Councillor Vacancy
NOTICE OF COUNCILLOR VACANCY
An opportunity to Make a Difference in Your Community
Cainscross Town Council has a vacancy for a Town Councillor, and we are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated individual to join us!
This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved in local decision-making, represent the interests of residents, and help shape the future of the community.
What Does a Councillor Do?
As a councillor, you will:
✅ Represent and support your community
✅ Help shape local policies and decisions
✅ Work on projects that improve the area
Who Can Apply?
You must be:
✔️ Over 18 years old
✔️ A resident or work within Cainscross, Cashes Green West, Cashes Green East or Ebley
✔️ Passionate about making a difference
How to Apply
If you are interested in being co-opted as a councillor, please email a short statement outlining why you would like to join and how you can contribute.
📩 Submit your application to: [email protected]
For more information, contact Emily or Jeni by calling 01453756036
What is a town or parish Council?
A parish or town Council is the collective voice of its community.
Parish and Town Councils are one and the same. They have the same powers and act within the same legislation. A town Council is a large parish Council that has a mayor instead of a Chairman. Parish and Town Councils are the tier of local government closest to the people and provide communities with a democratic voice and structure to take community action.
Parish Councils represent the concerns and aspirations of a local community. They often do not have a permanent office or any full-time staff and will meet in the local hall or school. The part-time nature should not be taken as any indication of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Council, as many parish Councils work very hard for their electors and can run a wide range of services. A larger parish or town Council can represent large populations and will often fulfil many functions from providing leisure facilities, to supporting museums and Tourist Information Centres. They can provide town centre closed-circuit television systems and maintain closed Church of England churchyards, halls and allotments.
Parish Councils are the most non bureaucratic and the cheapest kind of local authority in existence although they are strictly audited each year. As Parish Councils were created in law, they can only act within the law by exercising their powers and functions which have been conferred on them by Statutes (Acts of Parliament). Anything a parish Council tries to do outside these powers is Ultra Vires, in other words, outside the law.
The range of powers parish Councils have continue to change and grow and are many and varied from purchasing land and buildings to providing and maintaining village greens, They provide recreational facilities and can spearhead crime prevention measures and traffic calming. What is important to acknowledge is that parish Councils have few duties but many powers if they choose to use them. It is how and which of these powers that Councillors decide to use that make a vibrant, forward-thinking parish Council to bring positive benefits to communities.
The basic responsibilities of parish and town Councils are to make the lives of their local communities more comfortable by representing the whole electorate within the parish, delivering or co-ordinating services to meet local needs and striving to improve quality of life in the parish. Councils can also comment on planning applications and be represented at public enquiries.
Parish Councils range in size from a large Town Council representing 70,000 people to the smaller parish that may only have 200 residents. Funded solely through the Council Tax, their annual budgets can be anything from £1,000 to £5,000,000, with some even raising further income from services. Parish and town Council budgets are a tiny part of the whole Council tax; they do not receive any Government funding or business rates.
Whatever the makeup of your Council, it is the representation of people’s hopes and concerns, and ensuring that local services provided are efficient and effective, that is most important to community wellbeing. A well-informed Council is aware of what its community needs and strives to provide this through teamwork and accessing grant funding, representation at other meetings or lobbying appropriate bodies.
Town and Parish Councils have a duty to appoint/employ a Clerk to carry out the Council’s business. Depending on its size and the services provided other members of staff may also be employed. All Councils must meet at least four times a year (although most meet more frequently) and their meetings must be open to the public. On occasion, for certain restricted items of confidentiality, members of the public may be excluded.
What do Councillors do?
While Parish/Town Councillors give their time freely, it is important to remember that they are not volunteers, but elected members of local government, they conduct their business within a legal framework and are responsible to all the residents in the parish/town.
Councillors serve a four-year term (with possible extension).
Councillors are local leaders, community-minded people with a desire to participate in shaping the future of their parish/town. In order for all the residents in an area to have their views heard it is important that Councillors represent a diversity of thinking and backgrounds.
Councils have extensive powers and can lead on a range of issues. They can take climate action, encourage biodiversity, support residents in food and fuel poverty and create sustainable, happy communities with socially active young people and provision for the elderly.
Councillors will have responsibility for running local services which may include open spaces, play areas, village halls, community transport schemes and much more. They decide how much money to raise through the Council tax to deliver these Council’s services.
