There are around 10,000 community, parish and town councils in England and Wales; they are corporate bodies and local authorities with a powerful voice to represent local people.

The parish council has four of its six councillors. These are: Helen Dauris, Jeffrey Kenyon, Caroline Scott and Mark Seymour. If you are interested in joining the parish council please contact the clerk.

Councillors are elected by the public at local government elections, normally held on the first Thursday in May every four years. The last election was in 2023. If a vacancy occurs during the four year term, it may be filled by co-option or through a by-election if there are more candidates than vacant seats and requested by 10 parish electors.

Parish councillors are holders of public office and work is done voluntarily without salary. Parish councillors have the opportunity to influence decisions to improve services in the local area.

Parish councils in England have a number of basic responsibilities in making the lives of local communities more comfortable, many of which are often taken for granted. Essentially these powers fall within three main categories: representing the whole electorate within the parish; delivering services to meet local needs; and striving to improve the quality of life in the parish.

Parish councils also comment on planning applications as a statutory consultee and can be represented at public enquiries.

Buckland and Chipping Parish Council provided the bus shelters in the villages and the information boards, seats and picnic tables in various parts of the villages. The council has also taken responsibility for cutting the grass in the churchyard and is responsible for maintaining and protecting areas of common land in the parish.

The council works closely with county and district authorities to make sure that the roads and footpaths are maintained properly, although it has no direct responsibility for them.