Your Parish Council is the closest tier of government to you.
The voice of local people.
A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf
of the people in the parish and is responsible for the
well-being of its local community. It is the level of government closest
to the community and feeds into Dorset Council, the district authority, above it in the hierarchy.
As the authority closest to the people, the parish council is often the first place people go with their concerns about or ideas for their parish, and for this reason, it forms a vital part of any community.
The Parish Council is a statutory consultee in the planning process. It must be informed of all planning applications or application amendments that affect their parish area, and must consider their views when making decisions. However, the PC does not have the authority to approve or deny planning permission. Please let the council know if you have any comments or concerns relating to current applications. You can see current and past planning applications under the Planning section of this website and on the Dorset Council site.
You can read more about the role of the Parish Council, and how to become a Parish Councillor here
Our Parish Group
The Group Council area comprises of the three small rural parishes of East Orchard, Margaret Marsh and West Orchard. The three adjoining parishes are located in a low-lying part of the Blackmore Vale midway between Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. The Manston Brook, made up of the combined waters of the Key and Sturkell brooks, forms the parish boundary between East and West Orchard.
Read more in the 'Your Parish' section for the history and current of the Parish