Your Parish Council is the closest tier of government to you.
The voice of local people.
A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf
of the people in the parish and has a responsibility for the
well-being of its local community. It is the level of government closest
to the community and feeds into Dorset Council, the district authority, above it in the hierarchy.
As the authority closest to the people, the parish council is often the first place people go with their concerns about or ideas for their parish, and for this reason, it forms a vital part of any community.
You can read more about the role of the Parish Council and how to become a Parish Councillor under the 'Your Council' section.
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Monday, 17th February 2025, at 6:45pm at Manstone Village Hall. Download the Agenda here
Our Parish Group
The Group Council area comprises of the three small rural parishes of East Orchard, Margaret Marsh and West Orchard. The three adjoining parishes are located in a low-lying part of the Blackmore Vale midway between Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. The Manston Brook, made up of the combined waters of the Key and Sturkell brooks, forms the parish boundary between East and West Orchard.
Read more in the 'Your Parish' section for the history and current of the Parish