Your Parish Council

If you have any ideas for articles/improvements please do not hesitate to contact the Clerk.

The Parish Council meets at 7:00 pm in Stedham Memorial Hall on the second Thursday of each month excluding August

The Council’s Annual Meeting, at which the Chair and Vice-Chair are elected to serve for one year, is generally held in May. The Responsible Finance Officer, Internal Auditor and representatives on other local organisations are also appointed. Council policies and agreements are reviewed.

There is also an Annual Parish Meeting which is not a council meeting but a meeting of electors. It is only by convention that it is organised by the Parish Council, it could be organised by electors themselves. A Parish Meeting can be called by 6 electors at any time during the year. The Annual Parish Meeting is a statutory meeting and should assemble between March and June. A Parish Meeting allows local electors to discuss parish affairs on any public matter of a parochial nature and, if appropriate, pass resolutions on the public activities or policies of the Parish.

West Sussex Association of Local Councils (WSALC) – provides a formal voice for town and parish councils.  Gives legal advice to member councils and provides information and training seminars

Parish Council Meetings – Agendas, Minutes and Conduct

All Parish Council meetings are open to the public.

Each meeting must have an Agenda which is prepared by the clerk and must be published at least three clear days before the meeting. It is unlawful for a council to decide on an issue, especially a decision to spend money, without the required notice period. Agendas are posted on the three Notice Boards, 2 in Stedham and 1 in Iping and on the Parish Council’s website. Every agenda will include time for public participation when members of the public can raise issues and ask questions.

approved by the councillors before the meeting.  Councillors wishing to add an item to the agenda are asked to advise the clerk at least ten days before the next meeting.  Agendas are delivered to councillors a week before the meeting.  Please telephone the clerk before the meeting if clarification is required for any agenda item.

No decision can lawfully be taken on any matters of substantial importance, or involving expenditure, for which notice has not been given (see Standing Orders).

Each item must have a resolution, even if this is to take no action.

Resolutions are generally by consensus but may sometimes be voted upon.  The resolution is then recorded, but not details of the vote.

Occasionally, if a member disagrees strongly with a majority decision of the council, he/she may ask for this to be minuted.  This must be made clear at the meeting.

The clerk is responsible for writing the draft minutes of the meeting and publishing them on the Council website no more than one month after the meeting. Minutes will be a summary of the proceedings and record of the resolutions of the council, not a verbatim report.

Minutes should be distributed to councillors within fourteen days of the meeting.

Copies of the minutes can be obtained from the Clerk, or from the Council Documents/Minutes & Agendas on this website.

Parish council meetings are open to the public and pre advertised on the notice boards.  Members of the public may not take part in the proceedings unless invited to do so by the Chair, but there is an item on the Agenda when matters can be raised by the public.

Meetings should not normally last for longer than 90 minutes.

Before taking office, councillors are required to sign a Declaration of Acceptance of Office, which includes an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct.

Local Government Law Unlike ordinary English Law, whereas an individual can do anything unless prohibited by law, a council can only do that which is authorised by law.

Parish Meetings – Agendas, Minutes and Conduct

In our parish the Annual Parish Meeting is organised by the Chair of the Parish Council and Clerk on behalf of the registered local government electors of the parish, who are all entitled to speak and vote. Local government electors can also suggest items for the agenda and raise any matters of concern, although it is helpful to let the Clerk know about them beforehand if possible. The Parish Council Chair or Vice-Chair presides at the meeting.

Non-electors of the parish i.e. members of the public (including the press) may be present at the parish meeting, but have no right to take part in the business of the meeting.

Agendas and Minutes can be found Council Documents/Minutes & Agendas