Ludgershall Parish Council – How to become a Parish Councillor
There are three ways that you can become a councillor; standing for election, filling a vacant seat after an election (co-opted) or filling a casual vacancy.
Standing for election
There are six simple steps to becoming a councillor by election:
- Check for upcoming elections in your area by emailing your elections officer
- Submit your nomination to the returning officer. This usually involves taking your form to the returning officer in person. (Find out more about the process from Buckinghamshire Council.)
- Wait for your nomination to be accepted
- Your nomination is made public by the principal authority
- Start your elections campaign
- If you are successful on polling day the Clerk will be in contact with you
Casual vacancy
A casual vacancy is a seat that becomes available between elections, which may occur for several different reasons, such as a councillor resigning, becoming disqualified (by committing an offence) or not attending any meetings in six months.
The council clerk will declare the vacancy by posting a note within the parish and notifying the electoral returning officer.
This notice will also confirm that a by-election will be held if at least ten electors request it within 14 days (not including weekends and public holidays).
If there is no demand for a by-election, the council will fill the vacancy by co-option.
Co-opting a councillor
The council will identify any shortfalls and imbalances in the current membership. These might be based on gender, age, geographical coverage within the parish, or other characteristics.
The council will provide details of the statutory criteria of eligibility as well as a role description and person specification highlighting the skills and attributes needed to be a good councillor. For example good communication, problem-solving, analytical thinking and being a team player. However, the most important attribute is to care about the community and be willing to take an active role.
It is expected, that in normal circumstances, anyone applying to be a Parish Councillor will have observed at least two full council meetings before submitting an application to join. Applications must be made using the application form found on the Parish Council Website. This may be followed by an interview by the entire council, or by a delegated group, depending on the circumstances at the time. However, the final decision will be made by the full council and agreed by a formal resolution at a council meeting. Discussion regarding suitability may take place in a closed meeting.
Following this decision, the new councillor must sign a declaration of Acceptance of Office, and they can then join the council as a fully-fledged member. Within 28 days, the new councillor must complete a declaration of Interests form which must be sent to and published by the council’s monitoring officer. The council should also consider what induction, training, and other support should be given to the new councillor.
Parish Council Person Specification
Ludgershall Parish Council 