First experiences as a newly elected Parish Councillor

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? by Ann Christina Coomber, Chair of Dunchurch Parish Council

First experiences as a newly elected Parish Councillor

 I was elected in May 2023. I put myself forward for election because I wanted to be more involved in my local area. I wanted to find out how and when and where and by whom decisions are made that affect us all at a local level. I am curious and I like asking questions.

I wanted to particularly represent the people not living in the centre of Dunchurch and get the voices heard of residents nearer to Cawston and Bilton while recognising I am answerable to the whole of the Dunchurch population.

But I did not really know what to expect once I was elected. Soon I would start to hear the words: “Ask her over there – she’s a Parish Councillor” and then be approached by local people with their concerns.

Before long I was investigating the dog waste problem in the Cawston Woods lay-by, the lack of more than one Parish Council noticeboard, concerns about the limited use being made of the Community Library, a potentially dangerous tree where no-one knew who the landowner was, the very worrying experience of driving along Cawston Lane when there is something coming the other way and the problems of disposing of small redundant electrical gadgets without a car to get from Dunchurch to the Rugby waste re-cycling centre.   

Then more recently the major concerns being voiced about the reasons for the large slurry lorries parked in the Cawston Woods lay-by.  People are telling me they are worried about flooding and sewage overspill getting worse.

I have learnt that Parish Councils get all the planning applications relevant to their parish and send their comments on all of these to Rugby Borough Council. This is definitely a responsibility within the role of Parish Councillor where I will need extra training to tackle complex issues especially because of the vast housing developments planned for our area.

I was pleased to see that Parish Council meetings are open to the public but disappointed about how very few people come to hear what we are discussing on their behalf.

I was surprised to learn that there is no ceiling to the amount of money the Parish Council can ask Rugby Borough Council to allocate to us for our annual budget from the Council Tax. We therefore have an important influence over the total amount of Council Tax the residents of Dunchurch are required to pay.

There’s still lots more for me to learn but I’m enjoying the challenge and I hope that I can help to improve lives and our local environment.