Parish Council

Mepal Parish Council has been in existence since 1895 and has 7 Councillor posts. As at 12 October 2023 we have 3 Councillors in post and vacancies for 4 new Councillors.

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.

The Local Government Act 1894, expressly prohibits councils from spending any money on maintaining or improving church property, which includes the the churchyard and cemetery unless they are closed. The Parochial Church Council is responsible for the maintenance these areas in the village and we have received specific legal advice that any grant towards grass cutting in open church yards/cemeteries would be regarded as an illegal payment.

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.