Councils and Parishes on Romney Marsh
Across the UK, responsibilities for the services provided to residents are divided between different governmental organisations at varying levels. On Romney Marsh, there are four tiers of government:
- Central Government
- Kent County Council
- Shepway District Council
- Parish and Town Councils.
Central Government formulates statutes that affect the powers and responsibilities of the local-level tiers of government. The Department for Communities and Local Government is particularly responsible for relations with local government authorities.
The United Kingdom is currently divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, each of which is represented by one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons. Romney Marsh is in the Folkestone and Hythe constituency.
Damian Collins is the MP for Folkestone and Hythe, which includes the Romney Marsh. Damian was re-elected in May 2015 as MP and he is also a member of the House of Commons Select Committee for Culture, Media, Sport and the Olympics. He lives in Elham with his wife and children.
You can contact Damian as follows:
by post: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
020 7219 7072 (House of Commons) 01303 253524 (Folkestone) 
email
For more information, please visit his Damian Collins website
Find out about how Damian Collins voted in the House of Commons.
Let Damian Collins know your views. Note My Vote enables you to vote on UK legislation before it becomes law. Your Member of Parliament will be informed of aggregate opinion in his or her constituency prior to the Final Vote on legislation in the House of Commons.
County Councils operate over a large area and provide services such as education, social services, highways and public transportation. For details of the services that Kent County Council provide, please see their website at www.kent.gov.uk.
Romney Marsh is represented at KCC by two Councillors, both elected at the May 2017 elections.
Tony Hills represents the Romney Marsh division, which covers Romney Marsh except for Dymchurch.
You can contact Tony as follows:
Home address: 01797 321246 07860 295730(m) email
75 Copperfields
Lydd
Romney Marsh
Kent TN29 9UU
Martin Whybrow represents the Hythe West Division, which includes Dymchurch.
You can contact Martin as follows:
Home address: 03000 411009(b) 07727 185385(m) email
St Catherine
Cliff Road
Hythe
Kent CT21 5XW
Folkestone & Hythe District Council
Each county is divided into several districts or boroughs. District and Borough Councils
cover smaller areas and provide more local services, including council housing, gyms and
leisure facilities, local planning, recycling and waste collection.
Kent has fifteen district and borough councils, including on city council.
Romney Marsh is in Folkestone & Hythe District Council district. For details of the services that Folkestone & Hyhte District Council provide, please see their website at www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk.
There are three wards on Romney served by six Folkestone & Hythe District Councillors.
The three wards are:
New Romney Ward
New Romney, Greatstone (part)
and Littlestone map
Romney Marsh Ward
Comprising Burmarsh, Dymchurch, Newchurch, St Mary's Bay and
St Mary in the Marsh map
Walland and Denge Ward
Brenzett, Brookland, Dungeness, Greatstone (part), Ivychurch, Lydd,
Lydd-on-Sea, Old Romney,
Snargate and Snave map
Patricia Rolfe
07718 641066
email
David Wimble
01797 364837
email
Ian Meyers
01303 873907
email
Terry Mullard
01303 870203
email
Clive Goddard
01797 320989
email
Tony HIlls
01797 321246
email
There are eleven Parish Councils serving Romney Marsh in the Folkestone & Hythe District Council area:
Brenzett
Brookland
Burmash
Dymchurch
Ivychurch
Lydd
New Romney
Newchurch
Old Romney
St Mary in the Marsh
Snargate
Listing of all Eleven Parish Councils
Powers and Duties of Parish Councils
Parish Councillor - Job Description
Villages on Romney Marsh
A parish council is a type of local authority found in England which is the lowest, or first, tier of local government below districts and counties. Parish councils exist to protect and promote the interests of their communities and to provide local services.
Parishes of Romney Marsh
Interactive Map
A parish council is democratically elected to serve a defined and local area known as civil parishes, which are administrative parishes, in contrast to ecclesiastical parishes. Parish councils comprise unpaid councillors who are elected to serve for four years. Decisions of the council are carried out by a proper officer, typically known as a parish clerk.
The role played by parish councils varies. Smaller parish councils have only limited resources and generally play only a minor role, while some larger parish councils have a role similar to that of a small district council. Parish councils receive funding by levying a "precept" on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish.
A parish council serving a town may be called a town council. The two largest parish councils on the Marsh, Lydd and New Romney, are designated Town Councils.
