The Local Government Act of 1894 led to the formation of the Parish Council covering Chew Magna, Stowey and Bishop Sutton.
The first meeting was held in the Old School Room, South Parade, Chew Magna on 4 th. December 1894. Twenty six men were nominated and from them, eight were elected by a show of hands. This procedure for choosing Councillors continued until 1947 when a request to the County Council for an Election Poll was granted allowing 8 Councillors for Chew Magna and 4 for Bishop Sutton. By 1896 meetings had moved to the new Chew Magna Board School . Bishop Sutton became a separate Parish in 1949.

At the July 1896 meeting a proposal for a water supply for Chew Magna was supported but did not lead to any action. In 1906 three Public Analysts pronounced that the public water supply for Chew Magna was highly impure and contaminated with sewage. The danger to health had also been pointed out by the Medical Officer of Health since 1902. Yet at the 1906 Annual General Meeting, Councillors (all rate payers) voted against a scheme to supply clean water. A proposal in 1907 was also defeated. Chew Magna did not get a mains water supply until 1936.

Bishop Sutton was more fortunate. In 1901 Jesse Lovell, who owned most of the businesses and houses, paid for the first stand pipe supply of water and 200,000 gallons per year. Water was laid on to all his properties. His son Fred was on the Parish Council for many years and at one time was Chairman. Discussions at the Parish Council in the first decades of the 20 th century were mainly on the local Charities finances, rents for allotments, byways and footpaths. There was a move towards modern times as the Second World War ended, with the request for a village collection of ashes. Until then these had mainly been dispersed on residents’ gardens.

The suggestion that there should be street lighting was raised in 1947; many lights were already installed by 1951.

In 1952 work started on new Council houses at Broadcroft. Four other sites were proposed by the Parish Council, but rejected by Clutton Rural District Council. In 1960 there were serious discussions about building in the grounds of Harford House. Finally the Council development of bungalows and three houses was built in Norton Lane .

With the installation of a main sewerage scheme throughout the village in 1962 cottages were upgraded and had bathrooms for the first time. Small developments took place. Planning applications increased the work of the Parish Council.

Throughout the 1960s the Parish Council was concerned about the decline of the Old School Room. For a time in the early seventies, control passed to the County when it was renovated and used as a Youth Club. This was not a success. In the 1980s, with generous donations from residents, grants and fund raising, the Old School Room was purchased as a village hall. Extensive improvements and eventually the building of the Millennium Hall was aided by more grants and a loan from the bequest of £40,000 to the Parish Council by Bernard Gover, cousin of Howard Lovern a former Clerk to the Parish Council . Parish Council links with the Old School Room continue with an annual donation by Parish Council towards the cost of the building insurance, and three Councillors serve as trustees to the Old School Room charity.

In the 1990s the Parish Council used money from the Gover Bequest to extend and revamp the King George V Playing Field, providing a car park, a basket ball court and a young children’s play area.

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