About the Parish Council

Local Government in Norfolk

Dersingham Parish Council is a Civil Parish within the County of Norfolk. We are part of the lowest of three tiers of Local Government in the County. In Dersingham these tiers are:

1. Norfolk County Council
2. Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
3. Dersingham Parish Council

Each of these three councils have statutory powers and responsibilities but it can sometimes be difficult to know where responsibility for particular issues lie. We will try to provide some clarity in the “Services” section of this website.

The Parish Council

The Parish Council is a corporate body which is a legal entity separate from that of its councillors. Its decisions are the responsibility of the whole body. The council has been granted powers by Parliament including the important authority to raise money through taxation (the precept) and a range of powers to spend public money. The legislation also lays down strict rules about how the council conducts its business. In order to ensure compliance with legislation and best practice, the council has a series of regulation and policy documents which may be viewed in the “Governance” section of this website.

Based on the population of the Parish, Dersingham residents are entitled to be represented by up to 18 parish councillors.

Parish councillors are elected every four years as part of the normal Local Government electoral process. The elections are managed by the Borough Council. If 18 or less candidates stand to become parish councillors they are automatically deemed elected unopposed. A poll of residents will only be held if there are more than 18 candidates to choose from. If the Parish Council has vacancies between elections it may recruit new councillors by a process known as co-option.

Parish Council responsibilities

The Parish Council is the tier of local government that is closest to the local community, so should be best placed to represent the views of residents. The job of the Council is to represent the interests of the whole community when dealing with consultations from other organisations.

The Council does its best to keep the community informed of its activities. Agenda and minutes of meetings are always published on our website at least three days before the meeting. The planned meeting timetable and other official notices are posted on noticeboards around the village and Village Voice magazine is also used to disseminate information. Most Parish Council meetings are open to the public and we would encourage you to attend and share your views on matters of interest to you.

The Parish Council is responsible for a variety of services around the village which are described in detail within the “Services” section of this website.

Parish Council Committees

Parish Councils are permitted to appoint councillors to serve on committees to deal with areas of the Councils work. These committees must operate within their terms of reference approved by the Council. Our committee terms of reference may be found within the “Governance” section of this website. Most committee meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend to share your views.

Meetings of the Council

Meetings of the Council and its committees are usually held monthly on a Monday, except during August, at Dersingham Village Centre. The agenda will be posted in the “Meetings” section of this website at least three days before the meeting. A timetable of planned meetings is posted on our noticeboards located at Dersingham Library, Thaxters car park, Co-op Supermarket car park and Lynn Road opposite the Co-op.

Minutes of past meetings may also be found on the “Meetings” section of this website.

How is the Parish Council financed?

The main income to the Council is from a share of the Council Tax, known as the parish council precept. The Parish Council sets the level of our precept annually in January, following the annual budget setting process. Other income is derived from advertising in Village Voice magazine,  on dog waste bins and various grants for specific purposes. A small income is also derived from of a share of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which is a levy charged by the Borough Council on certain types of developments.

Can I become a Councillor?

If you would like to become a parish councillor you can apply at any time. If there are no vacancies when you apply there will be a waiting list for you to join. Councillors do leave from time to time and it is good to have people wanting to replace them. If you are interested, please email your contact details and expression of interest to contactus@dersingham-pc.gov.uk.