Local Government

 The Parish Meeting

The lowest tier of local Government is the Annual Parish meeting, this must be held annually. The first item on the agenda must be to elect a Chairman. The Parish Meeting is an opportunity for the residents to voice an opinion as to how they would like to see their community progress. 

The Parish Council

The Parish Council is a legal body set up by Act of Parliament, probably the Local Government Act of 1858. Councillors are elected to the post or may be co-opted onto a Council. As a legal body Councillors so elected or co-opted have a duty to attend meetings and are summoned to attend. A Council must do what the law requires it to do, may do only what the law says it may do and cannot do anything unless permitted by legislation. 

Great Wakering Parish Council

Great Wakering Parish Council is divided into three wards and has 13 councillors, a Parish Clerk who is also the Proper Officer and the Responsible Financial Officer (these posts must be filled by a qualified person). Great Wakering Parish Council also has an assistant clerk. The Parish Council Office is in Little Wakering Hall Lane. The building consists of offices to the front and a meeting room to the rear. Full Council meetings are held every six weeks. Public and press are invited to attend. Residents are allocated a time when they may address the Council. The office is open for public enquiries Monday to Friday from 9am until 12 noon. The Parish Council carries out the following functions:

monitors, investigates and comments on all applications for building;

owns, maintains and administers the Parish Burial Ground;

leases and maintains Great Wakering Common (18 acres);

owns and maintains the Parish pond in Common Road;

owns, maintains and administers the Allotment site of 172 allotments;

owns and maintains some of the bus shelters;

owns and maintains some street lighting;

acts as a liaison and referral point to higher government such as Rochford District and Essex County Councils;

monitors all aspects of Parish life such as designated footpaths, footways, highways, open spaces, antisocial behaviour, crime and disorder, sea defences, tidal alerts and warnings and many others. 

Problems brought to the attention of the Parish Council are referred to the appropriate authority for information and action. 

The names and contact details of all Councillors are displayed on the four Council notice boards. Residents are urged to contact their local councillors with concerns. Notice boards can be found at the Council Office, Village Memorial Hall, Library and Medical Centre.

There is a very informative booklet entitled “The good councillor’s guide” which can be downloaded from the following website NALC(www.nalc.gov.uk).

More information can be found on Great Wakering Parish Council by clicking here. 

District and County Council

Each ward has a District Councillor who represents their respective ward at Rochford District Council. The District Council deals with such matters as council tax, planning and development, street cleaning and refuse collection and many more. There is also a County Councillor who represents the area at Essex County Council, the county council deals with designated footpaths, highways including gritting, trading standards, social services and many more.