A parish meeting consists of the local government electors registered for the area for which it is held. In a parish in England where no parish council exists, the district or unitary authority must establish a parish council if the population includes 200 or more local government electors.
If the population includes more than 150 but less than 200 electors, the district or unitary council must establish a parish council if the parish meeting resolves that one should be established. This power is discretionary if the parish is already grouped under a common parish council.
Where the population includes not more than 150 local government electors, the district or unitary council may create a parish council if the parish meeting so resolves.
A parish meeting is not a corporate body and is therefore unable to own property or sue or be sued.
Generally speaking it is not a local authority, though for certain limited purposes it may be regarded as one. Its lack of legal personality has not prevented Parliament from enabling it to exercise functions.
Its powers are not as extensive as those of a parish council, although on application the district authority may by order confer on the meeting any or all functions of a parish council.
The parish meeting should assemble annually between 1 March and 1 June and on at least one other occasion during the year.