More Than Minutes: The Many Hats of a Parish Clerk

This week is Local Council Clerks Week, a chance to recognise the vital work carried out by clerks in communities across the country. To mark the occasion, we’re shining a light on the role of our own parish clerk and the wide range of responsibilities they take on behind the scenes.

When people think of local councils, they often imagine public meetings or repairs to the village play area – but few consider who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. For our medium-sized parish, that person is the parish clerk.

The clerk’s role is often described as the engine of the council. While much of the work involves key administrative tasks – preparing agendas and reports, writing minutes, managing the finances, ensuring proper audit processes, and keeping the council’s website up to date – that’s only part of the story.

The clerk also acts as the council’s legal adviser, ensuring that decisions and activities comply with the complex framework of laws and regulations that govern local councils. From public meetings and procurement rules to data protection and financial transparency, the clerk helps councillors navigate their legal responsibilities.

Our parish looks after a recreation ground with a football pitch and sports pavilion, a children’s play area, two allotment sites, and a network of litter and dog waste bins. We’re also in the process of developing a new burial ground. All of these services require careful coordination, regular inspections, budget planning, and communication with contractors – tasks which the clerk manages behind the scenes.

The council also plays an important role in shaping local planning decisions. While it is the district council that determines planning applications, the parish council is consulted and provides comments. For smaller applications, the clerk researches relevant local and national planning policies to help the council prepare a well-informed and constructive response. Larger, more complex applications are supported by a planning consultant, but the clerk still plays a coordinating role, ensuring councillors have the information they need to reach a considered view.

As the clerk works part-time, effective prioritisation is essential. With a wide range of responsibilities and frequent new issues arising, tasks must be carefully balanced to ensure the most urgent and important matters are addressed first.

No two days are the same. Alongside scheduled responsibilities, the clerk often responds to unexpected issues, helps residents with enquiries, and ensures important information from other authorities and organisations is shared promptly with councillors and the community.

It’s a varied and demanding role that combines professionalism with public service. The clerk ensures that the council operates legally, efficiently, and transparently – and in doing so, plays a vital part in supporting the everyday life of the parish.