Rawcliffe Parish Council which consists of Chair, Vice Chair, seven other Councillors and the Clerk, has the responsibility of caring for and protecting the Communities and villages of both Rawcliffe and Rawcliffe Bridge and there are Councillors who represent these areas. Councillors are unpaid and represent the first tier of Local Government. The Local Government Act, 1972, is the one Act most often referred to when describing the modern powers and responsibilities of Local Councils but is by no means the only one.

The Council meets monthly at 7pm on the fourth Wednesday of the month, except for August and December, in the Gospel Hall when Councillors are summoned, not invited, to attend.
Members of the public are very welcome to attend and put their concerns forward. Should you have an item that you would like placed on the meeting agenda, then please contact the Clerk in the first instance. Elections for Councillor are held every four years and those wishing to stand should obtain the relevant form from the Clerk. There may be instances when a resignation etc signals either a new election or a co-option when prospective candidates would be interviewed.

A Parish Council is a corporate body, meaning that every decision made is the responsibility of the whole council and not any individual member. You will find the names, addresses and contact details of your Councillors elsewhere on this website.

A Parish Council makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish and is the level of government closest to the community. As this is the case, Parish Councils are invariably the first place people will go with views, complaints or ideas.

A Parish Council can make all kinds of decisions that affect the local community. Probably the most common topics are planning matters, crime prevention, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.

However, it is true to say that on their own Parish Councils have limited powers to make decisions but they have the ability to negotiate with. and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions.

In this respect, Parish Councils are extremely powerful.

The Parish Council also has the power to raise money through taxation: the Precept, which is the Parish Council's share of the Council Tax and is used for purely local matters such as looking after community buildings, open spaces, play areas, bus shelters and so forth.

Being the level of government closest to the community, it has great a responsibility to use its influence and precept in the best possible ways.