Members of Parliament are elected to the House of Commons to represent the interests and concerns of all the people who live in their constituency, whether they voted for them at the General Election or not. They are only able to deal with issues raised by people who live in their constituency, called constituents.
There are actually three MPs that cover the City of Chelmsford council area. You can look up your MP and local councillors on the website Parliament here, https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/.
MPs consider and vote on legislation and use their position to ask government ministers questions about current issues.
We split our time between working in Parliament and working in the constituency. In Parliament, Vicky spends her time fighting for the interests of all my constituents, attending debates, scrutinising and voting on legislation, and attending meetings. Vicky holds advice surgeries for my constituents (where they can come and talk to her about any local issues and problems), attend meetings and community events, as well as visiting local organisations and businesses across the constituency.
When a constituent writes to me, I will write to the relevant department or official or the Minister involved. Many problems are solved in this way and I always aim to respond within 10 working days although sometimes more complex cases may take slightly longer.
Petition
Members of Parliament can present a petition to Parliament on behalf of their constituents. The format and wording of the petition need to be in a particular way. For more information or guidance, please contact:
Clerk of Public Petitions
Journal Office
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/have-your-say/petitioning/public-petitions
What an MP cannot do, however, is to have any jurisdiction over local Council decisions. I can write to on your behalf to the council and ask them to look into a problem or to reconsider an issue. In the first instance though, constituents should contact their local council or councillor directly.