Town and parish councils

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Planning Services Team hold Town and Parish Council Forum sessions.

Guidance for Town and Parish Clerks on using Public Access for planning applications and CMIS to register to be notified of Planning Committee Agendas:

Register for a Public Access account using your parish generic email address
Public Access and CMIS guidance for town and parish council clerks
Using Public Access and CMIS - A guide for town and parish council clerks – November 2023 - YouTube

Prior to registration please add publicaccess@eastsuffolk.gov.uk and planning@eastsuffolk.gov.uk to your email account contacts.

Once registered notify planning@eastsuffolk.gov.uk with the subject “Public Access Consultee Access” and we will enable additional features for electronic consultations.

The latest news from Planning Services can be found in the Planning Newsletters.

Town and parish council services

Each town or parish council can set its own precept to fund its planned spending and this is collected by the district council as part of your Council Tax bill.

East Suffolk town and parish council precepts 2021/22

Each town or parish is asked for comments on planning applications in their area and they can provide a range of services. A wide variety of powers enable them to provide theatres, cinemas, community buildings, allotments, playing fields and equipment, support to community groups, luncheon clubs, youth clubs, village signs, festivals, footpath maintenance, street lighting, allotments, cemeteries and burial grounds, traffic calming as well as other facilities which enhance the life of the village or town.

Town and parish councillors

Each council is made up of councillors who are local residents – for some, usually the larger councils, these councillors who have been elected at the ballot box, but many of the parish councils do not have contested elections because not enough candidates come forward.

Town and parish council elections are held every four years. By-elections may be held to fill vacant seats as and when they occur.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a parish councillor and what they do, contact your local parish clerk or visit the Suffolk Association of Local Councils website.

Suffolk Local Code of Conduct

The Suffolk Local Code of Conduct applies to elected councillors and co-optees appointed to the county, borough, district, town and parish councils in Suffolk.

It is intended to promote openness and transparency and to enable the public to have confidence that councillors act in the bona fide interests of their communities.

Complaints against town or parish councillors, who may have breached the code of Conduct, are dealt with by the council’s Monitoring Officer:

Making a complaint about the conduct of a district, town or parish councillor

Register of interests for town and parish councillors

All councillors have to complete a register of interests within 28 days of the election, which is available for anyone to see. The register of interests gives details of any interests that might give rise to a conflict of interest in a councillor’s duties as a town or parish councillor. We have to publish the register of interests for all town and parish councils within the district (this does not apply to parish meetings).

District and parish councillor Register of Interests list

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Town and parish clerks