Photograph of Thornley Village Centre with the pit wheel and a flowerbed in front

Job Vacancy: Lead Hand

12/02/2026
Council News

Thornley Parish Council is inviting applications for the post of Lead Hand.

Starting Salary: NJC Scale Point 15 pro rata 30 hours per week (starting salary £30,024 pro rata, £15.56 per hour)
Closing date for applications: 12.00 noon Thursday 5 March 2026
Interview date: Interview date to be confirmed but will be held on an evening.

Thornley Parish Council are looking to appoint an experienced Lead Hand.

You should have a proven track record in grounds maintenance or a related outdoor services environment, with strong practical skills and the ability to guide and support other team members. Good communication, organisation, and time‑management skills are essential.

You will assist in ensuring that all that daily tasks are carried out efficiently, and that work is completed to a high standard. The role will involve occasional evening or weekend work.

If you are a self‑motivated individual capable of working without direct supervision, able to plan your own workload with a flexible “can‑do” attitude, we would welcome your application.

You will be required to work from 8:00am to 12:00pm for 20 weeks of the year, and for the remaining 32 weeks you will work from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

We offer nationally based terms and conditions of employment, including the Local Government Pension Scheme or contributions to a private pension scheme.

Applications must be made on the Council’s form; CVs are not accepted. Application forms and additional information can be obtained from:

Jade Walter, Thornley Village Centre High Street, Thornley, Co. Durham. DH6 3EL; Tel: 01429 820200 or e-mail clerk@thornley-pc.gov.uk

Have you thought about joining the Parish Council?

06/11/2025
, Council News

If you’re passionate about your local community and would like to work with others to make a difference in your village, why not consider becoming a Thornley Parish Councillor?

Thornley Parish Council provides various services in the village, such as Ludworth Road Cemetery, Welfare Park, play areas, a pump track, a number of allotments, grounds maintenance and public spaces, as well as Thornley Village Centre which offers a wide range of events, activities and facilities.

The Council always aims to deliver good value, while ensuring its services are well run and meet the needs of our community. It is a statutory consultee for planning applications (which are decided by Durham County Council).

Councillors meet at least every other month to represent local people. They are here for the community and want to make a difference.

Parish Councils may be different to what you expect – why not get in touch to find out more?

There are currently two vacancies. To express an interest please contact the Parish Clerk, Claire Llewelyn, by Thursday 11 December 2025.

Photo of Thornley Village Centre with flowerbed and pit wheel in front

Thornley Village Centre

06/11/2025
Council News

There are so many activities going on at Thornley Village Centre that we can’t list them all here! We have activities for people of all ages and many interests, and it is available for private hire. We also want to hear more about what you would like to see going on in the Centre.

For some more details and contact information for our Community Development Worker Holly Cowsill, please see Thornley Village Centre‘s page.

Local Services: who can help?

06/11/2025
, , , , , Local News

Do you have all the information to hand for an emergency? While Thornley Parish Council is not directly responsible for emergency planning, we want to make sure that residents are able to be as prepared as possible and have the details they need should an emergency arise.

Please visit our Preparing for Emergencies and Useful Links page for more information.

You’ll also find some useful links on that page to helpful services including Citizens Advice, scam awareness and the local Drug and Alcohol Service.

Parish Councillor Vacancies

23/09/2025
, Council News

Do you care about your village and want to work with others to shape its future? If so, you might consider joining Thornley Parish Council.

The Parish Council looks after many local services and spaces, including Ludworth Road Cemetery, Welfare Park, play areas, allotments, public spaces, and grounds maintenance. We also operate Thornley Village Centre, which offers a wide range of activities. Recent projects include the new pump track, with more improvements planned in the coming months and years.

Our aim is to deliver services that are well run, good value, and meet the needs of local residents.

Councillors represent the community, help set priorities, and meet at least every other month to make decisions. Parish Councils are often very different to what people expect. Why not get in touch and find out more?

