As a parish council, we aim to engage and communicate with residents so as to foster a sense of community in the parish and to understand differing needs and expectations through two-way formal and informal discussion and conversation.
The main means of communication we use are set out below. We would very much appreciate feedback from you as to whether these are effective and helpful. Please contact us in one of the following ways.
Who is my councillor?
There are four councillors for the Darley Bridge ward, two for the Wensley ward and two for the Oker and Snitterton ward – please see this website.
How do I contact them?
You can find our names, photos, email addresses and phone numbers on the website.
What about informal chats?
Yes, please just catch us out and about and have a chat.
And then what happens?
We’ll do our level best to deal with individual issues or point you in the right direction. The council also discusses any general issues arising through councillor updates at each meeting.
How do I provide feedback to the council or raise a query?
Please send comments to the Parish Clerk: [email protected] or just get in touch with any one of us. There is also feedback/contact form on the website.
When are the council meetings?
We normally meet at 7pm on the second Tuesday of the month in the Wensley Reading Room. This does occasionally change, so please check the website.
Where is the agenda published?
Agendas are posted on the parish noticeboards in Darley Bridge, Wensley, Oker and Snitterton, as well as on the website.
Can I attend council meetings?
Yes, we encourage public participation, whether in person (currently by prior arrangement) or through written communication to the Parish Clerk. You can raise questions, issues for discussion or matters of concern.
Where do I find the minutes of meetings?
Draft and final minutes are published on the website.
Where can I find local information?
This website is a comprehensive and definitive source of useful information about South Darley and about the parish council. It also has a local section with relevant links. Please have a look around. We hope you find it interesting and informative.
Does the council have a social media site?
We post and pass on relevant information for parish residents on the NextDoor social media site where about half the households in the parish have an account – on this site, posts may be limited to parish residents or, more widely, to the parish and neighbouring parishes. You can sign up here: https://nextdoor.co.uk/
It’s all digital these days, isn’t it?
Well, not really. The parish magazine is an important communication channel and we aim to cover one relevant local topic each month. From time to time, we will write directly to all households in the parish with a newsletter. Small posters relating to specific items or parish events are also displayed on the five parish noticeboards.
Where can I get updates about local services?
On NextDoor social media site and this website has a latest news section.
How can we influence the priorities of the council?
We have a set of on-going aims on the website but also focus on particular priorities in any given year. In more normal times, we will convene an annual parish meeting, open to all parish electors who may speak upon local matters. We also review themes arising from formal and informal communications with residents as part of our discussion on parish priorities.
How else can we feed back?
We plan to undertake an annual survey to precede the annual parish meeting to gauge matters of current local interest and concern and to seek input into development of the priorities of the parish council for the coming year.
Any other opportunities for community engagement?
We hold an annual event, such as the parish walk on 2nd May this year (see: https://southdarleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/join-us-on-a-walk-round-the-parish/), to provide an opportunity for residents to come together and engage with each other and councillors at an event with a parish focus.
To view our full community engagement strategy, see: www.southdarleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/community-engagement/
We look forward to your feedback. Thank you in advance.