The villages of Puncknowle, Swyre and West Bexington are represented by the Puncknowle and Swyre Parish Council. On 1 April 2001, the Parishes of Puncknowle and Swyre combined to become a Grouped Parish Council; West Bexington, since it is a Ward of Puncknowle, is part of this group. The Parish Council is a local authority that operates at a level below the Dorset Council Unitary Authority.
Parish councils make decisions on behalf of the people in the parish and have an overall responsibility for the well-being of their local community. It is the level government closest to the community. As it is the authority closest to the people, parish councils are invariably the first-place people can go to with concerns or ideas. For this reason, they are a vital part of any community, representing the community, delivering services to meet local needs and trying to improve the quality of life in the parish.
Our members are all volunteers who are elected and can help on several local issues, like providing:
- Allotments
- public clocks
- bus shelters
- community centres
- play areas and play equipment
- grants to help local organisations
- consultation on neighbourhood planning.
Agenda for forthcoming meetings are posted on the website and on the public noticeboards in each village. You can also attend most council meetings, although you are only able to speak at them during the periods set aside for Public Time.
Councillors take office via local elections, although vacancies can occur in between elections. These are advertised on the website and notice boards. If you wish to know more about becoming a member of the parish council and serving your community, please contact the Clerk for further information.”
PUNCKNOWLE AND SWYRE PARISH COUNCIL
IS LOOKING FOR A NEW MEMBER
We are looking for a new member to help our team in looking after the wellbeing of our community.
Parish Councils are the level of government closest to our community and the place where people can express ideas or concerns about the wonderful place where we live and seek to improve the quality of life in the parish. Our members are all volunteers who help on several local issues, including allotments, play areas and equipment, and consultation on neighbourhood planning.
You do not need any special skills or background to contribute to our team, just a passion to care about our community, and we will provide training. If you would like to make a difference, then come and talk to us about what we do. We can put you in touch with some of our members who can tell you more about our work or come to our next meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at Puncknowle Village Hall, 7.30pm and see what we do. At this time, we would especially welcome applicants with an interest in protecting nature and wildlife under our changing climate.
Further information and an application form is available from the Parish Clerk, clerk@puncknowle-swyre-pc.gov.uk
