Judith Cameron finds out what it takes to be a parish councillor in a rural community

Driving from Bath to Bitton, you barely notice the tiny village of Kelston except for the 30 mph speed limit and the pub. But if you turn left, off towards the old church of St Nicholas, you discover a little corner of England that appears to have hardly changed in a hundred years. I came here to meet Doug Creed, who is chairman of the parish council, and learn more about how beautiful little villages like Kelston are retained and managed in this technical age of computers, expansion and globalisation.

"Part of choosing to live in a village like this is wanting to conserve the ideology or the environment you came to live in," says Doug, who has lived in Kelston with his wife Cathy and two daughters for 22 years.

"You cannot preserve it but you can conserve it and allow things to happen at a gentle pace to retain the character of the place." Doug is keen to explain that being a parish councillor in Kelston with just over 100 inhabitants is sure to be different from being one of a committee of councillors in a village of several thousand, but the principles are the same.

Kelston is one of 10,000 parishes in the UK whose councils form the bottom rung of our democratic system. Although initially bounded by church parishes, they now have political borders and are entirely separate from the ministry.

There is no pay for parish councillors, who give their time on a voluntary basis, and running costs are covered by an agreed annual precept paid into a parish bank account by the local district council. Annual accounts are available for public scrutiny and in Kelston, these are displayed in the village three weeks before being submitted for inspection to Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Doug sees his role primarily as an aid to communication. This can be from B &NES to the village, or between villagers themselves, with an integral part being the examination of planning applications and good use being made of the village notice board.

"In this village, pretty much everything is listed and in a conservation area as well as being in an area of outstanding beauty so any changes people may want to make require planning permission," explains Doug. "B &NES sends full details of anything that may happen within the parish boundaries and I will make sure that any neighbour knows what's going on."

This may be simply through the notice board for minor alterations, or through a meeting at the village hall for major changes. For example, when a farmer recently made a planning application to convert three barns into substantial homes but also wanted to continue his agricultural business, consideration had to be given to the new buildings required to replace the barns. A vote was taken at the meeting and, along with explanatory notes, Doug recorded the vote to the area B &NES councillor to take into consideration at the district planning meeting.

The parish council is informed of all planning applications in the district, and although most are not relevant to Kelston, they are interesting to have as background information for any future proposal affecting the village.

"Impartiality is key with planning issues as I need to be trusted by the villagers, some of whom would prefer to avoid any change at all," says Doug. "And on other issues, it's more a case of common sense."

This may be about whether or not to have street lighting, what to do about heavy rain sweeping off the hillsides on to roads or mending a gate to a public pathway.

Doug feels that the job as parish councillor in Kelston is straightforward and relatively uncomplicated; it does not include looking after the village hall or arranging the village fete, although he is involved with both because he cares about them. He feels privileged to be able to live in such a beautiful place and wants it to remain beautiful so that future generations can enjoy the same privilege.

© Judith Cameron