NICHOL FOREST PARISH COUNCIL ~ Who are we and what we do

Nicholforest Parish Council, elected by the local parishioners, is the first tier of local government and is one of thousands of parish and town councils in England. The role of a Parish Council is to serve the interests of the community and improve the quality of the local environment.

Nicholforest Parish Council represents the scattered communities of Penton, Catlowdy and Kershopefoot on the English/Scottish Border, a population of approximately 300 people. There is no actual village.

Elections are held every four years and the Council has an allocation of eight seats.

The administration of the Council is handled by the Parish Clerk. Any other service carried out, is contracted to individuals or companies. Council Members do not receive any payment and have voted not to claim allowances.

When the need arises, the Parish Council send out questionnaires and information to identify the needs and views of the community. They have found this method works best as it gives every member of the community a chance to air their views the instant they are required.

An example of this is when we discovered, without any notice, that a Scottish Firm had been given permission to bury sewage in Stonechest Forest. We immediately contacted the Environment Agency, Councillor Ray Bloxham and all residents and set up a meeting. Environment Agency officials met groundwater experts on site to consider our worries that drinking water supplies would be contaminated. Following the meeting, they agreed that there was a potential risk to health and permission was revoked.

The Parish Council has just completed a report based on the results of a recent questionnaire sent to all members of the community, to determine feelings about a proposed Wind Farm in the area. The Council continues to monitor the situation.

Nicholforest Parish Council adopts a pro-active approach to its business and welcomes comments and queries from all members of the community.