In England, parish councils were formed in 1894 to take over local oversight of social welfare and civic duties in towns and villages. Before this date a variety of groups based around ecclesiastical (church) parishes had responsibility for these matters, in a system of local government that dated back to the feudal system of the 8th century.
Today, the promotion of Local Area Management has led to an increase in the number of parish councils within urban and rural communities. Not every civil parish has a parish council, smaller ones - typically with an electorate under 200 - only have parish meetings.
Parish councils are often confused with the Church of England's Parochial Church Councils (PCCs), which are concerned with the welfare of a particular religious community. Whilst both Parish Councils and PCCs have common roots in the old vestry system, Parish Councils are a civil body and are not linked to the church.
Stallingborough Parish Council is made up of seven elected members and holds its meetings in the main area at Stallingborough Village Hall, Station Road, Stallingborough.The Parish Council usually meet at 7.30 pm on the second Wednesday of each month and all members of the public are welcome to attend.
The Parish Council is responsible for the village hall, owing and running it on a small business basis. They are also responsible for maintenance of the village hall grounds, other pieces of land which they own or have responsiblity for within the village.