Charnwood Borough Council - Leading in Leicestershire

WHAT IS A PARISH COUNCIL AND WHY BECOME A PARISH COUNCILLOR?

What is a parish council?

A parish council (or town council for places like Shepshed and Syston) is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish. It is the level of local government closest to the community, with the district authority (Charnwood Borough Council) and the county authority (Leicestershire County Council) above it in the hierarchy.

In Charnwood there are 31 parishes but only 27 parish councils. This is because the 4 smallest parishes (e.g. Wanlip) have a Parish Meeting open to all parishioners rather than a council. Loughborough does not have a parish council and the services which are provided by parish and town councils elsewhere in the Borough are provided by the Borough Council in Loughborough.

As it’s the authority closest to the people parish councils are invariably the first place people will go with concerns or ideas. For this reason they are a vital part of any community.

• What Parish councils can do (PDF Document 30.91 Kb.)

  Details on the powers they have.

Why become a parish councillor?

If you’ve never been to a parish council meeting before, you may be forgiven for thinking that parish councillors are a group of (probably older) people who meet now and then in a draughty village hall.

If, however, you live in a community where something ‘big’ has happened – such as a contentious planning application – you’ll know that when people in the community need support and guidance, it is that same group of people in the village hall they will turn to.

By becoming a parish councillor you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support – a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve. Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, is something that can give you a sense of achievement and pride.

What decisions do parish councils make?

Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community, and you can see a full list of the powers available to a parish council on our Powers & duties of parish council’s page.

Probably the most common topics that parish councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), crime prevention and managing open spaces.

It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions (other than those listed on the Powers & duties page). But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the borough or county council, health authorities, police etc.).

In this respect parish councils are extremely powerful. The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.

How much time does it take up?

Councils usually meet once a month for the council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited. Meetings may last two or three hours, depending on what’s on the list of items to discuss. Some councils may also have sub-committees to deal with specific subjects, such as planning matters.

In addition to the regular meetings, councillors are required to spare time for ‘ad hoc’ meetings – for example with architects or agents to discuss planning applications that the council must give its opinions on. Such meetings won’t happen every day, so it’s not going to take over your life.

How long does a parish councillor serve for?

Once elected, parish councillors sit on the council for a maximum of four years. If they then want to stay in the post they can stand for re-election.

It doesn’t mean that you have to stay for four years, if you find it’s not for you or you can no longer meet the commitment you can stand down.

Am I eligible to be a parish councillor?

To stand for election on a parish council, you must:

• be a UK or Commonwealth citizen, or;
• be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or;
• be a citizen of another Member state of the European Union;
• be at least 18 years old.

To be eligible to stand for an election for a particular parish, you must:

• be an elector of the parish, or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months have occupied (as owner or tenant) land or other premises in the parish, or;
• during the previous 12 months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.

You may but don’t have to be connected to a political party. Most of the current councillors are independent, with no political party affiliation.

If you do become a parish councillor you will have to sign up to the Code of Conduct. This is being reviewed, but you can see the current code on the Office of Public Sector Information website.

Will I get any training?

Training for parish and town councils is offered by Charnwood Borough Council. Contact the Deputy Monitoring Officer for more details of the training programme. Training is also provided by the Leicestershire and Rutland Association of Parish and Local Councils, who represent the vast majority of parish and town councils in Leicestershire.

Don’t take our word for it!

The best way to find out what it’s like to be a parish councillor is to talk to someone who’s doing it now. Go along to a parish council meeting, speak to one of the councillors and find out what they think of the job.

Our website lists the contact details for the clerks for all 27 parish and town councils in our Borough. For contact details and information on the work of many parish councils visit the Leicestershire parish councils website.and click on the name of the parish you are interested in. Alternatively contact Electoral Services and request this information.

Interested?

If you want to become a parish councillor there are two things you need to do: get yourself nominated and get voted in at the election – the first much easier than the second!

You will be able to get hold of the nomination form from March 2007 – Contact your Parish Clerk or the Electoral Services Team.