The Parish Council consists of nine councillors who volunteer their services. They are elected once every four years by residents of the Parish. Anyone can stand in the election. You just need a proposer, a seconder and a nomination form. There are no party politics involved, unlike in the District and County Councils. There is also a permanent paid clerk who works 12 hours a week from the Parish Council office in the village hall.

Each member is given a particular responsibility, such as transport, footpaths, finance or recreation. In addition there is a planning sub committee consisting of four councillors that considers all planning applications made within the parish. The Council’s opinion on each application is returned to the District Council, which then makes the final decision.

Please visit the Council Team page for details of who the current councillors are.

The Council agrees the amount of money needed to carry out its various responsibilities such as mowing the Rec and King’s Meadow, insurance, the salary of the clerk to the Council and donations to village bodies. This is known as the precept. It is collected by SODC as part of the council tax. Currently it is about £42,000 a year. For large projects, such as the Jubilee Pavilion, grants can be obtained by the Council. The District and County Councils have the tasks of maintaining the road verges, the footpaths and repairing pot holes.

The Council offers donations to Parish organisations. The Donation Policy and Application Form can be found on our Donations Page

The Council is consulted on a variety of issues by the District and County Council, by bodies such as Thames Water and by central government. Where these are important issues, for example, crime prevention, the Core Strategy, and bus services, there will be a discussion so that the Council can agree its position.

Each year in late April there is an Annual Parish Council Meeting to report to the Parish on the year’s activities and to invite your suggestions for the coming year. We would warmly encourage all parishioners to attend.

A councillor’s work is interesting and lies at the heart of village life. Our democracy demands participation. Without it the way of life we know is in danger of decline. Our Parish Council is the first rung in our system of government. Help, support and participate all you can!