Ilminster Town Council
Ilminster Town Council was established in 1974 and comprises 15 Councillors who represent the community.
Town Council meetings are usually held every month in the Council Chamber at the Council Offices in North Street.
In addition to Town Council meetings there are regular committee meetings for the Resources, Planning, Highways & Transport and the Open Spaces Committees.
Council and Committee meetings are usually held on Tuesday evenings and the public are welcome to attend. Meetings start at 7.30pm and usually last no more than 2 hours.
Before the formal start of each meeting members of the public have the opportunity to ask questions or raise issues relevant to the agenda of the Council or Committee. The overall time available for this session is restricted to 15 minutes unless the Chair decides otherwise. Individual speakers are restricted to 3 minutes and are asked not to repeat points that have been made previously. It is helpful if potential contributors can make themselves known to the Town Clerk before the meeting so that the session can be programmed effectively. A broad outline of the point(s) raised will be given in the minutes of the meeting.
The Town Council carries out a number of functions including:
- managing the cemetery including interment procedures and recording of burials,
- looking after open spaces such as the recreation ground, Britten’s Field the canal and Herne Hill,
- providing and maintaining play facilities,
- maintaining street furniture
- responding to planning applications on a consultative basis.
In addition, the Town Council also acts as an important channel or platform for local people’s views or concerns including those outside of the Town Council’s responsibility that can be passed onto the relevant local authority such as the district or county council.
General Information about Town and Parish Councils
- The Town or Parish Council is the first tier in the local government structure (In Somerset there are 3 tiers in all – the District / Borough councils and the County Council)
- The Town Council is a corporate body and its decisions are the responsibility of the whole body
- The Town Council can own property, enter into contracts, sue and be sued
- Town and Parish councils are also known as Local Councils
- There are approximately 9000 local councils in England
Below, you can find a Quick Guide to the current 3 tier councils responsibilities. From 1st April 2023, the District and County Councils will merge to form the new Somerset Council.
Council Responsibilities Quick guide
