Parish Meetings - Introduction

Our community has a Parish Meeting rather than a Parish Council with elected councillors because of its small size. All local government electors in the parish meet to discuss parish affairs. One meeting must be between 1 March and 1 June and on at least one other occasion during the year. It has unpaid officials namely a Chair, a Clerk and a Deputy Chair who are appointed annually. The Agendas, Minutes and Finance provide a record of the meetings. It draws a precept from Dorset Council at a level agreed annually at a Parish Meeting. It has more limited powers and spend categories than a Parish Council. It has drawn up its own Standing Orders.

A six-monthly between meetings update is circulated to homes in the Parish with the Eggardon and Colmers View Newsletter. It aims to keep the community informed particularly of matters that would be out of date if deferred until the next Parish Meeting.

The Parish owns two small areas of land along Back School Lane that were originally fuel and gravel allotments for use by Parishioners. They are registered charities dispersing their small incomes from land rental for the benefit of the community. There are three trustees who give reports at the Parish Meetings.