Letter: The Enduring Role of Parish and Town Councils

Published on: 27 Jul, 2025
Updated on: 27 Jul, 2025

From Gaynor White

clerk to Worplesdon Parish Council

Recent commentary in The Guildford Dragon NEWS has raised important questions about the role, relevance, and value of town and parish councils in modern local governance.

As the clerk to Worplesdon Parish Council, I would like to provide some clarification and context.

Worplesdon Parish Council is the second largest parish in the borough of Guildford. It was established by statute in 1894 – like the majority of parish and town councils.

It covers an extensive area of 35 square miles, including five distinct communities: Broadacres, Fairlands, Jacobs Well, Perry Hill/Rickford/Pitch Place, and Wood Street Village. With over 3,600 properties and a population of just over 9,000, each community has unique needs and priorities. It is the duty of the parish council to respond equitably, fairly, and efficiently to all of them.

Some have questioned whether age alone renders institutions outdated. But does longevity make a council irrelevant? Certainly not.

For over a century, parish and town councils have adapted, evolved, and consistently served as custodians of local assets and guardians of community voice. These councils are statutory local authorities in their own right, empowered under both historic legislation and modern frameworks such as the Localism Act 2011, which grants eligible councils the General Power of Competence – a broad legal power allowing councils like Worplesdon to act innovatively in the community’s best interests.

What Does Worplesdon Parish Council Do?

There is sometimes confusion about what services parish councils deliver. In the case of Jacobs Well, for example, local residents benefit from:

• Jacobs Well Recreation Ground, Play Area (including four new parking spaces -delivered at residents’ request)
• Harry’s Meadow
• Pond maintenance
• Annual Armistice Day event
• Maintenance of the War Memorial at Queenhythe Road/Clay Lane
• Benches and bus shelters
• Community Speedwatch and vehicle-activated signs
• Speed data recording in response to traffic concerns
• Christmas lights (enjoyed by both residents and visitors to the Parish)
• Biodiversity enhancement projects
• Scrutiny of planning applications affecting the village and obtaining S106 monies from developers, currently totalling approximately £70,000
• Grants to Jacobs Well Village Hall and other local groups
• Cleaning road signs

These are not theoretical benefits – they are tangible, practical investments in community wellbeing.

Supporting the Wider Parish

While some residents may understandably feel more directly affected by certain services than others, the Parish Council must balance the needs of the entire parish.

Across the wider area, Worplesdon Parish Council also owns and manages Pitch Place Green, Perry Hill Green, Wood Street Village Green (and pond), Wood Street Village Cricket Ground and Nevins Copse. Nevins Copse was purchased specifically to enable a legal exchange of common land under the Commons Act 2006. This made possible the creation of the Wood Street Village community car park, a much-needed local facility, requested by local residents for safety reasons.

The council is also actively addressing climate change and biodiversity, having planted and maintained over 1,000 trees in the past decade.

In terms of flood resilience, following widespread internal flooding affecting 126 properties last year, Worplesdon Parish Council successfully lobbied Surrey County Council to conduct a Section 19 Flood Investigation. This led to the involvement of the National Flood Forum and the formation of a forthcoming Flood Action Group in Wood Street Village – an example of proactive, community-driven governance.

Transparency and Localism

It’s worth noting that Worplesdon Parish Council does not fund the Sime Gallery or the village halls, but it does provide grants to them as well as a wide range of other organisations – both local and national – that contribute to community wellbeing.

Like all public bodies, parish councils are subject to scrutiny, and rightly so. But this scrutiny should be grounded in balanced understanding. Our work is visible, measurable, and guided by legislation, public consultation, and a strong sense of duty. We are accountable, accessible, and part of the wider system of local democracy.

Far from duplicating services, parish councils often fill gaps, advocate for residents, and act as a bridge between communities and higher authorities. In an era of increasing devolution and fiscal pressure on principal councils, the agility and grassroots focus of parish councils have never been more important.

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