A: Residents have the right to attend all Parish Council meetings. You do not have the right to speak during the formal Parish Council meeting but it is best practice for a period to be set aside for public question time (normally referred to as the Public or Open Forum) before the start of the meeting when the public should be allowed to ask questions or make statements on any issue affecting the community.

Individual Councils may have rules that specify the business that you may raise and how long you may speak. The Chairman controls this session which will not be minuted but the Clerk should record notes of the issues raised.

Should you have problems speaking at a parish council meeting you should request a copy of the council's standing orders. Most councils have adopted standard standing orders which allow you to speak.