Mallerstang - Mallerstang Parish Meeting

Mallerstang Parish Meeting

The population, with 101 on the electoral register (March 2011), is too small to entitle Mallerstang to have a Parish Council, and it has no representation by elected councilors in the nearest town, Kirkby Stephen. Constitutionally, the civil parish has the status of a Parish Meeting - the lowest tier of Local Government in England. (A civil parish is quite separate from the Church of England's parochial organisation.)

Three Officers are elected annually by those on the electoral register: the Parish Chair, a vice-Chair, and the Parish Clerk (who serves as both secretary and treasurer).

Parish Meetings are held at least three times a year: in March, June and November, (with a provision for extra meetings, if called for). The meetings are open to all residents; and those who are on the electoral register for Mallerstang may speak and vote on all matters.

The budget for the coming year and a 'parish precept' (an amount added to the Council Tax specifically for Mallerstang) are agreed at the November meeting. Parish officers are elected at the Annual Parish Meeting, held on the Thursday nearest to 25 March. (By tradition, past residents, especially those who have died during the year, are commemorated at this meeting). At the June meeting the annual parish accounts are presented; this meeting also includes an annual report on the historic Mallerstang Charities.

Among its other activities, the Parish Meeting has a Village Green Committee, and a Red Squirrel Committee - a group who are doing their best to conserve and protect the dale's small but thriving population of native red squirrels.