What do Parish Councils do?

Parish councils - also called town councils, neighbourhood councils or community councils in some areas – are responsible for delivering local services.

What do Parish Councillors do?

Parish councillors make decisions about policies and services, keep an eye on how well things are working and represent local residents.

How do I become a Parish Councillor?

Most parishes in Northamptonshire have elections in 2021. On this website you can find out if you are eligible to stand for election and how you can apply.

What's in it for me and my community?

You should consider becoming a parish or town councillor if:

• You Want To Do Something Positive for Your Community
• You Want To Spend Your Time Productively
• You Can Think, Listen and Act Locally

What Parish Councils do

Your parish council has an overall responsibility for the well-being of your local neighbourhood. Their work falls into three main categories:

• representing your local community
• delivering services to meet local needs
• striving to improve quality of life in the parish

What councillors do

Councillors have three main areas of work:

• Decision-making: through attending meetings and committees with other elected members, councillors decide which activities to support, where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented
• Monitoring: councillors make sure that their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping an eye on how well things are working
• Getting involved locally: as local representatives, councillors have responsibilities towards their constituents and local organisations. This often depends on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available

The day-to-day work of a parish councillor may include:

• going to meetings of local organisations such as tenants' associations
• going to meetings of bodies that affect the wider community, such as the police, the Highways Authority, schools and colleges
• taking up issues on behalf of members of the public, such as making representations to the principal authorities
• running a surgery for residents to bring up issues
• meeting with individual residents in their own homes

Why should I become a councillor?

As a councillor you can become a voice for your community and affect real change. Councillors are community leaders and represent the aspirations of the public that they serve. Parish, town, community and neighbourhood councillors are the most local part of our democratic system and are closest to the public. By standing for your parish council you could make a real difference to your local neighbourhood.

Can I become a parish councillor?

Most people can stand for election, however there are a few rules. You have to be:

• a British citizen, or a citizen of the Commonwealth or the European Union, and
• 18 years or older on the day you become nominated for election

You cannot stand for election if you:

• are the subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or interim order
• have, within five years before the day of the election, been convicted in the United Kingdom of any offence and have had a prison sentence (whether suspended or not) for a period of over three months without the option of a fine
• work for the council you want to become a councillor for

There are specific rules around candidacy. The full range of disqualifications for candidates is quite complex and some exceptions may apply. Full details can be found on the website of the National Association of Local Councils.

Which parish council can I stand for?

You can become a parish councillor for any parish in which you are in the list of electors or during the whole of the preceding twelve months you:

• occupied land as owner or tenant in it, or
• had a principal place of work there, or
• resided in or within three miles of it

How much time will I need to spend?

It is possible to spend a lot of time on council work - but most people have jobs, families and hobbies that also demand a lot of time. However, as with most things, the more you put in, the more you (and your community) will get out.

Generally speaking, the larger your community the larger your workload will be. The times of the meetings vary, as do the venues. Parish councils normally meet in the evening. It is important to establish the pattern of meetings and venues to make sure they can accommodate your domestic and/or business arrangements. Most councils meet once a month and many also have committees, in which case you would probably be invited to sit on a committee. These usually meet in between the meetings of the full parish council.

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 local councillor is an enjoyable way of contributing to your community and helping to make it a better place to live and work.

Application process

Now you're ready to take the next step to becoming a councillor.

A prospective candidate must deliver to the Returning Officer at Kettering Borough Council a valid nomination paper. This form can be obtained either from Kettering Borough Council, your local Town or Parish Clerk or directly from the Electoral Commission. 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.

Election timetable

30^th March 2021 – Nominations Open
8^th April 2021 – Nominations Close
6^th May 2021 – Polling Day
8^th May 2021 – Election Count

Find out more

To find out more about the application process and whether you are eligible to stand for election contact the Elections Office at Kettering Borough Council (Tel: 01536 410333).