WHO WE ARE 
Your council 
What is a Town, Parish or Community Council? 
 
Parish, Town and Community Councils in England and Wales are the first tier of Local Government. They deliver a vast range of services at a community level. 
 
There are around 10,000 Parish, Town and Community Councils, made up of nearly 100,000 Councillors. These first-tier councils can respond to the needs of the Community – delivering the services or representation it most needs. 
 
Milton Keynes is quite unique in as much as it is fully parished (50 Parishes), but these parishes vary - some are a few people that meet three times a year, through to large, complex organisations delivering significant services. Woughton was awarded the national accolade 'Council of the Year' in 2019, showing the value of the work that WCC does.  
 

Who does what?  

Different councils do different things, and knowing who to contact can be really frustrating. There are also 'powers' (things that are a choice) and 'duties' (things that must be done). 
 
Most of the 'big' things (roads and parking, rubbish collection, schools, social care) are the responsibility of Milton Keynes Council (MKC) - Woughton Community Council (WCC) does some bits of this, but the duty remains with MKC. 
 
WCC is responsible for the landscaping (we have a contract with MKC to do this) and then uses it's powers to do other things, such as the Community Centres, youth service, community food projects, events and so on. WCC is also responsible for the dog waste bins (because we used powers to install them), but NOT waste bins (MKC covers these). 
 
So it can be a bit messy. If you are unsure, get in touch and we will help where we can. If not, we'll direct you to the right people who do have a duty to help.  
 
 

Woughton Community Council 

Woughton Community Council is based in the very heart of the Parish area at the local centre in Coffee Hall. Our Parish has a thriving community working together to make Woughton a better place. 
Woughton Community Council currently employs a range of staff to help deliver the services it offers. You can click HERE for a full staffing model, or go to the 'Who we are - Council Staff' page.  
 
As well as the officers, we also have 19 elected councillors, covering the estates of the parish. The number of councillors depends on the number of people on the estate - the bigger estates have 4, smallest have only one. A full list can be found HERE.  
 
Together, the councillors and officers work together for you, the residents of the parish. If there are things that you would like to see the council do, let us know. If there are things that you think need sorting, let us know. We are YOUR local council and want to work with you to make Woughton the best it can be.  
 
 

Woughton Community Council Estates 

Beanhill 
Bleak Hall (non residential) 
Coffee Hall 
Eaglestone 
Leadenhall 
Netherfield 
Peartree Bridge 
Redmoor (non residential) 
Tinkers Bridge 

Housing 

There are around 5,400 houses with a population of around 13,300. 
 
The area has a mixture of social housing, owner occupier and houses in multiple occupation (HiMO). The housing design within the area is varied and includes: 
 
Single person flats 
1 bedroom bungalows 
2 and 3 storey houses 
2 and 3 bedroom bungalows 
 
Materials used for construction in the Parish area vary from timber framed housing to traditional brick built homes. 

Businesses 

There are 150 businesses based within the parish area. 
 
These include: 
 
Local shops based at local centres on most estates 
Industrial estate (Bleak Hall and Redmoor) 
Milton Keynes General Hospital which is one of the largest employers within Milton Keynes. 

FACILITIES 

Woughton Community Council own or hold the lease for 4 Community Centres: 
 
 
 
For more details on these Community Centre’s and how you can rent the hall space, visit our Hire a Hall page. 
 
 
 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

What services can we provide? 

A Parish or Town Council has an overall responsibility for the well-being of the local community. 
 
The work falls into three main categories: 
 
Representing the local community 
Delivering services to meet local needs 
Striving to improve quality of life in the parish 

How are decisions made? 

The parish council is made up of a number of councillors who meet regularly to make decisions on the work and direction of the council. As an elected body, the parish council is an “it” and, through the councillors, is responsible to the people it represents – that is the local community. 
 
Attending a council meeting is the best way to find out what it does. Have a look at the other pages on this website to see what the Parish Council has been dealing with recently. 

Where does the money come from? 

Each year a sum of money called a ‘precept’ is collected through your council tax. Parish/ Community Councils can also apply for grants and loans. 
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