Town and parish councils

Everyone living in the district is served by Dover District Council and one of 35 town or civic parish councils.

There are 31 parish councils and four town councils (Deal, Dover, Sandwich and Walmer) covering the district.

Parish and town councils vary greatly in size, with a town council covering tens of thousands of people and providing a range of services, while the smallest parish council can have only a few hundred people and provide a very limited number of services.

Town and parish councils provide services including:

• providing allotments, bus shelters and public toilets
• running community events
• commenting on planning applications
• representing local people and their interests
• supporting community projects and services.

Town and parish clerks

Town and parish councils appoint a clerk to administer the council’s business, implement its decisions and maintain official records. They might also have other staff where 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 are open to the public although for certain restricted items they may be excluded.

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