Thank you for visiting our Parish Council website.

Little Gaddesden, comprising the village of Little Gaddesden and hamlets of Ringshall and Hudnall,  sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Council has as important aims the preservation of the character of our village and the efficient stewardship of the public assets we hold in trust for residents.

Councillors are unpaid volunteers, elected every four years or co-opted between elections.   There are 7 seats 6 of which are filled,   1 is still available. We welcome interest from anyone in the village who would like to be co-opted to become  a Parish Councillor.  The next elections are in May 2027.

A brief outline of what the Parish Council does

• The Parish Council has responsibility for maintenance of the Green and the playing fields on Church Road and behind Cromer Close including the playground equipment, and the various memorials and benches in the village.
• The Council arranges for volunteers to pick up litter and monitor the state of the roads, bridle ways, footpaths, signposts and street signs. It liaises with Hertfordshire County Council and Dacorum Borough Council to keep these up to standard.
• The Council is a statutory consultee for planning applications within the village and receives copies of all applications from Dacorum Borough Council.  It has no actual power to refuse or consent to an application, but offers its advice and recommendation of support or objection to Dacorum having considered how an application will affect the appearance and character of the village.
• The Parish Council actively considers projects that would benefit the village and invites ideas and contributions from villagers.
• The Council sets its income and expenditure budget annually including anticipated funds needed for village projects and submits it to Dacorum Borough Council.   DBC allocate funds from the collection of Council Tax. The Parish Council’s allocated share of Council Tax is called the Precept.  The Council also receives an annual grant, known as concurrent services of £13,431 and a Warden’s grant of £2,923 from Dacorum Borough Council

Responsibilities are divided between Councillors and cover areas including environmental, planning, traffic, administrative and policing matters.  The Council is supported by the Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer.

You can view a table of how Councillor Responsibilities are assigned by pressing this link Cllr Responsibilities 2023-24-vDec23.

The Parish Council meets on the third Monday of each month at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.  Members of the public are encouraged  to attend and can speak on issues which are important to them. There is a slot at the beginning of meetings, for you to air opinions on issues. In between meetings, elected members and the Parish Clerk attend to a range of duties that help keep village governance and services functioning well.   Meeting dates are varied in July/August/September and December to allow for the holiday period.

As part of our communications policy a record of the Council’s, past and upcoming meetings, minutes, newsletters, significant planning matters, and links to  local services  are provided on this website.

Our Parish is blessed with many talented individuals, there are many ways in which you can assist us as parishioners on an adhoc informal basis; and / or as a Councillor, when there are vacancies during the term or at the end of terms of office.    Please contact us to find out.   We really do need you.