Parish Meeting

In every parished area of England there exists a “Parish Meeting” which consists of all the local government electors registered to vote in the parish. The rules governing Parish Meetings are set out in the Local Government Act 1972.

Accordingly, Buckland’s Parish Meeting is made up of all electors in Buckland which will include you provided you live within the parish of Buckland and your name appears on the Local Government Electoral Roll.

Parish Meetings are required to assemble at least once each year between 1st March and 1st June with proceedings starting no earlier than 6pm. In Buckland, which has a Parish Council, an assembly may be convened by the Chair of Buckland Parish Council, by any two Buckland Parish Councillors or by any six electors of the parish.

The 2025 Parish Meeting was held at 7.30pm on Monday 31st March 2025 in the Reading Room, Old Road, Buckland and draft minutes are available to download (scroll down this page and click the link).

The Annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting provides an opportunity for residents to engage, to discuss topical issues, and to consider the future needs of the parish.

The Parish Council has often taken the opportunity to consult with the Parish Meeting on topical issues, anticipated policy changes being considered by Mole Valley District Council and Surrey County Council and potential amenity improvements so do make the time to come along to contribute and help influence future priorities.

The 2026 Annual Parish Meeting is scheduled to be held at 7.30pm on Monday 23rd March 2026 in the Reading Room, Old Road.

The meeting will provide an opportunity to hear topical updates, including the latest insights into how residents may be affected by the proposed Local Government Reorganisation.

In addition, the Government has now pushed forward proposals to enlarge Gatwick Airport by reconfiguring the existing emergency runway into a fully operational second runway, despite recommendations to the contrary from the Planning Inspectorate.

These ambitious proposals will inevitably have significant implications for communities living around the airport. This latest development appears to have reduced local influence over the process. After many years of uncertainty, the matter is now coming to a head, and it is important that residents understand the full context and potential consequences.

Accordingly, we have invited Peter Barclay, Chairman of GACC (Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign)—who are leading the challenge to these proposals—to speak at the meeting and provide an update and report on the judicial review that GACC has initiated which is due to be heard in January.

Further details will follow in due course.

Nigel Husband, Chair, Buckland Parish Council

Minutes : Annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting

31st March 2025 (Draft)
18th March 2024 Presentation: Debbie Jones
6th March 2023
25th May 2022 Presentations: Michael Bourke & Dion Mellows
19th April 2021
The 2020 Annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting was cancelled in accordance with government guidance.
25th March 2019
19th March 2018