A parish council is the first tier of local government in the UK and is a properly constituted local authority. Butcombe is one of the smallest Councils in North Somerset, with less than 200 people on the electoral roll. There are five Councillors who serve on a voluntary basis for a four year term. The Parish Council meets every two months, usually on a Friday evening in the Village Hall.

Although Parish Council powers are in practice quite limited, we do encouraging local people to make their views known, particularly on issues about maintaining and improving the character of the local area. We are particularly concerned about the apparent reduction in services received in areas such as highways, where there is a real danger of continuing deterioration owing to funding cut backs at North Somerset Council.

The powers and duties, and the manner in which a parish council operates is laid out in local government statute and regulations. To comply with those regulations the council collectively conducts its business in accordance with Standing Orders, although we try to run our meetings in as informal and welcoming a manner as our responsibilities allow. Individually, members are bound by an agreed Code of Conduct, and an obligation to declare relevant interests. We will ensure that any such documents are available for public viewing, along with Minutes of Meetings and financial information.