Timing of the Annual Parish Meeting

In all parished areas in England, there is a duty that the parish meeting (the electorate of the parish), must be called to assemble between 1 March and 1 June inclusive every year, irrespective of how many ordinary parish meetings (if any), have been convened in the year.

It is vitally important to remember that a parish meeting is not fully governed by the parish council; it is a separate entity, but in an area with a parish council it will be the council that sets the dates for the meeting and the parish council Chair, if present at the meeting, that will preside.

Remembering that the parish meeting is a separate entity, in a parish with a council the room layout should be a top table with two seats – one for the Chair and the other for whoever is taking the minutes (which is usually the parish Clerk).

This is not a council meeting.

Councillors attend as electors, or if they are not electors, they will ensure that they do not vote at the meeting; they are not entitled to.

Only electors can vote.

Councillors will sit with others who attend.

The purpose of any parish meeting is to discuss ‘parish affairs’ (LGA 1972, Section 9).

The parish meeting is not a forum for complaint to the parish council; complaints may be raised but anyone doing so should be directed to the formality of the parish council’s adopted complaints procedure.