Shipton Gorge Parish Council has nine elected councillors supported by the Parish Clerk, Lucy Beasley clerk@shiptongorge.org.uk 07429065155

Regular council meetings are normally held in the Village Hall on the second Wednesday of alternate months (January, March, May etc) usually commencing at 7.30pm. Residents and visitors alike are most welcome to attend the meetings which are advertised by notices in the village and the agendas, supporting papers and minutes on this website.

The Annual Parish Assembly usually takes place in April/May each year. This is not a parish council meeting, although organised by the council, but an opportunity for everyone in the village to get together in a social atmosphere and discuss any matters concerning the village.  Organisations can report on their activities and keep everyone up to date with what is happening in the village in an informal setting.  

The Parish Council has very limited powers but is consulted by the District and County Councils and Central Government on many matters relating to the parish and its residents. It is therefore able to influence events in the parish and represent the residents' views in a number of ways - commenting on planning applications, naming of roads and developments, influencing the level of services and facilities in the village, liaising with Dorset Council on maintenance of the footpaths and bridleways in the parish, producing an Emergency Resilience Plan and generally voicing the views and concerns of the inhabitants.

The Parish Clerk deals with the administration of council affairs, while all the financial matters concerning the Council are dealt with by our Responsible Financial Officer,  and overseen by our Internal Auditor. The budget is normally set at the November Council meeting for the following financial year.

Shipton Gorge is unusual in one respect and this is that, unlike most parishes, the Parish Council has total responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of its playing field, the King George V Playing Field which was given to the parish for the use of the residents and visitors in 1937 by George Samways of Innsacre House and is now a charitable trust. This excellent facility is widely used but its upkeep is a element of expenditure for the Parish Council's finances.

For all general enquiries about the Parish Council, the Clerk is the first point of contact.