They Influence and shape the long-term development policy for the parish, and as part of the planning process, comment on planning applications. A Councils’ Neighbourhood Development Plan is its greatest insurance policy against wholesale development; it goes a long way to preserving the parish heritage and lifestyle and is spearheaded by Councillors who work to improve the quality of life and the environment in their local area.
Councillors work to identify issues which are important to the lives of the residents they represent.
They bring about improvements through local projects, lobbying other service providers and working in partnership with other parishes and agencies.
Prospective candidates are encouraged to attend their Council meetings to give them a clearer picture of what Councils do and the role they might play on their Council.
Life as a Councillor
Cllr Nick Penny was just twenty-seven when he joined Coleford Town Council in the Forest of Dean because he felt that he had the energy to make a difference in his community and bring fresh ideas to the council.
In 2018, Cllr Penny was honoured to lead a £1.2m recreational scheme for Coleford that delivered much-needed facilities for local young people. These facilities include a skate park and a multi-use game area set in a tranquil environment and accessible to all. The facilities include a wildlife pond, an amphitheatre, exercise and balance trails, as well as large open green spaces for all to enjoy. The council is now looking at developing a walking and cycling hub to support tourism and residents.
One of Cllr Penny’s achievements is Coleford Town Council’s strategic five-year plan, which is now in its second run. By having the structure of a plan, Coleford can budget to deliver much more over the term of office and set the next council up with foundations to build upon. This structure has resulted in the council providing the Bells Field Recreational Scheme, a Tourist Information Centre, town twinning, a regular events programme, community grants, strong links with local businesses and schools.
How do I Become a Councillor?
Even those who have stood as councillors before may forget what the process was four years ago. While relatively easy, it is strict and if not followed exactly will result in disappointment and rejection for the wrong reasons. The rules are there to ensure that only those who are eligible to stand for election in your community are considered and that those put forward have agreed to stand for election. Councillors are elected by the public and serve four-year terms.
Can I stand as a councillor?
Check your local district council website [insert website address] for the eligibility and disqualification criteria.
The Election Procedure
All Tewkesbury, Forest of Dean and Cotswold Parish & Town Councils will hold elections in May 2023.
A few terms that it helps to explain:
- Returning Officer: person empowered to run an election
- Standing: Putting your name forward for election
- Electoral Register: Names and addresses, together with election identification numbers of all people within a community who are registered to vote
- Election Timetable: dates when specific forms must be publicised or sent in by
- Warded: Areas are split up into what is called ‘wards’ so that councillors are elected by a specific, smaller number of people who will be aware of their local concerns rather than having to represent all people within a whole parish.
- Expenses: If you do produce your own leaflets/pamphlets you need to declare how much you have spent on this
Step 1: Check for local elections
Speak to your local Councils’ Clerk and ask if there are vacancies on the Council.
Email your elections officer https://www.gov.uk/find-local-Council
Go to: www.yourvotematters.co.uk
Step 2: Submit your nomination
If you can stand as a candidate, you will need to complete a set of nomination papers for the electoral area you are wanting to represent.
When you complete your nomination papers, you will need to show that you have been formally nominated by a particular number of registered electors in the electoral area you are wishing to stand. These are a proposer and seconder who support your nomination in the Parish/Town or Parish Ward (if the Parish/Town is warded) you are wanting to represent.
Nomination papers must be hand delivered to the district Council and will be checked upon delivery to ensure they are correctly completed. Please check on your local authority website whether an appointment is necessary.
Nomination forms available from all parish and town Council offices and the district authority’s website.
Step 3: Nomination accepted, or not
The local authority will notify candidates in writing, via the post; this is the formal Notice of Validity.
Step 4: Nomination made public
The Statement of Persons Nominated is published on the principal authority website following the Close of Nominations.
If there are more candidates than seats, an election will be held. If not, all candidates take office 4 days after 4 May 2023 (excluding the bank holiday). Existing Councillors go out of office on 9 May 2023 and newly elected Councillors take office on this day. New Councillors must sign the acceptance of office before they can officiate.
Step 5: Start campaigning
Planning your Local Campaign
https://www.local.gov.uk/be-councillor/resources/council-toolkit-planning-your-local-campaign
Planning your Communications
https://www.local.gov.uk/be-councillor/resources/council-toolkit-planning-your-communications
Step 6: Polling Day
The Electoral Commission’s website has a host of useful information for Candidates, including rules on spending, attending events and dos and don’ts for campaigning and polling day.
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/electoral-administrator/returning-officer
This will be updated as and when the new Election’s Laws are laid down.