About Caynham Parish Council

Caynham Parish Council administers, at Parish Council level, the civil Parish of Caynham including the villages of:-

• Clee Hill
• Knowbury
• Caynham

The Council's logo, depicts the Clee Hill in the background as it dominates the landscape for many miles, It also shows the prominent domes (mushrooms) of the Radar Station.

Clee Hill is the second highest village in England, 1,249 feet above sea level
Knowbury is represented by the Parish Church of St. Paul, showing the flag-staff and flag of St. George, which the Parish Council donated to the church.

Caynham, being the oldest and original village, (many years ago it was spelt GAINHAM), gives its name to the council.

The Parish covers 2,567 acres, or 1,039 hectares.

What is a Parish or Town Council?

The Parish or Town Council is the first tier of local government, they provide very local services - for example bus shelters, play areas, markets and cutting grass verges . Councillors are elected by local people to stand for four years at a time, in the same way as other councils. By elections may be held to fill vacancies occurring between the elections. Each year the councillors choose a chairman (if a town council a Mayor) from amongst their number.

A civil parish is an independent local democratic unit for villages, small towns, for the suburbs of the main urban areas and cities.

Local Councils in England and Wales play an important part in the lives of many communities. They are a feature of both urban and rural life. There are over 10,000 local councils in England and Wales representing over 18 million people. They range in size from small councils with under 100 residents to larger town councils with over 40,000. Local Councils are democratically elected. They raise the bulk of their spending from precepts.