The first meeting of Berinsfield Parish Council was held on 7th April, 1964 and Parish Council meetings have been held at 7.15 p.m. on the first Monday of each month since that time.
Meetings of Parish Council Committees are held on a regular basis between Council meetings and recommendations made by the Committees have to be ratified by the full Council. The Parish Council holds an Annual Meeting which is an open meeting where residents can participate. The Parish Council encourage residents to attend this meeting in order to bring matters to the attention of the Parish Council.
The Council comprises of 12 members who serve for a period of four years. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Council and Chairs of the Committees are elected from the members of the Council annually.
The Parish Council’s main source of funding comes from the precept levied on South Oxfordshire District Council, which is financed by the community charge payments made by residents. The Parish Council also applies for any relevant grants that are being offered by other agencies in order to provide additional facilities for residents. Grants obtained by the Parish Council have recently provided the new equipment on the two play areas and the grant awarded by the Football Foundation has provided most of the funding for the construction of the new pavilion.
The Parish Council employ a part-time Clerk and part time Caretaker to look after the pavilion and football pitches. The Clerk is employed for 24 hours a week, Monday to Wednesday, and messages left on the answerphone are picked up regularly between Thursday and Sunday and responded to during this period if they are urgent.
The Parish Council own the recreation ground in the centre of the village, the equipment on the two children’s play areas, the Pavilion and the Burial Ground and it leases the allotment site and other open spaces from the District Council. The Parish Council own the bus shelters and many of the litter bins and dog litter bins in the village and although regular inspections are carried out, the Council welcome reports from residents about any items that are damaged in order that relevant action can be taken.