About the Council
Ever wondered how Forest Row Parish Council works in practice? Below is a brief overview of our purpose, structure, and funding.
Purpose
Forest Row Parish Council was created by Act of Parliament in 1894. It is much larger than Forest Row village itself and encompasses three wards – Forest Row, Ashurst Wood and Hammerwood, and Weirwood.
As the first tier of local government, parish and town councils are particularly important in ensuring that local services are delivered by people who understand their community and its needs.
The council provides and maintains a variety of important local services including allotments, burial grounds, bus shelters, public spaces, lighting, village greens, the play area and skate park, Gages community lunches, the market, the medical transport service, the Thursday Club and the youth service, among others.
Structure
The council consists of its councillors, who are local volunteers, and its staff, who work out of the Parish Council office in the community centre in Forest Row.
Major decisions are taken by the council at ‘full council’ meetings. The council also manages its assets and services through several committees, which have been given decision-making powers:
Working groups are used to move forward with specific projects. They are made up of councillors and sometimes members of the public. Our Planning working group meets regularly to review local planning applications that have been made to Wealden District Council.
Funding
Council tax is paid to Wealden District Council, but a portion of that comes back to the parish to pay for local services. The ‘precept’ is the total amount raised for the parish through council tax payments, and it is adjusted yearly based on the parish council’s annual budget. The council charges for some services and applies for grants where possible, but most funding is raised through the council tax paid by local residents, who are contributing directly to the provision of local services and facilities.
To learn more about how the council works in practice, explore the links below.