Rampton & Woodbeck Parish Council consists of residents of both villages who are 8 voluntary Councillors serving a four year term ending in 2027 and 3 part-time members of staff.

Council Meetings are usually held on the second Monday of every month, every other month alternating from May at Rampton Village Hall. See the diary of meetings for more information.

Origins - Our Council was founded in December 1894 by the Local Govt Act. The Act split the non-religious elements of the former 'Vestry Meetings' into those of Parish Council's and Parochial Church Councils. At our formation, the first Chairman was Mr White, Mr Robert Mellors was Clerk, Cllrs Samuel Ledger Wiswould & John Henry Olivant were appointed as Trustees to the Parish Charities, William Cobb was appointed Pinder of Rampton (a parish employee who captured stray animals and impounded them in the Pinfold), Alfred Simpson was appointed Surveyor of Highways, Roads & Drains (a Parish Employee who looked after the repair of the roads) and Robert Mellors and William Dawson acted as 'Overseers of the Precept' whose role was to collect the precept monies to run the Council. The Overseer roles were abolished in 1927 when Precept collection duties transferred to the District Council, the Surveyor role was abolished in 1952 when County Councils took over the maintenance of the roads. The Pinder role became obsolete after cattle and sheep ceased to be used to graze the parish verges when motorcars became commonplace.

Since 1894 we have had 24 Chairman and 21 Clerks. The 1950's saw our first female Councillor, Mrs Minnitt, the 1960's our first female clerk.

The role of the Parish Council has changed over the years with ever changing legislation.

1980 saw the opening of the Parish Council ran playing field on the Coles' Charity field. In 1986 a parish survey said 'yes' to the Gravel Quarry on Council land down Torksey Ferry Road, land which is now in the final stages of restoration before being handed back to the Council. The quarry enabled the Parish Council to purchase the Village Hall in 1995. The Hall had opened in the 1840's as the first Village School, after the opening of Rampton Hospital in 1912 the school needed to expand and relocate with the building of the Hospital Estate which became Woodbeck. The former school room became the village hall. 2002 saw the Parish Council purchase 'South Inge Yard' Approx 11 acre site off Retford Road, where the village playing field was relocated to become Pinder Park.

2018 saw the renaming of the parish to incorporate Woodbeck.

Our councillors are elected or co-opted. They do not get paid, receive a salary or an expenses allowance, they volunteer their time for the community.

Below are the historic records of the Council, the originals have been sent to Nottinghamshire Archives:

• Deed 29/09/1897 Rt Hon F J S Foljambe to Rampton Parish Council footpath near Fox Covert (Footpath became County Council in 1952)
• Declaration of Acceptance of Office Parish Councillors 1894 – 1999
• Notts County Council Footpath Maps 20.06.1952 & Correspondence 1967 - 1976
• Millennium Celebration Evening 10^th Dec 2000 Rampton Village Hall Visitors Book
• Minute Book - 1976 - 1982
• Minute Book - 1982 - 1991
• Minute Book - 1991 - 1998
• Minute Book - 1998 - 2007
• Minute Book - 2007 - 2015
• Minute Book - 2015 - 2020
• Former Sports & Leisure Commitee Minute Book 2005 - 2008
• Former Village Hall Committee Minute Book & Account Summaries 1998 - 2016