Parish Council

Welcome to Coddington Parish Council. The Parish Council is the village’s own local authority, representing villagers at parish level. It is part of the local government structure of Nottinghamshire, in conjunction with Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Your Parish Council works closely with both of the higher organisations to promote villagers’ interests, to represent their views and to resolve their concerns. This is done directly, but also, and in greater part, through our County and District Councillors.

The County Council is responsible for higher level services such as highways, footways, public rights of way, education, libraries, social services and strategic planning. Our representative is Cllr Maureen Dobson.

The District Council is responsible for local services including housing, local planning, environmental health and refuse collection. It also has responsibility for most of the village’s playing fields, and open spaces. As part of the Balderton North and Coddington ward, we are represented by Cllr David Payne and Cllr Jonathan Lee.

Parish Council Responsibilities

The Parish Council has important routine tasks to undertake, some on behalf of the District and County Councils. These include:

- Serviceability of road and footway lighting.

- Maintenance of public rights of way.

- Provision of public seating.

- Maintenance of the grassed areas of roadside verges and footpaths.

- Provision and maintenance of allotments.

- Removal of litter by the village handyman.

- Gritting of major footways in wintry conditions.

- Publication of the Coddington Village News in March, June, September, and December    

The Parish Council is a statutory consultee on all planning applications submitted to the District Council which affect the village. Similarly, it has statutory rights to submit the residents’ views on major planning and local government reviews and on water and drainage, public transport, road safety and highways issues. In essence we have powers and duties, and a sense of responsibility, to cover many aspects of village life that contribute to our wellbeing and comfort, hearing and representing your views accordingly. To see the full span of the Parish Council’s work on residents’ behalf, do keep a regular eye on the minutes of our meetings via the "Meetings" tab on the Council’s web page.

The Parish Council has a particular relationship with the Coddington Community Centre, which we lease from the District Council. The Centre is then sub-leased to the Coddington Community Association, which has responsibility for running it.

Importantly, the Parish Council also raises money – the Precept – which forms a small part of the council tax paid by each household. The Precept is our income to pay for the services we undertake on villagers’ behalf.

The Parish Clerk administers the Council’s activities, acts as a link with the District and County Councils and other external organisations and advises the Parish Council. The Clerk, Mrs Yvette Wellard, acts as the Council’s point of contact. Click on "Contact us" on the web page menu for her contact details.

Councillors and Meetings

The Council has 10 members who are elected every 4 years. Following the election in May 2015, there are currently two vacany positions on the Council. Anyone who is interested in becoming a Parish Councillor should apply in writing to the Clerk by 29th June.

Each year, at the Annual Parish Council Meeting in May, the Councillors elect from amongst themselves a Chairman and Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year. Meetings are held as follows:

• Regular meetings on the 1st Thursday of each month at 7.30pm in    the Community Centre.
• Exceptions: There are no meetings in August or December;
• In May the meeting is in the Village Hall, preceded by the Annual Parish Council Meeting at 7.00pm.
• The Annual Parish Meeting is held in the Village Hall each April, at 7.30pm, on the 3rd Tuesday.

The Agenda for each meeting is displayed on the village’s 4 notice boards at least 5 days in advance and on the web site. Villagers are welcome to attend our advertised council meetings, which are always "open" and the Council will welcome your contribution. If you cannot attend a meeting please speak to us or email us. At the beginning of each regular meeting there is a 10-minute "Public Contribution" period when members of the public are able to speak on points of concern or ask questions (pre-application lobbying for planning applications is not permitted during this period). Thereafter, the public may only speak when specifically invited to do so by the Chairman.

Contribution from Villagers

The Parish Council is always keen to involve parishioners. Attendance at our meetings apart, there are ample opportunities to assist with the village’s organisations, who frequently seek help or support. Please look at the notice boards, Coddington Village News and this website. The Council  always has a need for assistance with projects that are under way or in planning. Such help might be creative or physical assistance and often something as simple as assisting with distribution of the Village News. If you can assist please contact the Parish Clerk.