There are two types of parishes, whose boundaries do not always coincide.
These are:
- The Ecclesiastical Parishes centred on the Anglican Church with a parochial church council chaired by the vicar or rector
- The Civil Parishes that are part of the local administration
A Civil Parish is an independent, local democratic unit for villages and smaller towns and for the suburbs of the main urban areas. A Parish is the most local tier of administration and the first tier of democratic local government.
Parish Councils were set up in 1894 by an Act of Parliament with the authority to raise money through taxation (the precept) and a range of powers to spend public money.
Our Parish Council covers the village of Haddenham and the surrounding countryside. It consists of 11 unpaid Councillors and 4 paid members of staff. Councillors remain in office for four years and the next elections will be held in May 2025. At the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council, which is held in May, the Chairman and Vice Chairman are elected as is the chairman of each of the committees.
The Council is a corporate body with a legal existence of its own quite separate from that of its members. The decisions of the parish council are the responsibility of the whole body.
The Clerk to the Parish Council, is the proper officer in law, employed by the council and is also the responsible financial officer.