ELECTIONS
Become a Town Councillor for Colne Town Council
The next round of local elections is coming up. Colne Town Council and the @NationalAssociationofLocalCouncils are calling on people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect their community to put themselves forward for election. If you are passionate about your local area and have innovative ideas for the council or have a specific issue in mind, becoming a local Councillor will empower you to #MakeAChange.
https://www.nalc.gov.uk/makeachange
Nomination packs for the Town/Parish Council elections on Thursday 4th May 2023 can be collected from Colne Town Hall between 10am and 4pm Monday – Friday.
FAQs
Why would I want to be a Town Councillor?
Town Councillors are passionate about their communities and seek to make a change to help improve the lives of their residents. Local councils run numerous services, depending on their size. These include introducing solar panels, setting up Dementia-friendly groups, organising community buses, creating neighbourhood plans, implementing suitable housing, establishing youthprojects, managing allotments and open spaces, and maintaining footpaths, public
seating and litter bins.
Am I eligible to stand for election?
You must be:
• A British citizen or a citizen of the Commonwealth, or the European Union.
• 18 years of age or older.
• Live in an area that is served by a local council.
What do Town Councils do?
Your local council has overall responsibility for the wellbeing of your local
community. Their work falls into three main categories:
Delivery of services
• Allotments
• Leisure facilities
• Bus shelters
• Litter bins
• Car parks
• Local illuminations
• Community centres
• Parks and open spaces
• Public toilets
• Street lighting
• Festivals and celebrations
Improve the quality of life
• Local housing and infrastructure through neighbourhood plans
• Promoting dementia-friendly communities
• Tackling loneliness
• Acting as community hubs
• Funding community projects and vital services
Give communities a voice
• To the local police and health services
• On planning matters with principal authorities and developers
• To parliamentarians and government
What is the time commitment?
NALC’s Local Councillor Census Survey found that councillors put aside, on
average, three hours a week for council work. Council work often includes
attending meetings, engaging with residents and speaking to local groups and
bodies on behalf of the council.
How do I become a Councillor?
There are six simple steps to becoming a councillor:
1. Check for elections in your area by emailing your elections officer
(https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council).
2. Submit your nomination to the returning officer — learn more about the
process and the criteria (https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-ama/candidate-or-agent/local-elections-england).
3. Wait for your nomination to be accepted.
4. Your nomination is made public by the principal authority.
5. Start your elections campaign.
6. Polling day.
What do Councillors do?
Local 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 ensure 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. These
responsibilities often depend on what a given councillor wants to achieve
and how much time is available. The day-to-day work of a councillor may
include the following:
o Going to meetings of local organisations and community groups.
o Attending meetings of bodies that affect the wider community, suchas the police, the Highways Authority, schools and colleges.
o Taking up issues on behalf of public members, such as making representations to the principal authority.
o Running surgery for residents to bring up issues.
o Meeting with individual residents in their own homes
What training and support is available?
Councillors can receive training and support via their county association
(https://www.nalc.gov.uk/about/find-your-local-county-association), the
representative bodies for local councils in their area.