Latest News
Next Meeting
Meetings are held four times a year in September, December, March and May.
The meeting for the 2025-2026 term will be held on the second Monday of the month.
- Monday 8th September 2025
- Monday 8th December 2025
- Monday 9th March 2026
The meeting dates will only be updated if the number of Councillors present is likely to be insufficient to constitute a quorum.
Agenda: Agendas will be published at least three working days prior to the meeting.
Minutes: Draft minutes are published within 10 working days of the meeting. Approved minutes are published once they are signed at the subsequent meeting.
Last Meeting
Tuesday 27th May 2025 at 6pm at Manston Village Hall.
- 6pm: The Annual Parish Meetings
- 6:45pm: The Annual General Meeting and 177th meeting of the Parish Council.
Agenda and Minutes are available here
Planning Applications
As a statutory consultee, the Parish Council is part of the planning process. It must be informed about all planning applications or changes that affect its parish area, and its views should be taken into consideration when making decisions. However, the Parish Council does not have the authority to grant or refuse planning permission.
Please let the council know if you have any comments or concerns about current applications. You can find current and past planning applications under the Planning section of this website and on the Dorset Council site.
The parish council is the level of government closest to the community and feeds into Dorset Council, the district authority.
As the authority closest to the people, the parish council is often the first point of contact for individuals with concerns or ideas about the parish, and as a result, it plays a vital role in any community. If you would like to know more about the role of the Parish Council and how to become a Parish Councillor, please see here
New Council Year and New Councillors
Cllr Cliff Christensen was voted in as Chair of the Council at the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council on May 27th 2025.
Cllr Gary Stokes was voted in as Deputy Chair of the Council.
The Parish Council were also delighted to welcome two new Members, Cllr Andy Tebbutt-Russell and Cllr James Elliott, to the Council at their meeting on Tuesday, 27th May 2025, bringing the total number of Councillors for the council to five.
Your Councillors
Member
for Margaret Marsh: Cllr Gary Stokes
Members for East Orchards and Hartgrove: Cllr Cliff Christensen, Cllr Daniel Woodruffe, and Cllr James Elliott,
Member for West Orchards: Andy Tebbutt-Russell
Would you like to be a Councillor?
We still have vacancies for councillors to represent West Orchard and Margaret Marsh. Please visit our Council Information page if you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor, and use the 'Contact the Council' to get in touch. Don't worry if you haven't got any experience. DAPTC offer a comprehensive range of training activities to support all counsellors. DAPTC Star Award: Certificate