The Council

Dunkirk Parish Council consists of up to seven elected parish Councillors who serve for a four year term of office. The present term will expire in May 2027 following the uncontested election in May 2023. Currently there are no vacancies on the Parish Council. Dunkirk Parish Councillors receive no allowance or payment for the role whatsoever.

Council Meetings are normally held on the third Monday of each month, except August - see the diary of meetings for more information.

Extraordinary Committee Meetings should they be required are normally held on the first Monday of each month.

For further information relating to the Council please contact the Clerk who will be happy to give advice and assistance.

Our councillors are elected or co-opted, if you would like to become a councillor or find out more about what they do then please contact the Clerk to the Council.

Details concerning councillor's register of interests can be found on this link at the website at Swale Borough Council:

Parish councils contact details (swale.gov.uk)

Our committees have specific tasks and can have delegated powers.

We currently have one committees.

Details of our Recruitment Committee

The role of Clerk is to ensure that the Council as a whole conducts its business properly and to provide independent, objective and professional advice and support.

Dunkirk Parish Council is part of local government in Kent together with Kent County Council and Swale Borough council.

The County Council is responsible for strategic services such as highways, education, libraries social services, strategic planning and waste disposal.

District councils are responsible for local services including housing, local planning and waste collection.

The Parish and Town councils in the county are often viewed as the part of government closest to the people. They are the only local government tier that represents residents at the parish level.

Importantly Parish Councils can "precept" - raising a council tax each year to improve facilities and services for local people.

Their powers and duties cover many things that we take for granted in making for comfort and well being where we live. These include the provision and maintenance of allotments, burial grounds and public monuments, public clocks, halls, some street lighting, litter bins, car parks, public lavatories, rights of way, roadside verges, bus shelters, swimming pools and village greens.

Parish Councils also comment on planning applications and can be represented at public inquiries.

Similarly, they advise the County and District authorities on the views of residents, and especially priorities for local investment.

All Parish Council meetings are open to the public. They are led by the Council's Chairman and advised by a Clerk who is there to see that business is conducted within the law.

It is important to understand however that being a Clerk to a Parish or Town Council is a job, not a spare time activity - even if it takes only a few hours each week to do.

The job is no different from large to small councils. What is different however is the amount of time needed to deal with the volume of business. For small parishes, this need be only a few hours each week while for the larger councils it could be a full-time commitment.

Most council meetings are held 'out of hours' so being a part-time clerk is not just a daytime activity.