Parish councils act on behalf of the community they represent. Lydford Parish Council is the voice of the local community for planning applications and a focus for local consultation by other authorities such as West Devon Borough Council, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Highways.
Parish councils have powers to provide some facilities themselves, or they can contribute towards their provision by others.
Your Parish Council
If the Parish Council is to make a meaningful contribution to life in Lydford it needs to know what's important to you, the villagers. Please let us know if there are local matters of concern to you, either by email (clerk@lydfordparishcouncil.com), via our Facebook Page or by speaking directly to one of your councillors. We promise to listen!
In Lydford, the Parish Council meets once a month in the Nicholls Hall to discuss current issues. These meetings are open to the public who are encouraged to attend and participate in local democracy.
Latest from the Parish Council:
Regrettably the April meeting of the Parish Council has had to be cancelled because a number of Councillors have contracted Covid.
In response to the news coming out of Ukraine, Councillors chose to suspend their March meeting in favour of an extraordinary public meeting to discuss how the village might respond. Councillors agreed to show the community's support for the Ukrainian people, and to write to their elected MP Geoffrey Cox to bring pressure on the Government to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to come to this country. The Chair's letter was sent the following day and the response from Geoffrey Cox's office received a few days later.
How you can give your support -
The updated advice on giving to support Ukrainians at home and sponsoring those refugees looking to escape to the UK is being collated on the Council's Community Information page.

Your Parish Councillors
Chair
Dr S Squires
Spring House
Lydford
EX20 4BJ
Mr N Skeaping
Townend House
Lydford
EX20 4AR
Mr B Cook
Lyneaste
Lydford
EX20 4AW
Vice-Chairperson
Mr N Grigg
Address in Lydford
Mrs R Tainsh
Olde Stone
Lydford
EX20 4BH
Mr A MacIntyre
May Cottage
Lydford
EX20 4AG
Mr C Blackmore
East Grange
Lydford
EX20 4AR
Parish Clerk
John Bright
24 Gt Fellingfield
Mary Tavy
PL19 9QQ
07704634695
clerk@lydfordparishcouncil.com
Our next meeting:
Tuesday 10th May 2022, 7:00 pm
Nicholls Hall, Lydford
to include Annual Parish Meeting & Annual Meeting

Precept increase
At their January meeting Councillors reluctantly agreed to an above-inflation increase in the Lydford Precept 2022-23 to meet the anticipated increase in expenditure on the public toilets and staffing. The increase represents a rise in the local taxation of £6 per year for residents in a band D property.
Each year the Council receives a sum of money (knows as the Precept) allocated from local taxation which they are able to spend to further the aims of the local community.
The Council’s financial accounts are subject to scrutiny and audit and are available for public inspection. More information here.
The management and operation of the Council is governed by a variety of policies, all of which can be viewed here.
Parish councils focus on local opinion and represent that opinion on issues like:
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Highways
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Planning
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Transport and traffic
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Allotments
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Litter
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War Memorials
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Seats and shelters.
The Council can organise projects for the community, and can pay for them through the precept or by raising grant funding.
Lydford Council also allocates a part of its Precept for awarding grants to groups and organisations within the parish. The policy and application form can be found here.