Long Melford Parish Council is the first tier of government for the parish of Long Melford and is committed to working together with the residents for the benefit of the parish. It is a statutory body and has wide ranging powers and interests, one of which is to ensure that any development within the parish complies with the current Babergh District Council Local Plan and the County Council Structure Plan. It is a focus and a statutory consultee for action and lobbying on roads, village facilities, the environment and other issues that may arise.

The Parish Council is the leaseholder for the two major outdoor facilities in the Village – The Rodbridge Country Park (nature reserve) and the Long Melford Walk (nature reserve).  The maintenance of these two areas is contracted to Long Melford Opens Spaces (LMOS), a Community Interest Company formed by a number of volunteers who give up their time to provide the upkeep of the two areas. The Parish Council operates a number of facilities and services on behalf of the residents of the parish, as described on the ‘Our Services‘ page.