Becoming a Parish Councillor

What sort of people become parish councillors?

All kinds of people become Parish Councillors. They are aged between mid-twenties upwards with a wide variety of backgrounds and occupations, or they are retired. The most important thing is that you are interested in the village and how it functions.

Am I eligible?

A Parish Councillor must be:

aged over 18

a British or Euronational subject

for the whole of the 12 months prior to nomination he/she must:

have been an elector of the parish and either occupied or owned/rented premises in the parish, or

resided within 3 miles of the boundary of the parish, or

had his/her principal or only place of work in that area

not have been convicted of a crime within 5 years or been declared bankrupt

not have been employed by the council as a paid employee.


Many people qualify on more than one of the above grounds.

Do I have to join a political party?

No. Nor do you have to say if you are a member of a party if you are.

What shall I do if I'm interested?

The full council is elected every four years, with the next election being in May 2006, although South Cambridgeshire District Council is looking at this at the moment, so it may change.  Sometimes Councillors resign in mid-term for various reasons, and then an advertisement will appear (on this web site, in the Office window and in the Bar Hill News) informing residents that the Council wishes to co-opt a member.  You will need to write to the Clerk to say that you are interested, and give a brief history of your background and interests.  If more than one person applies, then interviews by the full Council will take place, and one person will be chosen to be a Councillor.

If you know one of the existing Councillors it is a good idea to have a chat and ask a few questions.  The Councillor can then give you first hand experience of the work involved.  You can also call in and see the Clerk.  She will explain the duties of a Councillor and how it might affect you. If you become a Councillor you will be expected to attend the monthly meetings and any special meetings which may be called to discuss one-off topics.  You will also be expected to join one of the Committees (click here for details).  In this way you will be fully involved in the work of the Council.