About the community governance review
Pages in About the community governance review
- 1. About the community governance review
- 2. The review process
- 3. You are here: About parish and town councils
3. About parish and town councils
Parish and town councils are elected bodies made up of local people representing the interests of their communities. Parish councillors are elected every four years and are usually unpaid.
There are a number of different styles of local council, such as Town, Parish, Community, Neighbourhood and Village councils.
They can vary in size and function but typically they represent the community voice, for example as a statutory consultee on planning matters, they may manage some local services, such as allotments or parks, and seek to improve quality of life in the area.
What parish and town councils do
Parish and town councils can vary in size and function. Typically they:
- provide a community voice on 'grassroots' issues, for example as a statutory consultee on planning matters
- manage some neighbourhood services - such as allotments, parks and play areas
- seek to improve the quality of life in the area
- represent local communities in democratic decisions
You can find out more on the National Association of Local Councils website.
Additional charges for parish or town councils
Parish or town councils set their own budget requirements and are funded through a separate charge, or ‘precept’, which is collected alongside your Council Tax. Currently the precept for a Band D property in Horley is an annual charge of £55.21 or £33.06 in Salfords & Sidlow.
Existing parish and town councils
In Reigate & Banstead there are currently two local councils in the borough:
In the neighbouring districts and boroughs:
- Tandridge has 22 parish councils
- Epsom and Ewell currently currently has no parish councils but is undertaking a community governance review
- Mole Valley has 13 parish councils and is also undertaking a community governance review