Comprising the twin villages of East and West Somerton, the beautiful and tranquil parish of Somerton is situated nine miles north of Great Yarmouth, 22 miles north-east of the city of Norwich, and 1.2 miles from the sea.
Somerton was created after the the parishes of East and West Somerton were dissolved in 1935 and has an area of 8.25 km2 (3.19 sq mi) and in the 2001 census, had a population of 257 in 93 households, the population increasing to 289 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Great Yarmouth. The church of West Somerton St Mary is one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk.
Somerton Parish Council comprises seven democratically elected representatives and a Clerk who collectively act as an administrative body overseeing various aspects of the parish. We usually meet every two months on the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm.
The parish council is here to act as the first point of contact for anyone who has a concern over a community issue.
Responsibilities:
• Grass cutting (excluding the village hall)
• Bus shelters
• Benches (at the Staithe and the bus shelters)
• Planning applications (statutory consultee)
• Mobile road safety camera (moved monthly)
• War memorial
• Appointments of trustees to the Staithe Charity and Poors Land Charity.
• Administrator of the Community Fund
• Donations to local good causes
• Organising litter picks
The press and public are welcome to attend council meetings and will be given an opportunity to comment on items on the Agenda at the beginning of the meeting. Any parishioner who would like to raise an item for discussion at a forthcoming meeting may request this through contacting the Clerk directly.
How are we funded?
The funding for parish councils is allocated by the district council and is taken from the area’s council tax; this is called an annual precept.
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