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This guide gives you a brief insight into parish and town councils, as well as providing specific advice and information on how to become a town or parish councillor. 


What are community, parish and town councils?
There are around 10,000 community, parish and town councils in England and Wales; they are corporate bodies and local authorities. They have a powerful voice to represent local people.

What do these councils do?

 Download the 'Become a Councillor' flyer
Download the 'Become a Councillor' flyer

In England they are called parish councils or town councils, if they cover a largely urban area. In Wales they are known as community councils. In both England and Wales they are elected units of local government whose activities are controlled by Acts of Parliament. There are 10,000 community, parish and
town councils in England and Wales.




Parish, town and community councils may soon be granted more powers especially as part of Quality Status. When councils are awarded this status they are allowed to negotiate with the local principal authorities (the district or county council or unitary authority) that certain responsibilities get devolved to the 

parish. This is part of the government's initiative to revitalise local democracy.

What do elected representatives do for me?
Community, parish and town councillors represent the people living in their local area at the closest level to the community. When decisions are being made they are there to put your views across.

Where can you find parish councils?
Parish councils are not only found in rural areas. Many metropolitan areas of England have created councils where there were none. Areas of Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham, among others, have created parish councils to deliver the type of local representation residents felt they otherwise lacked.
London is the only city in England not legally able to create parish councils - and the government has indicated they may change the legislation that prohibits parishes for London.

Scotland also has community councils, but they have fewer powers. Visit www.ascc.org.uk for more information.

Being a councillor

What is a councillor?
Councillors are elected to represent an individual geographical unit on the council, known as a ward or - mainly in smaller parishes - the entire parish or town council area. They are generally elected by the public every four years.

What do councillors do?
Councillors have three main components to their work.




• Going to meetings of local organisations such as tenants' associations.
• Going to meetings of bodies affecting the wider community.
• Taking up issues on behalf of members of the public.
• Running a surgery for residents to bring up issues.
• Meeting with individual residents in their own homes.

Visiting your council is the best way to find out what happens there. Give the council a call and find out when its next public meeting happens. By law, ordinary people are allowed to be present at most council business.

How much time does it take up?

Quite often councillors say that their duties occupy them for about three hours a week. Obviously there are some councillors who spend more time than this - and some less, but in the main, being a community, parish and town councillor is an enjoyable way of contributing to your community, and helping to make it a better place to live and work.

Am I Qualified

Yes - most people are. However there are a few rules.

You have to be:
• a British subject, or a citizen of the Commonwealth or the European Union; and

and additionally:
• have during that same period had your principal or only place of work in the council area; or
• during that 12 month period resided in the council area.

In the case of a sitting member of a parish or community council you can also satisfy the criteria to be elected if you have lived in the council area or within 3 miles of it for the whole of the 12 months preceding the “relevant day”.

You cannot stand for election if you
• are subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or interim order.

But I'm too young…
Some parish councils also run youth councils, which are comprised of a number of young people representing their local schools and colleges. They are granted their own political forum by having a space and a time to meet and discuss matters that affect them. These youth councils are in direct communication with their parish councils so they can also be involved in decision-making. Contact your parish council or speak to your school to find out if either is involved in such a scheme and you are interested in getting involved. If there is not a scheme, or a parish youth forum, get together with friends and put a proposal to your local community, parish or town council.

I am not a member of a political party anddonot want to be
Most community, parish and town councillors are not party political - and many who are tied to want party as a councillor for another sector, do not stand as a political candidate for their parish council

If you wish to stand as a party political candidate, you are also welcome to do so. Contact your party's local office for more information.

Conservative Party www.conservatives.com
Green Party www.greenparty.org.uk
Labour Party www.labour.org.uk
Liberal Democrats www.libdems.org.uk
Plaid Cymru www.plaidcymru.org 

The Electoral Commission website website has more information.

How to become a councillor

Parish councillors are elected by the public and serve four-year terms. Following elections, councils appoint a chair, or town mayor in town councils.

Parish councillors were unpaid positions until 2004 when allowance schemes were introduced to encourage more people to stand. Allowances, which tend not to be very large are at the discretion of the individual councils and they often choose to maintain a strictly unpaid status.

The Election Procedure Ordinary elections of local councillors take place on the first Thursday in May every four years. For most local councils election year is 2003, 2007 etc. but where the principal authority (county, district and unitary authority) councillor is elected in some other year that is also the year of the local council election. Reorganisation of local government may cause alteration of the election day and election year in some cases.

The election timetable is as follows:
• Publication of notice of election: Not later than the twenty-fifth day before the day of election.
• Delivery of Nomination papers: Not later than noon on the nineteenth day before the day of election.
• Publication of list of candidates: Not later than noon on the seventeenth day before the day of election.
• Delivery of notices of withdrawals of candidature: Not later than noon on the sixteenth day before the day of election.
• Notice of Poll: Not later than the sixth day before the day of election.
• Polling: Between 07:00 and 22:00 on the day of election.

In calculating the timetable the Bank holidays and weekends are disregarded.

Nomination process
A prospective candidate must deliver or send by post to the Returning Officer a valid nomination paper. This form is obtained from the Officer. The candidate's surname, forenames, residence and description (if required) must be entered and his or her number and prefix letter from the current register of electors. The Returning Officer has a copy of this register, and the clerk of the local council normally has one.

The nomination paper must also contain similar particulars of a proposer and a seconder. They must be electors for the area for which the candidate seeks election (i.e. the parish, community or town or the ward if it is divided into 

wards): they must sign it.

What Next?
Officer to obtain any more detailed information. Also for more information about what life is like as councillor contact your local County Association of Local Councils or alternatively your local community, parish or town council.

But the election is not for a few years
If a seat becomes vacant mid-term (or if there are not enough candidates to fill all council seats at election time) the council will hold a by-election. In certain circumstances the council may then co-opt members to the council.


Publications and further information