About
Claybrooke Parva is one of the smallest villages in Leicestershire to have a parish council. This means that we do not meet as often as some large parishes because fewer issues arise. By law, we must meet at least three times per year in addition to the Annual Meeting. Meetings are usually held in the school hall at 7.00 pm.
Members of the public are very welcome to attend Parish Council meetings. Usually at meetings, an agenda item for Public Participation allows time for an issue to be raised.
A full set of minutes from the latest meeting can be viewed here, or on the village notice board situated opposite Western Drive.
What do Parish Councils do?
The Parish Council is a statutory authority within the Local Government Framework influencing, where necessary, issues affecting higher level County and District Authorities. In our case, this means Harborough District Council and Leicestershire County Council.
You will have noticed in your Council Tax demand that you make a small contribution each year towards Parish Council spending. That money is used by the Parish Council to provide services in the village including:
- provision of street lighting
- maintenance of the village green in front of the church
- upkeep of the cemetery
- Parish Councils are also asked for their opinion on issues that affect the village – such as planning applications.
For further information of the Powers and Duties of Local Councils go to the National Association of Local Councils website – www.nalc.gov.uk
Geography and Transport
As noted above, Claybrooke Parva sits right at the heart of England, and it is the transport system over the years that has been so important. Watlling Street existed before the Romans, Mere Way (which runs by Magna Park) was a route in Neolithic times. The A5 became the main road from London to Holyhead and on to Dublin.
The motorway network serves us well. Junction 20 of the M1 is four miles away in Lutterworth, and the M69 about the same distance away towards Hinckley. The M6 is about six miles away towards Rugby. We are thus in what transport companies call ‘The Golden Triangle’; nowhere is very far from us. It is no accident that one of the biggest distribution centres in Europe (Magna Park) is nearby.
Rail links from Rugby are good and people live in the village and commute to London, whilst other people find work in Leicester, Coventry, Birmingham, Hinckley, Nuneaton, Rugby, Northampton, Lutterworth or Market Harborough.
And yet despite being in the middle of major conurbations, Claybrooke Parva remains rural and peaceful. It is a beautiful village, reflected by the fact that so much of it is a conservation area.