Parish Councils are the first tier of local government and are statutory bodies, their purpose is to serve their community. All councillors are volunteers and they are elected by residents. Funding for the Parish Council comes from an annual ‘precept’ which is collected from households within the parish as part of council tax. The precept is usually enough to cover our regular costs. The Parish Council also applies for grants and carries out fundraising for additional money to carry out larger projects.
​​
Cornwood Parish Council meets on the first Tuesday of each month (except January and August) usually in the Village Hall. Meetings are open to all members of the parish and any other interested members of the public. We have an Open Forum at the beginning of each meeting when parishioners can ask questions, ask for help or raise any concerns. People are welcome to stay for the whole meeting but may only speak during the Open Forum agenda item.
​
Our responsibilities include:
-
Maintaining Lutton and Cornwood playparks; the public toilets; bus shelters and Crossways Green
-
Acting as the voice of the community to: local police and health services; large local employers such as Tungsten West (which owns Hemerdon Mine) and to South Hams District Council, Devon County Council and Dartmoor National Park.
-
Running projects to improve the well-being of the community, usually based on our Community Plan. Recent projects include: upgrading Lutton and Cornwood playparks; improving access to Heathfield; providing a night landing site for Devon Air Ambulance; setting-up a Speedwatch team; improving the upkeep of footpaths and bridleways and supporting Devon County Council in maintenance of minor roads through the Road Warden scheme. This website was developed as a result of the Community Plan which highlighted the need for better communication between the Parish Council and the community. The Parish Council has also set-up the Cornwood PC Facebook page to help address this need.
-
Statutory Consultee on planning matters with principal authorities and developers
-
Organising and / or supporting local events such as the Christmas Lights, Cornwood Show, Wassailing and Spring Litter Pick.
-
Supporting community services and groups such as the Ring and Ride service, Tennis Club, Lunch Club and Friends of Cornwood School.
The Parish Council is not responsible for the Village Hall which is managed by a local charity