FORNHAM ST MARTIN CUM ST GENEVIEVE PARISH COUNCIL

The Parish Council exists to represent the interests of our village community. It is a local authority with certain powers which it exercises in its own right or in conjunction with West Suffolk District Council or Suffolk County Council. It has a responsibility to secure the maintenance and protection of footpaths, village open areas, parish and community property and among other things the provision of footway lighting, seats and shelters. It works with the County council on highway matters and is consulted by the District council as a right on all planning matters relating to residential and commercial development within our boundaries.

The Parish Council meets monthly, except for August and December, in the village hall and follows an agenda which is published on village notice boards. Members of the public are welcome to attend and while they may not interrupt the proceedings, there is always a break during which contribution is invited on items of particular interest.

Normally, In May, there is an Annual General Meeting timed to coincide with this is the Annual Parish Meeting, a less formal occasion to which all residents are welcome and where anyone may draw the attention of the council to matters requiring their consideration.

The finance needed to run the Council and provide for facilities and services, comes primarily from the ‘parish precept'. This is in effect the annual revenue and covers such items as the Clerk's income and office expenses, donations to support village organisations, insurance, grass cutting, litter picking and The Bugle (our village magazine). The parish precept is paid to the Parish Council by the District Council who reclaim it from residents of the parish as an element of the Council Tax.

The Parish Council is a statutory body, whose members are elected by the people of the parish at an election held every four years. That is the time when those with a keen interest in the village have the opportunity to become more formally involved as councillors.