attend meetings on a regular basis.​

Councillors must abide by a Code of Conduct, a set of rules on how Councillors are expected to behave. They must also declare their financial interests in the parish, details of which are kept by the District Council.

The Role of the Clerk

The Clerk is the ‘Proper Officer’ of the Council who is responsible for the smooth running of the Council’s business. He/she is the first point of contact for the Council and all correspondence comes to the Clerk.

Responsibility for implementing the decisions of the Council rests with the Clerk along with giving professional guidance where necessary whilst remaining neutral and discrete. The Clerk is also responsible for financial management.

The Clerk prepares, circulates and displays agendas in public places. She/he signs notices and summonses with a list of business to be transacted but does not have the power to fix the meetings of the Council. The Clerk is required to attend meetings, take minutes, keep Council minutes in a book and hold other documents.

A member of the Council may be appointed as Clerk without remuneration but nowadays it is more usual to appoint someone who is not a councillor to be paid for the work they undertake.