Knapton Parish Council

Outline map of the parish
The Parish of Knapton

The civil parish of Knapton is located in the district of North Norfolk and lies within a rural area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Just a mile from the beautiful North Norfolk coast and surrounded by open farmland, the parish nestles between six other parishes;

  • Mundesley
  • Paston
  • Edingthorpe
  • North Walsham
  • Trunch
  • Swafield

Explore the Quiet Lanes that criss-cross this picturesque area on bicycle or, to really get the most from the beautiful views and the clean fresh air, on foot.

Contact Us

We’d like to hear your opinion.

To raise a concern or share a thought about any aspect of our village, you can contact the Parish Council here on-line using our Contact Form.   Choose a subject from the drop down list (or select Something Else if there’s no appropriate choice) and type away.

The councillor responsible for your chosen subject will usually respond within 24hrs.

All about parish and town councils :: The NALC Guide

If you’re looking for more of an insight into what a Parish Council is and does, we’ve put the NALC (National Association of Local Councils) 8-page booklet as a download on the right.
Whilst it provides an excellent general overview you can always contact us if you’d like to know more specifically about Knapton’s Parish Council.

Your Parish Council

Made up entirely of parishioners, the Parish Council is the first tier of local government for the parish of Knapton, North Norfolk.

Seven Councillors are elected, or co-opted, to represent the interests of their fellow residents of the village.   Each May, at the Annual Meeting of the Council, the Councillors elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair to oversee the conduct of meetings.

All Parish Councillors are unpaid volunteers and come from various backgrounds, thereby providing a range of skills and a variety views.

The Parish Council meets most months on the first Tuesday of the month in the Village Hall to discuss the operation and upkeep of Parish Council facilities, as well providing representation on a variety of other local issues.

Role of the Parish Clerk

The Parish Council employs a Parish Clerk who is required to attend all Council meetings and is responsible for;

  • the smooth running of the Council’s business
  • implementing the decisions of the Council
  • the Council’s financial management
  • giving professional guidance to Councillors where necessary whilst remaining neutral and discrete
  • preparing, circulating and displaying agendas in public places
  • recording and circulating meeting minutes
  • managing council documentation
  • a million and one other things…

The Parish Clerk is the first point of contact for the Council and all correspondence should be addressed to them.   You can find the contact details on our Contact Form.

Would you like to be part of something good…

Elections to the Parish Council are held in each year in May at the Annual Meeting of the Council, although occasionally vacancies may arise during the year through ill health etc.

If you would like to know more about becoming a Parish Councillor and having some influence on how to make things better in our village, you can email the Parish Clerk to find out if there are any current vacancies and check out the North Norfolk District Council website for more details.

If you like the idea and want to be persuaded, go to our Why be a Parish Councillor page and we’ll try our best…

Higher Tiers of Government
Currently, Knapton falls within;

  • the Mundesley Division of Norfolk County Council
  • Trunch Ward of North Norfolk District Council
  • the North Norfolk parliamentary constituency
  • and the Eastern UK constituency of the European Parliament.

Council Funding
The Council is funded in two ways;

  • the Precept is a tax on village residents which is collected on our behalf by NNDC as an addition to the District and County Council Tax, and paid to the Parish Council in two equal instalments
  • money raised by the Parish Council through its own activities, including the allotment rentals

What is the Council
Local parishioners working for the good of the parish

  • the council comprises of seven councillors, including the Chairman and Vice-Chairman
  • each with their own specific role to focus on
  • when required, the Chairman may ask several councillors to form a committee to work as a team on a larger project or issue

Parish Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes

Annual Meetings

Monthly Parish Council meetings
The Parish Council meets most months of the year on the first Tuesday of the month in the Village Hall at 7.00pm.
We ensure that the Events Calendar always shows the correct next meeting date to reflect any necessary changes.

In the interest of openness and transparency we encourage our parishioners to join us at our meetings to bear witness to the decisions made on their behalf and raise issues of concern to discuss how the Parish Council may be able to provide help or assistance.

Minutes of the meetings are posted here on the website and a hard copy is put on the noticeboard next to the telephone kiosk in The Street, usually within ten days of the meeting taking place.

The Agenda for the next meeting is usually finalised around a week or so before the meeting date to allow for last minute additions to be considered.
It’s forwarded to each council member, posted here on the website and a hard copy is put on the noticeboard next to the telephone kiosk in The Street at least three working days before the meeting.

Minutes and Agenda graphic

Download our latest Agenda and Minutes below

Download older Agendas and Minutes from our archive

Annual Parish Meeting
This is not a Parish Council meeting
The Annual Parish Meeting is a legacy from the Middle Ages, long before local Councils existed.
It’s a public meeting which provides a forum for every elector (resident) of Knapton parish to be able to raise any issues and concerns that they may have about any aspect of daily life in our village.
It usually precedes the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council every first Tuesday in May, starting at 6.3opm.

Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
This is full meeting of the Parish Council
This annual meeting is legally required as a result of the Local Government Act of 1972.
It’s during this meeting that the council carries out all those things that only need doing once a year, such as electing a Chair and Vice-Chair, appoint Committee members and renew operational Codes and Policies.
It usually follows on from the Annual Parish Meeting.

Click the link below to find out more

Knapton Parish Councillors :: April 2023

Click here to view or download the list of current councillors of Knapton Parish Council
including their portfolios and committee membership

Our MP, County and District Councillors
Right Hon, Mr Duncan Baker
Right Hon, Mr Duncan BakerMember of Parliament
Elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency of North Norfolk in December 2019, replacing the Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb.

Address:
Tudor House, Grammar School Lane, North Walsham, NR28 9JH
Tel: (01692) 557140
Email:
Web: duncanbaker.org.uk

Dr Edward Maxfield
Dr Edward MaxfieldNorfolk County Councillor
Elected as the representative of the Mundesley Division of Norfolk County Council in May 2017 when leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed now sits as an Independent.

Address:
9a Mundesley Road, North Walsham, Norfolk, NR28 0DA
Tel: 07449 706215 (Mobile)
Tel: 01692 403752 (Work)
Email:
Web: edmaxfield.org.uk

Cllr Peter Neatherway
Cllr Peter NeatherwayNorth Norfolk District Councillor
Elected as the Member of North Norfolk District Council for Trunch Ward (Antingham Parish, Gimingham Parish, Knapton Parish, Swafield Parish, Trunch Parish) in May 2023.

Address:
North Norfolk District Council, Holt Road, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9EN

Email:

Ed Maxfield’s North Norfolk Journal

Ed has been a pillar of support to this Parish Council in its various projects over the last 3 years but particularly in the last 18 months, providing help, advice and funds to help us achieve our aims.

Ed’s work is varied and spread across our region and we have pleasure in making his North Norfolk Journal available so that everyone can share and follow his efforts to improve life for all those that live in it.

We are also pleased to congratulate Ed on his recent re-election as an independent councillor for Norfolk County Council.