The duties and functions of a parish council are varied and depend, to some extent, on the assets which are owned by the Parish Council.  Holybrook Parish Council currently owns and maintains the following assets:

• Buildings: 

The Beansheaf Community Centre (which consists of the Parish Office as well as rooms for hire) (Linear Park, off Charrington Road)

The Garage (Linear Park, off Charrington Road)

 

• Playgrounds: the equipment, benches and bins on the play areas in:

Underwood Road playground

Holymead (Carters Rise) - including the multi-use games area and youth shelter

 

• Bus shelters: 5 green metal shelters along Charrington Road and Carters Rise
• Parish noticeboards: Dorking Way, Linear Park, Mill Lane (double), Underwood Road and Holybrook Centre as well as one in each bus shelter (bar Rushmoor Gardens due to vandalism)
• Bins (other than in parks): Dorking Way (dog/litter), Charrington Road (dog/litter), Underwood Road/Grantham Close, Albury Gardens Bus stop
• Dog bins: layby on A4 (opposite garage/end of Latimer), Cow Lane, Underwood Road, Low Lane (x 3), Carters Rise (between KVS & KVC) Mill Lane/Hawkesbury Drive, Cambrian Way/The Chase, Carters Rise/Hawkesbury Drive
• Salt bins: Calbourne Drive, Holybrook Centre, David Smith Court
• Defibrillator: Beansheaf Centre
• Bench: War Memorial Bench (Linear Park)
• Information Lectern: (Linear Park: Twenty Trees Anniversary Orchard)

The Parish Council employs contractors to empty the rubbish and dog bins within its ownership, and to cut the grass and bushes/foliage in the playgrounds including the cleaning of the bus shelters, the removal of dog foul and litter picking. 

Here follows an indicative list of powers and functions of a parish council to give an overview of the wide range of activities covered by Acts of Parliament (NOTE: this list does not represent a comprehensive list of all powers and duties of a parish council):

• Support and encouragement of arts and crafts;
• Provision of village halls;
• Provision and maintenance of recreation grounds, parks, children's play areas, playing fields and swimming baths;
• Cleaning of drainage ponds, watercourses and ditches;
• Control of litter;
• Provision and maintenance of public toilets;
• Repair and maintenance of footpaths and bridleways;
• Provision of cycle and motorcycle parking;
• Acquisition and maintenance of rights of way;
• Encouragement of tourism;
• Bus shelters;
• Signposting of footpaths;
• Lighting of footpaths; 
• Power to assume a function delegated by another authority;
• Power to employ someone to carry out Council functions;
• Power to spend money on various crime prevention measures;
• Power to act for the benefit of the community by tackling and promoting awareness of environmental issues.

Parish Council's must be notified by the district council (West Berkshire Council) of:

• All planning applications in its area;
• Proposals to carry out sewerage works;
• Footpath and bridleway (ore generally, 'rights of way') surveys;
• Intention to make byelaws in relation to hackney carriages, music and dancing and street naming.