Members of the public are warmly invited and welcome to all parish council meetings.

There is always an Open Forum session at the beginning for people to raise any issue they want. Tedburn St Mary Parish Council meets 12 times a year on the first Monday of the month, Bank Holidays allowing. Agendas are published at least three working days before the meeting on this website and on the noticeboards in the centre of the village and in the Devon Lady hut at Pathfinder village.

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Parish councils were first established in the Local Government Act 1894, previously meetings had been held in the vestry of the local church. Its effect was to transfer all non-religious functions from the church to elected Parish Councils. Today there are some 9,000 parish councils in England. 

Parish Councils are required by law to meet at least three times a year and to appoint a clerk and responsible financial officer to support the council.  Tedburn St Mary Parish Council meets 12 times a year on the first Monday of the month, Bank Holidays allowing. 

The council covers Tedburn St Mary and Pathfinder Village and the surrounding area and serves around 1,500 residents living in just under 700 dwellings. The exact parish boundaries are shown on this map -  Tedburn St Mary Boundary Map.

Agendas and corresponding minutes are published on the Meetings page of this website and on the noticeboards in the village.  Anything raised in the Open Forum at the beginning of the meetings requiring further work or input will appear on a future agenda in order for the council to discuss and agree a way forward and assess any associated costs. A parish council has few statutory duties that must be done, unlike district and county councils who have by law to deliver services, such as care and education.  Parish councils may choose to act from a lengthy list of 'discretionary duties' covering many subjects, such as allotments, recreation, car sharing schemes, and many more. All council functions and financial activity must be subject to a 'resolution' by a vote of the full council.

Parish councils aim to improve services and amenities within their area. Additionally, the parish council is a consulted as part of the planning process and its role is to inform the district council of local issues affecting developments but it is the District Council, in our case Teignbridge, that makes the decision to grant or refuse. Planning applications must be an agenda item and discussed in front of the press and the public; all parish council meetings are open to the public by law and a closed meeting is only allowed when the subject under discussion affects the privacy of individuals or organisations.

Meetings are presided over by the parish council Chair. The council is supported in its work by a clerk whose job it is to advise the council on its statutory duties and powers, produce and publish agendas, record and publish the minutes and to carry out the work of the council when and where requested and appropriate.  Our clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer and is required to record and balance the financial activity of the council with budget forecasts and accounts which are audited annually. The clerk is currently employed for 15 hours a week.

Parish Councils are funded in a variety of ways:-  predominantly by receiving a small amount of the Council Tax, known as a precept; income (where applicable) from the sale of cemetery plots and interments; by applying for grants from other sources such as businesses, Devon County Council or Teignbridge District Council;  donations from the public or from fundraising activities, often associated with a particular project, for example, play equipment or tree planting. Tedburn St Mary's current precept is just over £29,591 a year. All expenditure and receipts are published on this website on the Accounts page.