What is a parish or town councillor?
Parish and town councillors play a vital part in representing the
interests of the communities they serve and improving the quality
of life and the local environment. Furthermore, they influence
other decision makers and in many cases deliver services to meet
local needs. The parish or town council can make a tangible
difference to the lives of those in the community. A typical parish
consists of around 1,700 electors.
What are the duties of parish or town councillors?
As elected representatives of the community, the following issues
are of concern to parish and town councils:
- allotments, cemeteries, war memorials and playing fields;
- housing;
- litter and the general street scene;
- planning issues in the area;
- public rights of way;
- seats and shelters; and
- street lighting.
Who becomes parish and town councillors?
The role of a parish or town councillor is an unpaid one.
Councillors are willing to volunteer their time for the benefit of
the community. If more people wish to stand for a councillor
position than there are seats then an election will be held and
candidates will need to run for office. Parish and town councillors
must be at least 21 years old on the day of polling and be a
British national, a member of the European Union or a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations. A councillor must not be a paid employee
of the council, must not be an un-discharged bankrupt and must not
have received any criminal convictions in the last 5 years.
Would you like to know more?
If you would like to know more or are interested in becoming a
parish or town councillor, please visit the National Association of
Local Councillors web site at
http://www.nalc.gov.uk, or
the Society of Local Council Clerks web site at
http://www.slcc.co.uk.
Alternatively,
contact
your local town or parish
council.