About the Parish Council
Who We Are
Headley Parish Council in North East Hampshire is the first tier of local government serving the local needs of Headley’s residents. It is a statutory local authority set up under the Local Government Act 1894.
The Parish Council is comprised of 12 unpaid Parish Councillors who serve a four-year term of office. It also employs a Clerk & Executive Officer, Responsible Financial Officer and a Playground Monitor.
Every year the Council elects one of the Councillors to be the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council. Decisions are made by consensus of Councillors at the Council meetings. The Clerk & Executive Officer does not vote or make decisions. The Council’s paid officers advise Councillors and implement the Council’s decisions.
The first point of contact to the Council is the Clerk & Executive Officer who can be contacted on 01428 713132 or email on clerk@headleypc.co.uk.
The Parish Council is funded by raising a precept on all residential properties in the parish. The Council also applies for grants to support its project work.
What We Do
The Parish Council is responsible for public open spaces, such as Headley Village and Standford Village Greens and the Playing Fields on Mill Lane. It also manages play areas, Arford Common, Headley Hill Woods, Headley Allotments and a number of small pockets of land including a piece of land in Standford, Saunders Green off Frensham Lane, the grassed area at the entrance to Crabtree Gardens known as ‘The Pound’ and the land linking the Village Green to Long Cross Hill.
The Parish Council has a Planning Committee made up of a number of the Parish Council members. Its task is an advisory one. Using their local knowledge of the area, the Planning Committee are there to take a look at each application and then use our experience to advise East Hampshire’s Planning Officers.
The Parish Council works collaboratively with a wide range of groups and organisations both within and outside the Parish.
Parish Council Meetings
All council meetings are open to the public and press, except in very exceptional circumstances. The time and place of meetings is advertised beforehand on the Parish website – Parish Council Meetings – and noticeboards.
How Local Government Works
In common with many parts of England, there are three tiers of Local Government that are relevant to the Parish of Headley. The first tier is Hampshire County Council, who are responsible for services across the county such as education, waste management, social care and public safety. The second tier is the District Council, in this case East Hampshire District Council. They are responsible for things like planning applications, household rubbish collection, Council Tax collection and housing. The third tier is the Parish Council, elected to help on local issues as described above.