Parish Councillor Vacancy
There are currently vacancies for several Parish Councillors. If you are interested in becoming a Councillor, please either contact the Parish Clerk for details or attend the next Parish Council meeting.
Role: Parish Councillor
Responsible to: All people resident within Yarnton
Regular liaison with: Other councillors, local authorities, residents
Period of service: Four year term of office
Salary: This is a voluntary position, expenses and a quarterly members allowance can be paid
Main purpose: Representing the views of all residents within your parish
Secondary purpose: As part of a local council you will have responsibility for
• The running of local services which may include: open spaces, play areas, community schemes and potentially much more.
• Deciding on how much to raise through the council tax in order to deliver your council’s services.
• Influencing and shaping the long term development policy for the parish, and as part of the planning process, comment on planning applications in the parish.
• Improving the quality of life and the environment in their local area.
• Working to identify issues which are important to the lives of the residents you represent.
• Working to bring about improvements through local projects, lobbying other service providers and working in partnership with other parishes and agencies.
History of parish councils
The current system of parish councils was formed by the Local Government Act 1894. There are currently around 10,000 parish councils in the country. Any community can ask to have a parish council and, in fact, many new parishes have been formed in recent years – particularly in urban areas. Parish councils are the tier of local government which is closest to individual communities and therefore have the greatest potential for identifying, understanding and addressing the needs of the communities they serve. While some larger councils are run along party political lines, there is no expectation that you have to join a political party. Yarnton parish council is not split by party politics.
The eligibility criteria to be a Parish Councillor are that you must be:
• British or a citizen of the Commonwealth or European Union.
• Over 18 and on the electoral register.
• A resident of Yarnton (although there are certain exceptions).
• Able to attend regular evening meetings.
• Interest in local issues and things which affect people.
• Keen to improve the local environment and quality of life.
• An understanding and willingness to represent the views of the whole community.
• An interest in learning and developing your role in the community.
Support and training
Training and advice for parish councillors is available.
How to find out more
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has a website www.nalc.gov.uk or preferably you could attend a parish council meeting and talk to existing councillors or to the clerk.
You can’t be a councillor if you:
• Work for the council you want to be a councillor for, or for another local authority in a political restricted post.
• Are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order.
• Have been sentenced to prison for three months or more (including suspended sentences) during the 5 years before election day.
• Have been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice by an election court.
• Are subject to the notification requirement of or under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
• You may be disqualified following a conviction under the Localism Act 2011.
• Further details available on the Electoral Commission’s website www.electoralcommission.org.uk
For a summary of the roles and responsibilities of a parish councillor and an introduction to the work of the Parish Council, please get in touch with the clerk or any councillor.If no election is called, the vacancy will be filled by co-option, full details on the co-option process are available from the Clerk.
To see a copy of the Parish Councillor job description click here.
