Residents are encouraged to contact the parish councillor responsible for a particular service or facility or to contact the Parish Clerk. For services/facilities that are not directly provided by Bradfield Parish Council, residents are encouraged to raise queries with those responsible (our 'Who Does What' page provides further information).

The Rural Engagement Team at Essex Police Headquarters deal with wildlife crime across the county. One area they are focusing on is the theft of dogs.

Fortunately, dog theft is very low in Essex, but the fear of losing a beloved pet can cause owner's concern.

They have produced a leaflet for the public giving crime prevention advice as well as sign posting their Dog Watch scheme. Please click HERE to access their leaflet.

Yes, attending a meeting of the town council is a great way to learn first-hand how local decisions are made. Bradfield Parish Council warmly welcomes members of the public to observe its meetings (except for those which are confidential or informal working parties). Council meetings are held at Bradfield Village Hall, though this venue is subject to change so keep an eye out for updates here.

Fifteen minutes are put aside towards the beginning of the meeting for any members of our local community who wish to ask questions of the Council. The chairman may extend this time at their discretion.

Most people in the Bradfield community will be eligible to stand for election which takes place in most cases every four years, the next election is due to take place in 2027. It is not necessary to be a member of a political party, but to stand for election a person must:

Be willing to stand
Be 18 years of age or over
Be a citizen of the UK, the Commonwealth or the European Union
Be not disqualified from standing
and must be either

A local government elector for Bradfield ;or
The occupier of land or property in Bradfield for the last 12 months;or
Has had principal or only place of work in Bradfield for the last 12 months ;or
Has lived in Bradfield, or within 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) of its boundary for the last 12 months.
For further information about standing as a parish councillor visit our vacancies page : here.

• To represent the council at formal and informal meetings and ensure that discussions are carried out in accordance with the council’s constitution and procedural rules.
• To make sure that meetings are run effectively and inclusively, in line with any agreed agenda, to deal with the business at hand. This will include preparation and follow-up, as well as taking charge during the meeting itself.
• To be an effective advocate and representative of the council at meetings and events in the community. They may be required to act as an arbitrator, spokesperson or facilitator at these meetings.

The Clerk (and where applicable Responsible Financial Officer) make a significant contribution to the team. They are a professional officer employed by the council to provide administrative assistance and professional advice. They support the council before, during and after meetings, preparing councillors for their decision making role and putting their decisions into practice.
As the council's Proper Officer, they protect the council as a corporate body.

Some of the roles and responsibilities include:
• writing letters, reports, and emails;
• organising meetings and liaising with working groups for events;
• advising on making lawful decisions and policy;
• researching topics of concern to the council;
• keeping up to date with legislation;
• managing projects, sites, facilities and finance;
• managing records;
• negotiating, marketing and public relations;
• purchasing equipment;
• Submission of the Annual Return and arranging annual Internal Audits.

The term 'Proper Officer' is a legal term meaning the appropriate officer for a particular function. The council appoint the officers it needs to discharge its functions. The council must also appoint a Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) to manage its finances. Usually, but not always, the RFO and the clerk are the same person. At Bradfield Parish Council, the Clerk is also the RFO.

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and in the health, education, social and care services. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services.

Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.

Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

The parish precept is the council tax that the billing authority collects on behalf of a parish council. Parish councils do not receive direct funding from central government and are therefore dependent on the precept and any other income they are able to generate from the services or facilities they provide. More information regarding the council's budgeting process can be found here.

Tendring District Council's Community Safety team has been working alongside their IT department to create a new system for the recording of their antisocial behaviour cases / enforcement cases. This system is now fully operational.

The new system allows members of the public to complete an online reporting form which will automatically generate a case on their system. This will enable their ASB officers to carry out their risk assessment and respond accordingly, this will help them confirm as a Council that they are also prioritising cases as they are reported to the Council. Using this system to report ASB / Enforcement issues is the quickest and most efficient way to report issues.

The link to report to Community Safety at Tendring District Council is as follows: Report Anti - Social Behaviour – Please remember where possible it is best to have this form completed by the person experiencing the ASB. Not everyone can report online so you can still report on 01255 686359, however the number is only covered during office hours.

What can I report to Tendring District Council – ASB Team

• Nuisance from cars / bikes (loud music emanating from vehicles / Anti-Social Driving, incl Speeding / mini moto’s / loud motorbikes / loud exhausts). This does not include Parking issues.
• Flyposting
• Vandalism / Criminal Damage
• Graffiti
• Street drinking
• Begging
• Low Level ASB
• Neighbour Disputes

The Council ASB Team will not usually act in circumstances such as the following:

• One-off noisy party within reasonable times
• Normal living noises, such as walking across the floor, closing doors, flushing the toilet etc
• Noise from children playing
• Personal differences/family disputes
• Disagreements about parking
• Civil disputes such as boundary issues
• Groups of young people gathering who are not acting in an intimidating manner

What shall I Report to Essex Police.

• Criminal damage
• Hoax calls to emergency services
• Intimidation / harassment
• Drug / substance misuse and drug dealing
• Prostitution
• Violence
• Knife Crime
• Domestic Abuse
• Exploitation in all forms

Reports to Essex Police can be made via call 999 in an emergency, 101 in non-emergencies or by using the live chat function on Essex Police Website.

The Full Council reviews every local planning application and plays an active role in various district and regional consultations where they may impact on Bradfield (such as housing, transport, leisure and economic development).

Bradfield Parish Council acts as a statutory consultee and makes comments to Tendring District Council on a case by case basis. However, it should be noted that Tendring District Council makes the final decision on all planning applications, and does not always agree with the Parish Council’s comments. Should you write to Tendring District Council to support or object to an application, it would be helpful if you also provided a copy of the letter to the Parish Council in order for members to support appropriately.