Parish or town councils are the most local level of government in England. They are independent of other levels of local government, ie. District and County Councils, however they maintain a close working relationship with both. The services provided by parish councils vary depending on how large and how active the councils are. Some meet infrequently and are actively involved in very few matters. Other parishes may undertake many duties such as street lighting, managing cemeteries, allotments, commons, village halls, war memorials and markets etc.

Councillors are not paid and have to abide by a local government code of conduct and declare a personal or prejudicial interest if they have an interest in any matter under discussion at a parish council meeting.

North Yorkshire County Council Parish Charter

The purpose of the charter is to set out the working relationship between North Yorkshire County Council and parish/town councils and parish meetings. It includes a number of general principles and covers a common set of topics, such as consultation, information & complaints and service delivery.

The charter was formally approved in January 2011 by the County Council's Executive following a consultation exercise with parish/town councils and parish meetings in our county. You can download or view the Parish Charter from the Useful Downloads section below.

Parish plans

North Yorkshire County Council is committed to working with parishes both during the development of their parish plans and, once completed, in ensuring that any completed plans are formally acknowledged and any actions requiring consideration by the county council are shared with the relevant departments.

The County Council's policy and partnerships unit has developed a simple guide for parishes to explain what support may be available to them.  Please click on the link below to download a copy of the guide.

For further information, contact ceg.ppp@northyorks.gov.uk or call 0845 872 7374.

To discuss a parish plan specific to your area of North Yorkshire, please contact one of the officers from the policy and partnerships unit as listed below.

Online mapping

You can find a range of information about the services we provide by using our online mapping.

Committee agendas, minutes and reports Access upcoming and previous committee agendas, minutes and reports here.

Useful downloads Parish planning guide [998kb] [pdf] North Yorkshire County Council's parish planning guide Parish Charter [140kb] [pdf] The charter sets out the working relationship between North Yorkshire County Council and parish/town councils and parish meetings.   Related Pages Elections - historic results Parish clerks information