Becoming a Parish Councillor
There are currently three vacancies for the co-option of Parish Councillors onto Steeple Langford Parish Council.
If you meet the eligibility criteria below and feel that you have experience and/or expertise that you would like to offer to the Parish Council, please complete an eligibility and application form, and return to the Clerk of the Parish Council. All completed forms received before the next Ordinary Parish Council Meeting will be reviewed and considered as part of the standard operating procedure for the co-option of Parish Councillors.
What do local councillors do?
Parish Councillors have three main areas of work:
- Decision-making: through attending meetings and committees with other elected members, councillors decide which activities to support, where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented.
- Monitoring: councillors make sure that their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping an eye on how well things are working.
- Getting involved locally: as local representatives, councillors have responsibilities towards their community and local organisations. This often depends on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for co-option as a Parish Councillor you must satisfy certain criteria.
You must satisfy 1. and 2. below and at least one of the options 3. to 6.
- Be 18 years of age or over; AND
- Be a British citizen, or a citizen of the Commonwealth; AND
- Registered as a local government elector for the Parish; OR
- Have, during the whole twelve months preceding the date of co-option occupied, as owner or tenant, land, or other premises in the Parish; OR
- Your principal or only place of work during those twelve months has been in the Parish; OR
- Have, during the whole of those twelve months resided in the Parish or within 3 miles of it.
Please note that under Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972, a person is disqualified from being a Parish Councillor if they:
- Are employed by the Parish Council or hold paid office under the Parish Council.
- Are employed by an entity controlled by the Parish Council.
- Are the subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or an interim bankruptcy restriction order, or debt relief restriction order or an interim debt relief restriction order; or
- Has within five years before the day of co-option, or since their co-option, been convicted in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man of any offence and has been sentenced to imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for not less than three months without the option for fine.
- Are otherwise disqualified under Part III of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (relating to corrupt or illegal electoral practices and offences relating to donations) or the Audit Commission Act 1998.