The Role of Parish Councils
There are three tiers of Local Government in Clayton-le-Woods - County Council, District (or Borough) Council, and Parish Council. Each tier has distinct responsibilities and works together to serve the needs of residents.
Parish Councils represent the first tier of local government - the level closest to the community.
Local Authorities - Who Does What? Parish Councils - Tier 1- Planning applications
- Road safety and improvements
- Public transport changes
- Local flooding and drainage concerns
They provide valuable local insight and are increasingly taking on more community-focused responsibilities. These can include:
- Supporting local events and community groups
- Managing assets such as community centres, play areas, and noticeboards
- Reporting local issues like potholes, littering, and dog fouling
- Advocating for the needs and interests of residents to higher-tier authorities
They play an essential role in making their communities better places to live, work, and visit.
District or Borough Councils - Tier 2Clayton-le-Woods Parish Council comes under Chorley Council who has responsibility for:
- Collection of council tax and business rates
- Refuse, recycling, and litter collection
- Housing services and homelessness support
- Planning applications and local development
- Environmental health, including noise and animal nuisances
- Maintenance of parks, play areas, and open spaces
- Management of allotments
For information on District Council services:
Website: www.chorley.gov.uk
Phone: 01257 515151
Email: contact@chorley.gov.uk
Clayton-le-Woods Parish Council comes under Lancashire County Council who has responsibility for:
- Children, education, and families
- Health and social care
- Transport and travel
- Roads, potholes, repairs, and gritting
- Recycling centres
- Fire and public safety
- Flooding
- Libraries and archives
- Trading standards
- Births, marriages, and deaths
For more information on County Council services:
Website: www.lancashire.gov.uk
Phone: 0300 123 6701
Email: enquiries@lancashire.gov.uk
Clayton-le-Woods Parish Council
Clayton-le-Woods is a large Parish within the borough of Chorley and has a long history, being established in 1894. It consists of 15 voluntary Parish Councillors who are elected for a four year term of office to serve and administer to the needs of the residents of Clayton-le-Woods village. It employs a Clerk to the Council and funding is raised by a precept on each residential property in the Parish, via your Council Tax. This allows us to carry out our duties to both improve and maintain the area in which we live.
The Parish Council does a myriad of things from installing footpaths, doggy bag dispensers and defibrillators to owning a bowling green, woodland, several play areas and a skate park. We are presently having a new office and meeting room built. We have several grounds maintenance, hanging basket and flowerbed contracts to enhance the appearance of the area. We also employ 5 Lengthsmen from the Brothers of Charity based at Lisieux Hall to help keep the area litter free. We also support a volunteer litter picking group who do a weekly litter pick all around the village.
We hold several events during the year such as the Clayton Cup Schools Competition, a Summer Fair, a Scarecrow Festival, the annual OAP Christmas Lunch and the Christmas Light Switch On. We liaise with 6 local schools supporting them with equipment and sponsoring an annual sports event. We support charitable groups locally with funding for projects and equipment.
If you have any ideas to improve the area we would be pleased to hear from you. You can contact your local Parish Councillor or the Parish Clerk directly or fill out our enquiry form.