How to make use of your

Parish Council

The Parish Council tries to look after the village and its amenities, and to help villagers, whatever their needs.

At the start of every meeting there is an Open Forum when parishioners can come along and make any comments or suggestions to Councillors.  If requested an item can be added to the meeting agenda to enable formal discussion, and in this case it is advisable to speak to one of the Councillors or the Clerk beforehand.

Parish councils were formed in 1894 to give communities a voice in the way their local area is governed and Parish Councillors are voted into office to represent the views of the majority.  In Frampton-on-Severn each Parish Councillor is allocated a Ward and has special responsibility within that area to ensure that parishioners are made aware of any planning or other proposals that may affect them.  In turn, parishioners are encouraged to let their own Ward Councillor know if there are any concerns that the Parish Council can help to resolve.

Your Parish Council is a member of Severn Voice, the membership of which includes representatives from all the Parish Councils in the Severn Vale.  Meetings are held on a regular basis to discuss issues that affect all the parishes bordering the River Severn and Gloucester/Sharpness Canal.  These meetings are an excellent way of ensuring that issues of joint concern are tackled in a professional manner.

Parish Council does not have many powers or a big budget, but does try to influence other organisations in the interests of the village.  For example, recently meetings have taken place with people about electricity supply, coastal erosion and flood defences, the Village Link bus service and road repairs.

Planning applications are tabled for discussion at every meeting, and although Parish Council do not have the power to make decisions – that’s the job of Stroud District Council – our comments and advice to the District Council are considered.

The Parish Council formed a Steering Group and commissioned the production of the Frampton-on-Severn Parish Plan that now forms the background to discussions on planning and provides a programme of actions for the next 20 years.

Copyright © 2005 Frampton on Severn Parish Council