If you would like the opportunity to make Little Hadham an even better place in which to live, here’s your chance. There will shortly be two vacancies on the parish council, open to anyone living in the parish.

“The role of the council has been transformed in recent years,” says Tony Skidmore, who, along with Mike Fairchild, is retiring after several years as a councillor “When I first attended meetings, a lot of time was spent discussing overgrown footpaths and the like. We don’t ignore everyday issues but the main topics today include our role in the overall plan for the East of England, housing provision, planning and environmental threats. It’s a rewarding job for people who care about their local community.”

The parish council is the link between Little Hadham and the district and county councils, regional and central government. Parish councils have been promised greater responsibility and autonomy. Our parish council now has a Business Plan to provide a clearer set of objectives.

One innovation will be the setting up of a panel of volunteers who may not have time to be councillors but who would be willing to work alongside elected members on specific community projects. The council is especially keen to recruit younger members of the community.

“Cheering from the sidelines is important but to build on the successful work of the council we need more team players to come forward,” says Mike Fairchild. “The council is looking for local residents who might have a special interest or a business background that would be a useful addition to the council’s range of skills, or good all-rounders willing to try their hand at anything.

We are businesslike but informal; politics are not allowed but a sense of humour most definitely is. The pay is terrible,” he jokes, “and there are no perks like having your moat cleaned or flipping your second home! The real reward comes from knowing you are helping to keep Little Hadham the way we want it to be.”

The parish council meets monthly (except August and January) with occasional meetings to consider planning and other matters. If you would like to know more about being a parish councillor or would be willing to volunteer an hour or two , please speak to your local councillor or click here to contact our parish clerk, Bev Evans.