Who we are & what we do

In England alone there are over 9,000 parish councils and town councils and Amber Valley has 31 of them! They are the tier of Local Government closest to the people.

Each parish and town council has a limited amount of duties, as they are local authorities. With agreement of the district council or county council, if they decide to use them, the parish and town council have wide powers. These are certain functions normally carried out by those councils.

Parish and town councils should maintain a close relationship with the local community. The public are encouraged to be observers at the council meetings, as they are obliged to arrange at least one meeting for the parish or town council each year. Local electors may attend and they may raise issues of concern.

Meetings of the Parish Council are usually held every two months in the Memorial Hall, Over Lane, Hazelwood. The Annual Parish Meeting and the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council are held in May.