Bildeston Parish Council


The Parish Council is made up of nine elected members who volunteer their time for the good of the community without receiving payment for their services. Their diverse backgrounds, skills and experience are a great asset to the parish.

Representing the community

The role of the Parish Council is to represent the interests of the whole community, engaging with local residents, discovering the needs of different groups in the community, such as the young and elderly, and lobbying on behalf of Bildeston. The Parish Council is the tier of local government that is closest to local people. Babergh District Council and Suffolk County Council form the other two tiers of local government that cover Bildeston. Details of their respective roles and responsibilities can be found in the Council services: who does what’ dropdown in the list below.

Parish Councillors are subject to re-election every four years. The Clerk provides advice on law and procedure, administrative support and also implements council decisions and policy. All Members of the Parish Council are required to comply with a Code of Conduct in the performance of their duties.

If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Council clerk (contact details are in the Parish Councillor section).

A Parish Council can:

  • Give views on planning applications and other proposals that affect the parish
  • Undertake projects that benefit local residents
  • Work in partnership with others to benefit the parish
  • Advise relevant authorities of problems or action that is needed
  • Help the other tiers of local government to engage with, and understand their local communities.

The Parish Council is a consultee that receives applications and is invited to comment upon them by the Planning Authority. Whilst the Parish Councils is able to make representations the final decision on planning applications is taken normally by the Planning Authority which is Babergh District Council. In submitting its views as a consultee, the Parish Council must relate those representations to planning policy as the Planning Authority will only consider material planning considerations in determining a planning application. For more information on planning permissions, visit the Planning page.

Bildeston Parish Council is the first tier of local government which is closest to the local community. Many local government services are provided by Babergh District Council and Suffolk County Council and a helpful guide of their services can be found in the below table. If you want to find out more about the Parish Council please contact the Parish Clerk.

You can report any matter covered by the County and District Councils relating to the village by using the “Report It” tools on their respective websites: www.suffolk.gov.uk and www.babergh.gov.uk.

Bildeston Parish Council Babergh District Council Suffolk County Council
  • Cemetery
  • Community Speedwatch
  • Coronation Playground
  • Christmas Lights
  • Community Engagement and Events
  • Crime Prevention and Police Liaison
  • Dog, Litter and Grit Bins
  • Entertainment and Events
  • Grant Funding
  • Grounds Maintenance Coordination
  • Liaison with Outside Bodies including: Chamberlin Hall Management Committee, Kings Pightle Management Committee, Parochial Church Council, Sportsfield Management Committee, TON Class, Wattisham Airfield Liaison
  • Lobbying on behalf of Bildeston
  • Market Place and Clock
  • Parishioners Queries
  • Planning Consultation
  • Reporting Roads and Traffic Management Issues
  • Reporting Street Lighting Faults
  • Benefits Administration Business:
    • Licensing, business continuity, environmental health, business rates, health and safety at work, economic development
    • Council Tax
  • Environmental:
    • Grass cutting, street care and cleansing, trees and hedges, countryside sites, environmental protection, energy and climate change
    • Housing & Homelessness:
    • Affordable housing and development, council housing, homelessness and housing advice, landlords and private sector housing, repairs and maintenance, sheltered housing and other support, tenant involvement
  • Leisure & Culture:
    • Countryside, playgrounds and playing fields, tourism, community development, sports & leisure, Suffolk’s Active Community Scheme
  • Planning & Building:
    • Planning, planning policy, building control, conservation and listed buildings, street naming & numbering, planning enforcement
  • Waste Services:
    • Household waste and recycling, garden waste, trade waste, nuisance and abandoned vehicles, Household Waste Recycling Centres
  • Your Community:
    • Allotments, emergency planning, parking, community safety, community development
  • Adult and Community Services:
    • Access to care services, accommodation for vulnerable people, adult learning and skills, employment and economic well-being, libraries, archives, museums and the arts, safeguarding of vulnerable adults and specialist support for people at home
  • Children and Young People’s Services:
    • Education – admissions, transport, early years support, children’s social care, youth support, community health and wider services to support children and families.
  • Economy, Skills and Environment:
    • Promotion of prosperity and development and protection and improvement of natural and historic environment
  • Public Protection:
    • Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, Trading Standards Service, Joint Emergency Planning Unit and community safety
  • Other Services:
    • Grass cutting and highways

Parish Council Meetings are normally held on the second Monday of the month. Additional meetings may be held from time to time to deal with specific items of business as the need arises. Find out more on the ‘meetings’ page.

Meetings are listed below and are also advertised in the village events calendar.

Events Search and Views Navigation

Event Views Navigation

Today

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

Parish Council Meeting

Chamberlin Hall

This meeting will be held at Chamberlin Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please see the agenda for more details.

The Parish Council clerk is your first point of contact. The Clerk provides advice on law and procedure, administrative support and also implements council decisions and policy. Find out their contact details and details of who Bildeston’s Parish Councillors are in the Parish Councillors section.

Our local procedures are called standing orders and are published in the governance processes and transparency section.

Photo of pencils
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Meetings, agendas and minutes

Download Parish Council agendas and minutes, access meeting calendar.

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Photo by Scott Graham on UnSplash

Projects

An outline of Parish Council projects, including 20mph speed restriction and lobbying for retention of local bus services.

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Photo by Beatriz Pérez Moya on Unsplash

Governance processes and transparency

Details of Councillor’s interests, data protection and security, financial regulations and more.

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House in process of renovation

Planning

Information about making planning applications.

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Service contacts

Contacts for queries regarding village services and amenities including the playgrounds and war memorial.

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Grants and funding

Information on grants and funding for community projects, amenities and services

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Other documents

Other documents such as cemetery and memorial tree planting guidelines.

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