Elections – how to become a Councillor & Why…….

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All Parish Councils in Cheshire West & Cheshire will be up for election in May 2023 as such Tattenhall and District Parish Council will have 15 seats to fill.

Timetable for the 2023 Local Council Elections (To follow)

For information about the elections in the Cheshire West and Chester area click here

BEING A PARISH COUNCILLOR, THE LEGAL STUFF…..

Who can be a Parish Councillor?

To be a parish councillor you must be…

• be at least 18 years old
• be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the European Union, and
 • meet at least one of the following four qualifications:
1. You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the parish in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards.
2. You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.
3. 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.
4. You have lived in the parish area or within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election. 

Who can’t be a Parish Councillor?

There are also a number of factors which can also disqualify people from standing as Parish Councils, these are quite complex and if you are unsure if you are disqualified it is worth seeking advice before submitting our nomination form, in brief reasons include:

1. You are employed by the parish council or hold a paid office under the parish council (including joint boards or committees).
2. You are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order.  3. You have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three months or more (including a suspended sentence), without the option of a fine, during the five years before polling day.
4. You have been disqualified under the Representation of the People Act 1983 (which covers corrupt or illegal electoral practices and offences relating to donations). 

For more information on whether you can stand to be a Parish Councillor click here

Some other facts…

You can stand for more than one Parish Council.

You can stand for both the principle authority (Cheshire West and Chester Council) and a parish council.

What the Councillors say…

To find out more about being a councillor click here

Councillor Norman Sharp – joined the Council in 1973.

Joined the council just to help people, to be a voice for the people especially those in Newton by Tattenhall. Over the years the Council has dramatically changed, it has picked up pace, when I joined it was the lighting authority responsible for the street lights in Tattenhall, best things that have been achieved include the provision of affordable housing. Being a councillor has been good fun, but you mustn’t take things personally. We need new councillors because it is important to have fresh ideas and new thinking.