Who we are & what we do

Chelveston-cum-Caldecott Parish Council first met on Friday 4th January 1895 in the village school (now the Village Hall) and has been going strong ever since! There are 7 Councillors, supported by a Clerk, who is also the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO).

The Councillors are elected for a four year term by the parish, and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Council are elected annually from amongst the Councillors at the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council (AMPC) held in May.

The next ordinary elections will be in May 2025, and will coincide with the unitary North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) elections. Should a Councillor cease to hold office (death, resignation, etc.) then a "casual vacancy" is created. This can be filled by a by-election (if demanded) or else by co-option. In either case the new Councillor serves the remainder of the term until the next ordinary elections.

Parish Councils are statutory bodies, originally created by the Local Government Act 1894 and having powers under a number of different Acts and Regulations (e.g. the Highways Act 1980, the Localism Act 2011, etc.). The Parish Council can raise funds through local taxation, known as the Precept, which is added to the Council Tax bill and collected by the Unitary Council on behalf of the Parish Council. The Parish Council can also apply for grants and receive gifts/donations.

The meetings of the Parish Council are normally held on the second Monday of the month at the Village Hall in Caldecott Road.

The Parish Council's responsibilities currently include -

• Allotments (16 plots);
• Amenity Land (Higham Road);
• Community Events (e.g. Dog shows, Quiz nights);
• Community Safety (e.g. Flood wardens, Parish Emergency Plan);
• Defibrillators (currently being rolled out across the three settlements);
• Environmental Awareness (e.g. Litter picks, Nature discovery days);
• Flag flying on civic / ceremonial occasions (the parish flag pole is outside the Village Hall);
• Grants;
• Grass cutting (within the 30 mph limits);
• Grounds maintenance (e.g. siding out footways);
• Neighbourhood Development Planning (The NDP was made (adopted) on 17 July 2017, and is being reviewed in 2023-4);
• Newsletters (issued free to all households in the parish bi-monthly, plus special editions);
• Parish Appraisals (surveys of the parish done every 7 years or so);
• Planning (as a statutory consultee);
• Provision of "self-help" gritting bins (formerly a County Council function);
• Provision of the parish noticeboards;
• Street Furniture (public benches, some of the litter and dog bins);
• Street Lighting (60 lamps around the parish);
• Traffic Calming (3 Speed Indicator Devices, organising volunteers for the Community Speed Watch rota);
• Trustees (to various charities);
• War Memorials (maintenance of the Cross of Sorrow in the Churchyard and the 305th BG memorial in Higham Road); and
• Websites (both the Council's and the parish charity/community ones).

Since the Council was created in 1895, two Councillors, a former Councillor, and one Clerk have held honours.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

• Cllr William Hirst Simpson CBE, who served as a Councillor from 1904 - 1921. He was awarded the CBE (Civil Division) in 1920 for his work as the Chairman of the Committee of Visitors, at the Northamptonshire War Hospital.

Member of the Order of the British Empire

• William Fellowes Corby MBE, who served as the Clerk from 1906 - 1934. He was awarded the MBE (Civil Division) in 1931 for his work as the Clerk to the Raunds Urban District Council.
• Cllr Glenn Harwood MBE, who served as a Councillor from 2007 - 2017. He was awarded the MBE (Military Division) in 1991 whilst serving in the Royal Corps of Signals.

British Empire Medal

• Adrian Russell Dale BEM, who served as a Councillor from 1996 - 2015, then as the Parish Lengthsman from 2018 - 2020. He was awarded the BEM (Civil Division) in 2021 for "services to the community in the Parish of Chelveston-cum-Caldecott, Northamptonshire, particularly during Covid-19".

We have one part-time Clerk, plus a growing number of volunteers who pick litter, check on the footpaths, deliver the parish newsletters, take part in the speedwatch, etc.

If you have a problem to report, this can be done by phone, e-mail or using the on-line form.