Main Council
The Parish Council is the first tier of Local Government. The next tier of government after Godshill is the New Forest District Council, the New Forest National Park Authority and Hampshire County Council.
Godshill Parish Council currently has 7 councillors and no vacancies. Councillors are elected every 4 years with the next election being held in May 2019. Between elections, new councillors are often co-opted following a process to consult with the parish on whether any residents wish to request that there is an election. Councillors are entirely unpaid and minimal expenses are paid.
The Parish Council meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month with meetings lasting up to two hours. The Parish Council has no Committees. Meetings are held in the Village Hall at 7.30 pm and the Agenda and meeting notices are posted on the Parish Council Noticeboard at the Village Hall, at the bus stop adjacent to the Sandy Balls entrance and on this website.
All meetings are open to the public – everyone is very welcome to attend and raise questions at the Public Question/Statement Time at the start of the meeting. However, if you have any problems which you think the Parish Council can help with, please don’t wait for a meeting – please talk to one of the councillors or contact the Clerk.
The Annual Parish Meeting, which is not a parish council meeting, is held in the Village Hall on the fourth Tuesday in April. A speaker is usually invited to speak on a subject of current interest to the parish.
The Parish Council looks after the interests of the parish where empowered to do so, bringing any other needs of the parish to the attention of the relevant authority. It also responds to consultation documents and requests from a diverse range of other bodies and authorities.
Each year Godshill Parish Council calculates how much money it requires to provide its services or achieve any planned projects. This sum, called The Precept, is collected by New Forest District Council as part of a household’s council tax. Godshill Parish Council does not receive any money from central government or Hampshire County Council.
For 2015/16 the Precept is £11,024 and £47.99 for Band D properties. For 2014/15 the precept was £10,739.