Northleach with Eastington Town Council invites candidates to apply for the office of councillor. We have three councillor vacancies which we hope to fill at our next meeting on 16th December 2020.
A parish council is the tier of democracy closest to the community that it serves and makes decisions on issues affecting your local area. It is a real opportunity to:
- Have a say about the local issues that people care about
- Influence local service delivery
- Decide how local money is spent to improve your community.
The Town Council meets monthly except in August, usually on the third Wednesday of the month. Owing to coronavirus restrictions, council meetings are currently held remotely by video conference, so access and ability to use email and internet technology is important to be able to participate fully in the activities of the council.
To apply to become a councillor, please write to the clerk at clerk@northleach.gov.uk briefly describing what skills and experience you could bring to the role.
You will be asked to confirm that you are eligible to hold the office of councillor. You must be over 18, a UK, EU or Commonwealth national, and live or work in the parish or within three miles of it. If you have any questions about the qualification criteria, please contact the clerk.
To ensure your request is considered at the next meeting, then please submit your application by 5pm on Thursday 10th December 2020.
If you would to have a chat about what it is like to be a councillor and the work of the Town Council, please contact the Chairman, Rob Platts: rob.platts@northleach.gov.uk or any councillor. You will find councillor details on the local noticeboards.
‘This is your chance to get involved in shaping the future of Northleach and Eastington to make it a great place to live for young and old – and everyone in between,’ said Councillor Platts. ‘Being a member of the council is an opportunity to get to know what people in the town want and work with many other organisations to achieve the aims and objectives we collectively agree.’
Eligibility criteria
The Local Government Act 1972, Section 79, sets out the qualifications for standing as a candidate and the grounds for disqualification of a candidate. You must:
- be at least 18 years old
- be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any other member state of the European Union, and
- meet at least one of the following four qualifications:
- Your name must appear on the register of local government electors for the parish at the time of your nomination and throughout your term of office should you be elected/co-opted.
- You have occupied any land or other premises as owner or tenant in the parish during the previous 12 months.
- Your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in the parish area.
- You have lived in the parish/community area or within three miles of it during 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.
You may be disqualified as a candidate if:
- You hold a paid office under the parish council (including joint boards or committees).
- You have been declared bankrupt in the last five years and has not repaid your debts.
- You have been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to at least three months imprisonment (including any suspended sentence) within the previous five years.
- You are disqualified due to corrupt practices under the Representation of the People Act 1983 or the Audit Commission Act.
For more information relating to these qualifications, please read the Electoral Commission’s Guidance.