The Parish Council is the lowest tier of Local Government.
It provides local facilities and represent local interests to higher tiers of government and other service providers.
The Parish Council is a secular body responsible for the Civil Parish.
The unrelated Parochial Church Council looks after Church matters.
The Parish Councillors for Gestingthorpe are elected every four years.
Gestingthorpe Parish Council is not run on party political lines
The Parish Council meets about once every three months. Residents are welcome to attend the meetings.
A time is allocated for Parishioners to address the Council. Its April/May meeting is an AGM at which officers are elected.
A planning subcommittee operates as needed.
District Councillors and the County Councillor attend most of these meetings, to report on their councils and to hear local opinion.
Representatives from the parish councils of Gestingthorpe, Castle Hedingham, the Maplesteads and Wickham St Paul meet also attend Cluster Meetings, to discuss common problems with District and County councillors.
Parishes precept a parish council tax which is collected by the District Council. It is used to pay for local facilities and expenses such as the Clerk's salary.
There is a Parish Support Grant, from the District, in part recognition of facilities provided locally which the District would otherwise have to provide.
The Parish receives funding from the District and County Councils for services, such as verge cutting, which contracted out to the Parish Council - which can organise them more effectively than remote officials. It can also obtain grant funding, from District, County and other organisations, for projects that meet their criteria. There are strict auditing procedures and rules on what the PC can pay for.
Village Meetings formerly called Parish Meetings
Village Meetings are meeting at which all members of the local government Electoral Roll for Gestingthorpe may speak and vote on those "Parish Matters" advertised in the meeting notice. They are chaired by the Parish Council Chairman or Vice Chairman (unless neither are available), but are not meetigs of the Paarish Council.
There is an Annual Village Meeting, usually in April, which Parishioners are particularly asked to attend.
The Parish Council and other Gestingthorpe organisations report on their activity and Parishioners are invited to put questions and views. District Councillors and the County Councillor attend most of these meetings, to report on their councils and to hear local opinion. Utility representatives and District or County Officers may be invited to give presentations on toipical matters.
Gestingthorpe residents who are too young to be electors do not have voting rights, but may ask to speak.