There are currently two vacancies. To express your interest, please contact the Parish Clerk, Claire Llewelyn, by Thursday 23 October 2025.

photo of tarmac pump track with grassed areas

Thornley pump track open!

04/08/2025
Council News, Local News

We are pleased to let you know that Thornley’s pump track is now available for use. The Parish Council has been planning the track for a long time, to provide children, young people and families with something active and positive to enjoy.

We extend grateful thanks to the people and organisations who have generously supported the project with funding:

  • Sir James Knott Trust
  • Former Durham County Councillors Jake Miller, Chris Varty, and Lucy Hovvels
  • Police and Crime Commissioner, Joy Allen
  • Durham County Council planning support (Section 106 funding)
  • East Durham Area Action Partnership

The track was installed by Clark and Kent Contractors, who have built pump tracks, skate parks and bike tracks around the country as well as internationally. Thanks go to Clark and Kent colleagues, and to current and former Parish Council staff and Councillors, for their hard work bringing this project to life.

Please enjoy the track safely and responsibly. There are some more details about the pump track and other facilities on the Parish Council’s play areas and facilities page.

Have you thought about joining the Parish Council?

23/07/2025
, Council News

If you’re passionate about your local community and would like to work with others to make a difference in your village, why not consider becoming a Thornley Parish Councillor?

Thornley Parish Council provides various services in the village, such as Ludworth Road Cemetery, Welfare Park, play areas, a number of allotments, grounds maintenance and public spaces, as well as Thornley Village Centre which offers a wide range of activities and facilities. The Council has worked hard to install an exciting new pump track which will be opened soon, and other projects are planned in future months and years.

The Council always aims to deliver good value, while ensuring its services are well run and meet the needs of our community.

Councillors meet at least every other month to represent local people. They are here for the community and want to make a difference.

Parish Councils may be different to what you expect – why not get in touch to find out more?

There are currently two vacancies. To express an interest please contact the Parish Clerk, Claire Llewelyn, by Thursday 21 August 2025.

Photograph of Thornley Village Centre with the pit wheel and a flowerbed in front

Working Together for Thornley – Join the Parish Council

22/05/2025
, Council News

If you’re passionate about your local community and would like to work with others to make a difference in your village, consider joining Thornley Parish Council.

Thornley Parish Council provides various services in the village, such as Ludworth Road Cemetery, Welfare Park, play areas, a number of allotments, grounds maintenance and public spaces, as well as Thornley Village Centre which offers a wide range of activities and facilities.

The Council always aims to deliver good value while ensuring its services are well run and meet the needs of our community. An exciting new project is underway to install a pump track.

Councillors meet at least every other month to represent local people, are here for the community and want to make a difference.

Parish Councils may be different from what you expect – why not get in touch to find out more?

There are currently three vacancies. To express an interest please contact the Parish Clerk, Claire Llewelyn, by Thursday 19 June 2025.

Photo of flower bed and pit wheel in front of Thornley Village Centre

Local Services: who can help?

08/05/2025
, , , , , Local News

Do you have all the information to hand for an emergency? While Thornley Parish Council is not directly responsible for emergency planning, we want to make sure that residents are able to be as prepared as possible and have the details they need should an emergency arise.

Please visit our Preparing for Emergencies and Useful Links page for more information.

You’ll also find some useful links on that page to helpful services including Citizens Advice and the local Drug and Alcohol Service.

Photo of Thornley pit wheel with the Village Centre in the background

Notice of Uncontested Election published

09/04/2025
Council News, Uncategorized

Durham County Council has published a Notice of Uncontested Election for Thornley Parish. Please follow the link to view the Notice. This new Council takes effect from 6 May 2025.

This means there will not be a vote for Parish Councillors on 1 May 2025. There will be an election for County Councillors on that date.

Further information about elections and registering to vote can be found on Durham County Council’s website: https://www.durham.gov.uk/elections2025.

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