Parish Council

Mepal Parish Council has been in existence since 1895 and currently has 7 Councillor posts. As at 12 June 2025 we have 3 Councillors in post and vacancies for 4 new Councillors. The number of elected Councillor is one with two co-opted councillors. Mepal is not therefore able to apply for general power of competency (giving us the power to do anything an individual can do provided it is not prohibited by other legislation), as this requires equal to or greater than two-thirds of the total number of members of the council (currently therefore a minimum of 2 elected councillors). Any community financial support for community groups therefore has to be via the annual S137 grant application process.

Mepal Parish Council has a wide range of responsibilities including parish council owned community buildings, parish council owned recreation fields and playgrounds, planning permissions and decisions, street lighting, allotments and can represent the rural communities on some council committees. We are not permitted to manage land that is not owned by the Parish Council and there is other legislation in place that determines the extent of our powers. Some of the grass cutting of designated verges in Mepal is carried out by Mepal Parish Council under a contract with Cambridge County Council. Where we do not have the powers to provide facilities or services ourselves we do have some limited powers and funds to contribute towards their provision by other community groups though our grant process. The annual grant application process can be read and applied for here. Applications should be submitted between 1st September and the last Friday in October for payment in the following financial year. If you are thinking about setting up a new group, please therefore plan in advance if you want to apply for funding so that you don’t miss out.

There has recently been clarification that a new Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023, to amend the legislation to make clear that parish and town councils can provide financial support to churches for repairs and improvements and that they are now apparently legally able to seek parish council funding like any other community organisation within the parish, both for buildings and for their activities as an organisation embracing residents of the parish.

Much of the land in the village is owned and managed by East Cambridgeshire District Council or Cambridge County Council and you can find the links to the reporting mechanisms for these areas on the Contact Us page.