Welcome to the Web site of Boxley Parish Council

Boxley is the largest parish of Maidstone, Kent's County Town.  The parish includes the village of Boxley, Grove Green, most of Weavering Street, Sandling, and much of Walderslade and Lordswood at  the top of Blue Bell Hill.  It also includes the Woodlands area of Vinters Park Estate and Forstal.  It has an Electoral Register population of 7,497  The parish is warded North and South and is served by fifteen councillors who are well supported by an active staff of Parish Clerk and Assistant Parish Clerk.

Boxley Parish Council was awarded Quality Status in 2004 and was successfully reaccredited in 2008.
To achieve Quality Status a Parish Council must submit an application, together with supporting evidence to the National Association of Local Councils. A Council must meet certain mandatory requirements plus a percentage of some discretionary requirements. The criteria are; Electoral Mandate; Qualifications of the Clerk; Meetings; Communications; Annual Reports Accounts (Annual Return); Code of Conduct; Promoting local democracy and citizenship; Terms and conditions for staff; Training.

Beechen Hall is available for hire for birthday, wedding etc parties and other private or public functions.

Click HERE for more details

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Boxley Parish Council has elections in May 2012 and if you are interested in standing for Parish Council there is more information under Elections 2012.

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Boxley Parish celebrates the

Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

by creating a Community Orchard

Click here for more details

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Pages updated: 

 7th January 2012 - "Home Page"; "Agendas/Minutes"; 15th January 2012 - "Agendas/Minutes"; 23rd January 2012 - "Community Noticeboard"; 31st January 2012 - "Agendas/Minutes"; Leaflets".

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Residents of the Parish will have read the Downs Mail article – Funding parishes the ‘Robin Hood’ way and this may have raised some questions. The Council has responded to Cllr Beerling about the reported statements made about his concern and also sent the following letter to the Editor of the Downs Mail

“Further to your front page article Funding parishes the ‘Robin Hood’ way.

As this Parish Council was specifically identified by the Downs Mail as one of the parish councils with large reserves I thought it might be helpful to clarify the issue of why some parishes have large reserves and why they cannot be redistributed to poorer parishes.

The reserves of a parish are generally built up over a number of years from the parish precept – this being the tax paid by the parish residents to their parish. A Parish Council can only act within the law and so is restricted on how it spends its money, there are severe restrictions on borrowing money and thus a Parish Council must be prudent to ensure it meets all its legal requirements. Boxley Parish Council also uses income from its reserves to keep its Precept demands on its residents low. Boxley’s precept is regularly one of the lowest precepts in the Maidstone area because of this.

Boxley Parish Council works in an open and accountable way and has passed its Annual Audits with no qualifications. As Cllr Brown explained in the article the Audit requires justification of any reserves. The Council advertises its audit period, places its budget and End of Year Accounts on its website and has clear policies and procedures on reserves, investments etc. all of which are available to its residents and any other interested party. In the context of openness the Council publishes its audited accounts along with the chairman's address, made at the annual meeting of the Parish Council, in the pages of the Downs Mail so this financial data and operating strategy is available for inspection and interrogation by any readers of the Downs Mail.

Boxley Parish Council also has a wish list for future projects and this is influenced by residents and community needs. This is also made available and by coincidence the January Boxley Parish Mail newsletter (page 30) had an article encouraging residents to engage with this Council by offering ideas for the list. The Council’s earmarked reserves are kept to a certain level to try to improve the parish, they also contain legally required reserves and other funds that. For instance the sum quoted in the DM article contained £55,000 of a grant from The Lottery and Interreg (European funding) for Boxley Warren, this Council is currently working in partnership with The Mid Kent Downs Countryside to improve this SSSI which is just North of Maidstone on Pilgrims Way .

A Parish Council’s money belongs to its residents and it would be immoral and in most instances illegal for this Council to dispose of its reserves in the way that is suggested by Cllr Beerling in the article”.

The Parish Council is happy to supply residents with information and some of it may already be available on this website as the Finance Committee agenda and minutes are posted here and it is this committee that deals with most of the financial policy. If any resident has questions then please contact the parish office or attend a Parish Council meeting. Alternatively please consider standing for election.

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The Parish Council tries to produce everything in a simple and understandable way but if there is any information that you have difficulty understanding or have any questions about then please do contact the parish office or a parish councillor as the Parish Council is happy to supply clarification.

Whilst this website contains much information about what a Parish Council is and how it and Councillors work you may still have questions.  You may also be interested in becoming a Councillor.  Currently there are no Councillor vacancies  and the next election is due in 2012 however if you want an information pack on what a Councillor does and/or wish to log your interest in any future vacancies then please do not hesitate to contact the parish office.  

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Web site produced and maintained by Vic Davies