Town & Parish Councils
Introduction
In addition to Dover District Council,
everyone living in the district is served by a town or civic parish
council. There are 32 parish councils and 3 town councils covering
the district. The town and parish councils provide many local
services and as the third tier of local government speak on behalf
of their communities. They vary greatly in size, with a town
council covering tens of thousands of people and providing a wide
range of services whilst the smallest parish council can have only
a few hundred people and provide a very limited number of
services.
Town Councils
Town Councils are in effect large parish councils, but whereas
the parish council head is referred to as the 'Chairman' the town
council's head is a 'Town Mayor'. The laws governing town councils
are the same as for parish councils. In the district, there are
three town councils - Deal, Dover and Sandwich. The town councils
each maintain a permanent office with a small staff.
Parish Councils
Parish Councils usually do not maintain a permanent office or
full time staff. However, the part-time nature should not be taken
as any indication of the effectiveness and efficiency of the
council, as parish councils usually work very hard for their local
community and can provide a wide range of services.
Parish Clerks
Town and Parish Councils will appoint a Clerk to carry out and
record the council's decisions and other staff as necessary.
Councils have to meet at least four times a year, including the
Annual General Meeting plus the annual parish or town meeting where
they can be questioned by their local electors. The meetings of
town and parish councils must admit the public although for certain
restricted items they may exclude them. The agendas for the
meetings will indicate if any items are to be considered as a
restricted item.
Dover District Annual Parish Conference
Every autumn the district council holds a conference involving
the district's town and parish councils. The minutes and agendas
for these meetings can be found on the website.
Contact Town & Parish Councils
Tel: 01304 872304
E-mail: townsandparishes@dover.gov.uk
Post: Democratic Services, Dover Distric Council, Honeywood
Road, Dover, Kent CT16 3PJ
