Nearly 3,000 councillors needed now for parish and town councils in Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC) calls for residents to stand in the local parish and town council elections being held across Lincolnshire on 4th May 2023.
The deadline to submit nominations to your local district or borough council’s Returning Officer is 4pm on 4th April to stand as a local councillor and you need to book a short appointment beforehand.
LALC urges enthusiastic, passionate people in the community who want to make a long-lasting change or have innovative ideas or concerns about a specific issue to stand as councillors for the opportunity to make a real difference to their parish or town.
There are nearly 375 parish and town councils in Lincolnshire and most need between 5 and 12 councillors to be elected every 4 years. We need 2,845 people to become councillors across Lincolnshire to take up their seats on May 9th. Most councils are not political and concentrate on improving their local communities and representing their residents to other organisations.
Election rules require candidates to be at least 18 years of age and a UK or Commonwealth citizen, or be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or another EU state and to satisfy one of these criteria
- to be on the electoral register for that parish council area or
- occupying property or land as an owner or tenant or
- occupying land or property within that parish for the last 12 months or
- your main place of work is in the parish area or
- live within 3 miles of the parish boundary you want to stand as a councillor.
Most parish councillors do not belong to any political party and bring a wealth of different perspectives and views to their local councils. There is a continuing need to bring more young people, women, ethnic minorities and the disabled to the councils which will improve decision-making and make local services more responsive to local needs.
LALC’s Chief Executive, Katrina Evans.
LALC’s Chief Executive, Katrina Evans, said, “Local councils have an important role to play in representing their local villages and towns on a wide range of important matters including, children’s play areas, commenting on planning applications, local grass-cutting, making local grants, supporting community assets, providing and maintaining open spaces, footpaths, war memorials, benches, litter bins, cemeteries, noticeboards, community and village halls, highway issues, creating neighbourhood plans and many more. The role of councillor can be very fulfilling as you help the community and can see the change you bring about being used by others.“
Katrina went on to explain the role of councillor, “The minimum commitment is usually a meeting every month or every two months depending on the number of issues to discuss at your council. Some councils may have special projects that a councillor might want to become more specially involved in. Training and guidance is available for all councillors and a paid Clerk is usually employed to implement the decisions that the council approve.”
“Many local councillors enjoy the challenge of making a difference by representing their communities. We hope many more people come forward and join them and play their part in local democracy.”
Councillor Tony Howard, Chair of Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils.
Tony Howard, Chair of Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils has been a local councillor on Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council for 24 years went on to say, “I would encourage people to come forward to make their communities thrive and improve. I got involved with the council as there was development going on in the area and I had a long-term ambition to deliver a swimming pool, now coming to fruition.”
Tony also noted that “Many people comment on social media about how they want their local area to develop, and this is an excellent opportunity to become a candidate in this round of elections.”
LALC supports the campaign by the National Association of Local Councils www.nalc.gov.uk/elections which has videos and stories about what local councillors can achieve. There are 10,000 local councils in England and Wales with 100,000 councillors. Local councils are the first tier of local government and have a strong voice to make a change.
To get a nomination form please contact your local East Lindsey, West Lindsey, South Holland, South Kesteven, North Kesteven District and Boston Borough Councils about the elections either on their websites or give them a phone call – the number is on your council tax bill or find it on their website.