What Is A Parish Council?

Hoveton Parish Council exists to represent the interests of the local community, to maintain and improve quality of life for local residents, and to deliver services to meet local needs. The Council is responsible for a vast number of facilities and services across Hoveton, and the work of the Council is far more involved than many realise. Just as Hoveton is described as the ‘Heart of the Norfolk Broads’, Hoveton Parish Council operates at the very heart of Hoveton, representing local residents at a truly local level.

Your Parish Council is responsible for providing numerous services throughout the village, including grass cutting, landscaping, litter picking, and street lights, to name just a few. It also maintains a number of amenities, such as Granary Staithe, Riverside Park and Pocket Park (via a joint agreement with the Broads Authority and North Norfolk District Council) and Hoveton Village Hall (in its capacity as sole trustee of the Village Hall charity). The Council also acts as a community liaison, maintaining good working relationships with other local service providers (such as Norfolk County Council and Norfolk Constabulary) in order to achieve the best possible results for Hoveton.

Did you know, however, that despite this heavy workload and ever-increasing list of responsibilities, members of your Parish Council are volunteers, who are not paid for the extensive work they undertake on behalf of the local community? It is disappointing to report, therefore, that only seven of Hoveton Parish Council’s twelve available seats were filled as a result of this year’s Parish Council elections (all by existing members of the Council). This essentially means seven volunteers are currently carrying out the work of twelve people. With demand for the Parish Council’s services increasing, it is vital that more local residents come forward to join the Council.

The role of a parish councillor is both rewarding and fulfilling. It is an enjoyable way of contributing to your community and helping to make it a better place to live and work. Have you ever thought about becoming a parish councillor? Please do give the idea some thought. Get in touch with our Parish Clerk (07572 349600 or [email protected]) or with any member of the Parish Council if you would like to find out more about what’s involved, or please come along to our next meeting.

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