Parish Meeting – 29th May 2025 – You're Invited
Dear Resident,
You are warmly invited to attend the Seale & Sands Annual Parish Meeting:
📅 Date: Thursday 29th May 2025
🕕 Time: 7:30pm
📍 Location: The Sands Room
This meeting is not a council meeting, and councillors are not required to attend. Instead, it’s a meeting for the electors of Seale & Sands, giving you a valuable opportunity to:
Raise issues that matter to you
Celebrate community achievements
Discuss ideas and concerns about local life
As part of the meeting, the Parish Council has invited local clubs, societies, and businesses to attend. Each will have the opportunity to speak for up to 5 minutes about their activities over the past year and their plans for the year ahead—offering a great insight into the vibrant life of our parish.
The meeting is organised by the Parish Council but belongs to you, the community.
If you have a topic you'd like included on the agenda, please get in touch by Friday 16th May at:
📧 clerk@saspc.info
📞 01252 279767
We hope to see you there and look forward to your contributions.
For your information – What is an Annual Parish Meeting?
There can be, and often is, confusion between the Annual Parish Meeting and the Annual Parish Council Meeting. All Town and Parish Councils throughout England are required by law to hold an Annual Parish Meeting, which must take place between 1 March and the 1 June (inclusive). Meetings should not commence before 6pm.
What is the purpose of the Annual Parish Meeting?
The purpose of the meeting is to give the Parish Council, and other local organisations an opportunity to let local residents know what they have been doing over the past year. The meeting is also an opportunity for electors to have a say on anything they consider valuable to the people of the Parish.
What else happens at the meeting?
The meeting can also be an opportunity for local groups, clubs, societies and other voluntary and statutory organisations to provide an exhibition and/or have representatives from the group address those present at the meeting about the work they do and what they are involved in.
Will I be able to ask questions and make suggestions?
Any registered elector may ask a question of the Council which will usually be answered by the Chair, or a designated Councillor. An elector may also make a suggestion and comment on anything pertinent to the residents of the Parish. This will be welcomed and is the whole purpose of the meeting. As the Annual Parish Meeting is not a parish council meeting it is not conducted in the same way or governed by the same rules as a parish council meeting.
Who will chair the meeting?
The Chairman of the Council will chair the meeting. The Annual Parish Meeting is usually convened by the Chairman of the Council however, the meeting can also be convened by any two Parish Councillors, a Councillor representing the Parish on the Borough Council, or any six local electors of the Parish.
Will Parish Councillors be at the meeting?
All Parish Councillors will be invited to attend. Committee and Working Group representatives may also present updates on current projects the committees or working groups are driving forward. Councillors will also have an opportunity to raise questions and make comments if they wish. However, the purpose of the meeting is to enable the electors to find out what is going on in their parish and to have their say.
Will minutes of the meeting be taken?
Minutes of the proceedings of the Annual Parish Meeting shall be drawn up and entered in a book provided for the purpose. The minutes shall be reviewed and signed at the next Annual Parish Meeting.
How long will the meeting last?
The length of the meeting is dependent on the number of electors present, the number of questions asked and the discussion that is raised. Generally, the meeting will not last longer than two hours.
Where can I get copies of papers for the meeting?
The agenda calling the meeting is published 5 clear days before the meeting. The agendas and reports for meetings are available for download at https://www.saspc.info/docsdownloads