Standing to be a Councillor

Be a councillor

Would you like to have more of a say in what goes on in your community? Are you passionate about your local park? Do you believe there should be more available for young people or feel that you could help local businesses to thrive?

Whatever your motivation, stand for what you believe in – be a councillor!

What kind of support will I get

There is a lot of support and advice available to help you make your decision and, if elected, you will have a whole team of people dedicated to helping you get the most out of your experience.

How can I get involved?

Once you’ve decided to get involved and stand as a councillor there are two main routes. You can either stand for one of the political parties/groups or as an independent.

Representing a political party

If you want to represent a political party then get involved with your party locally as soon as possible. They will advise on what is involved and ultimately select a candidate.

Standing as an independent candidate

If you’re thinking of standing as an independent candidate there is a lot of helpful information on the Electoral Commission website. You will need to start becoming aware of issues in your local area, what the council is doing about these issues, and how your own opinion differs from the political parties.

More information

You can find out more information on becoming a councillor on the Local Government Association website.

How to become a Councillor

Councillors play a vital role in shaping and directing the effectiveness of local services for the benefit of local people. Councillors work with public services and with the private sector in order to achieve these aims. The position of the councillor is vital in the local community and is the voice of the community. They are elected to represent you.

To be able to stand as a candidate at a local government election in England you must be:

at least 18 years old; and
a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights.

In addition, you must meet at least one of the following four qualifications:

You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the local authority area in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards.
You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the local authority area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.
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 local authority area.
You have lived in the local authority area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.

At parish/town council level, the residency qualification is as follows:

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.

Co-option of Parish and Town Councillor

Elections to parish/town councils take place every four years. The next scheduled elections are in May 2027.

If a vacancy arises between scheduled elections, a Notice of Vacancy will be published in the parish area. Thre is then a period of 14 working days during which ten electors can request that the vacancy be filled by election.

If sufficient requests are received, an election will be held, organised by the Returning Officer. The process will include a period during which individuals can submit nomination papers.

If an election is not requested, the parish/town council can fill the vacancy by co-option.

Applicants must satisfy eligibility criteria and generally would be required to complete an application form (see additional information below), prior to a council meeting to consider applications.

The following guidance and suggested forms have been prepared for the information of Parish/Town Councils and Clerks:

Please note that the above is for general guidance only and is not intended as a full statement of the law.

For further information on co-option procedures and required documentation please contact Gloucestershire Association of Parish and Town Councils (GAPTC).

Parish Clerks should contact Legal Services with regard to the following forms: