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Ardington and Lockinge Parish Council Meetings

Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of alternate months, commencing at 8.00 pm promptly in the Loyd-Lindsay Rooms, High Street, Ardington, Wantage. OX12 8PS.  They are open to the public. There are six meetings per year. The provisional meeting dates in 2025-2026 will be: Tuesday 6th May (to include our Annual Parish Meeting), Tuesday 1st July, Tuesday 2nd September, Tuesday 4th November, Tuesday 13th January, Tuesday 3rd March. Additional meetings may be called at any time at the discretion of the Parish Council.  Please see "Meeting dates" under the Heading "Home".  

Please note that the Council cannot respond to individual questions without due consideration. This means that all questions need to be submitted in writing in advance to the Clerk, and then put to the full Council at the next meeting.

Role and Responsibilities of Parish Councils

Parish and Town Councils form the first tier of local government and, as statutory local authorities, have the powers to provide many services and facilities. A Parish Council may not take a decision that involves spending money unless the matter is included on the agenda for a Parish Council meeting. It must make decisions in an open, accountable and transparent way.  Its accounts are subject to internal and external audit. Each Parish Council is required to set an annual budget or Parish Precept to fund the work it undertakes in the community. The Parish Council has the statutory right to be consulted on local planning applications. It is also consulted on occasion by upper tiers of government thereby making input to higher level decision-making.

Parish Councils have responsibilities for various local amenities; for example:

• Consultation on planning applications
• Provision and maintenance of  lighting throughout the village
• Grass cutting on open spaces
• Weed treatment along pavements.
• Maintenance of the playground in Ardington.
• Requesting the County Council to repair potholes and the District Council to clear fly-tipping and drains.
• Consultation over traffic signing, speed limits and other related matters
• Consultation over street naming
• Parish facilities such as bus shelters, seats, notice boards
• Maintenance of East Lockinge Chapel’s churchyard, funded by CBPT #
• Provision and maintenance of trees on Council-owned land
• Maintenance of footpaths

#The District Council maintains the closed churchyard at Trinity Church, Ardington.

The Parish Council must also conduct regular Parish Council meetings, manage elections and represent the interests of residents on appropriate matters.

All Parish Councillors are required to adopt a Code of Conduct which individual Councillors must sign up to. This Code demands that they must:

• declare their interests in a public register
• not bring their Council into disrepute
• leave the room for discussion of any item in which they have a prejudicial interest

Ardington and Lockinge Parish Council Meetings

Agendas, Minutes, assets, accounts, Annual Return (including the Annual  Governance Statement plus any other relevant documentation will be published on this web site once formally approved.

Contacting the Parish Council

Parishioners are encouraged to contact the Clerk to the Council if they have any queries or wish to propose items for discussion by the Parish Council at a forthcoming Council meeting.  [email protected]

Planning applications

These are discussed by the Parish Council before going forward to the District Council for consideration, discussion and decision. The progress and outcome of individual applications may be monitored at the Planning Application section of the District Council website.

Funding Ardington and Lockinge Parish Council

Parish Council is funded through a Parish Precept. This is a charge levied against each resident through their Council Tax. The level of the charge is discussed and decided on an annual basis by the Parish Council.