“Parish councils are civil local authorities found in England which are the lowest tier of local government.[1] They are elected corporate bodies, with variable tax raising powers, and they carry out beneficial public activities in geographical areas known as civil parishes. There are about 9,000 parish and town councils in England, and over 16 million people live in communities served by them.[2] Parish councils may be known by different styles, they may resolve to call themselves a town council, village council, community council, neighbourhood council, or if the parish has city status, it may call itself a city council. However their powers and duties are the same whatever name they carry.[3][4]”
Mordiford Parish comprises 568 resident individuals; read more about Mordiford by clicking here to for Mordiford 2021 Census data
Dormington Parish comprises 266 resident individuals; read more about Dormington by clicking here for Dormington 2021 Census data
Parish Councils are not connected to Church Parishes or Parochial Church Councils (PCCs). Since 1894, they have been constituted as civil bodies. Read more about their functions and duties, and how they are funded by clicking on this Wiki Link.
Your Parish Council
Dormington and Mordiford Parish Council is a group parish council, formed from Mordiford and Dormington Parishes a few years ago. Parishes may have to form groups when there are not enough councillors to proportionately represent a parish. Councillors, although elected, are volunteers who must reside within the parish. Our group parish should have 9 councillors; currently it has only 6. We are always happy to talk to people about being a councillor, what it entails and what can be achieved. Please do contact us if you want to consider volunteering.
The Parish Clerk
Parish councillors come and go over the years, which is why the Parish Clerk who is the only paid member of the parish council, is often the important “collective memory” of when and where things were done and why. The Parish Clerk sets the agenda, takes the minutes, is responsible for finance, for advising on compliance with the legal requirements, amongst many other things. Clerks are ideally qualified with the Certificate in Local Council Administration CILCA which provides them with the knowledge they need to fulfil their duties.
Our work and funding
We meet 10 times a year, and our work includes
- Reviewing and commenting on all Planning Applications in the parish – which may include visits to properties, and occasionally meeting with property owners.
- Agree, organise and undertake work to the Public Rights of Way including installing and repairing gates and bridge, tree and scrub clearance
- Seek ways of making our roads safer working with the Herefordshire Council
- Carry out minor works on roads and drains throughout the parish working closely with Herefordshire Council and local landowners
- Seek to improve our environmental impact, conserve and improve biodiversity
- Manage the allotments at Shepherds Orchard
- Maintaining and managing the Burial Ground, its monuments, and interments; and the maintenance of the Closed Churchyard in Mordiford.
- Being there for our residents to signpost and support them with their concerns about environmental matters (including potholes, noise, pollutants, littering).
Funding for this work comes via the Parish Precept, which is agreed annually by the Parish Council, and then it is transferred from Herefordshire Council from the payments made by residents via the Council Tax.
In the last three years, the Parish Council has continued the great work of previous PCs, and undertaken the following:
- Restarting the NDP
- Installing the Dormington bus stop
- Installing defibrillators at Checkley and Dormington, and continuing to support the Mordiford Defibrillator
- Working with local landowners to create the Checkley common biodiversity management plan.
- Working with and supporting Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and Ledbury Naturalists with the survey work they have undertaken voluntarily in Checkley.
- Supporting the Black Poplar DNA project (Checkley Common has one of the largest populations of this increasingly rare tree in the County).
- Supporting residents to create and implement the Mordiford Dragon Trail
- Making improvements to Mordiford Green
- Purchasing and re-landscaping The Maltings Green to reduce future maintenance costs and increase visual amenity.
- Working with and supporting residents with improving communal amenities and the play area on the Maltings Green.
- Working closely with Mordiford School to improve safeguarding and obtain community benefits from the Solar Farm development.
- Obtained faster broadband speeds in the most remote area of the Parish.
- Worked with and supported churches on a variety of environmental projects, including control of pernicious and non-native plants (Japanese Knotweed).
- Supply and planting of native trees (one each in Checkley, Dormington and Mordiford) to commemorate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
- Supplied native trees and hedging to parish residents
- Planting a permanent Christmas Tree (Pinus Fraseri) on Mordiford Green, to be decorated each Christmas.
- Supporting and organising events such as the Jubilee Bonfire and free commemorative Jubilee Mugs for the School; the Checkley and Dormington Egg Roll, and the Checkley Picnic, and the opening of the Dragon Trail.
- The ongoing work of working with landowners and contractors for maintaining and improving the PROW.
- Purchase, installation, maintenance and repairs to picnic benches and seating at Checkley Barn and Swarden Quarry.
- The ongoing work of reporting, advocating and negotiating (with landowners, neighbouring Parish Councils, Herefordshire Council and its contractors), for improvements and repairs to our roads, signage, verges, hedges, drains and pavements.
- Working closely with our Lengthsman to conduct ‘minor works’ associated with the above.
- Purchase, replacement and refilling of grit bins.
- Supporting local charities such as the The Hospice
