Community, parish and town councillors represent the people living in their local area at the closest level to the community. When decisions are being made councillors attend meetings to put their point of view across.
Further information can also be found in the Become a councillor factsheet.
What is a Councillor?
Councillors are elected to represent an individual geographical unit on the council, known as a ward or (mainly in smaller parishes) the entire parish or town council area. They are generally elected by the public every four years.
What do Councillors do?
Councillors have three main components to their work:
- Decision making
- Monitoring
- Getting involved locally
Decision Making
Through meetings and attending committees with other elected members, councillors decide:
- Which activities to support
- Where money should be spent
- What services should be delivered
- What policies should be implemented.
As well as attending meetings, councillors should be prepared to get involved in the meetings.
Monitoring
Councillors make sure 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 community and local organisations. These responsibilities and duties often depend on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available.
This may include:
- Going to meetings of local organisations such as tenants’ associations
- Going to meetings of bodies affecting the wider community
- Taking up issues on behalf of members of the public
- Running a surgery for residents to bring up issues
- Meeting with individual residents in their own homes
Visiting your council is the best way to find out what happens there. Check out your council’s website (all available via Locate a Parish/contact the clerk to find out when its next public meeting happens. By law, ordinary people are allowed to be present at most council business but not participate unless the council agrees to this. Most councils have a public participation section on their agenda.
How Much Time Does it Take Up?
Quite often councillors say that their duties occupy them for about three hours a week. Obviously there are some councillors who spend more time than this – and some less, but in the main, being a community, parish and town councillor is an enjoyable way of contributing to your community, and helping to make it a better place to live and work.
Am I Qualified?
Yes – most people are. However there are a few rules. You have to be:
- A British subject, or an eligible citizen of the Commonwealth or a qualifying citizen of the European Union or with retained rights; and
- On the “relevant date” (i.e. the day on which you are nominated or if there is a poll the day of the election) 18 years of age or over; and additionally:
- On the “relevant day” a local government elector for the council area for which you want to stand; or
- Have during the whole of the 12 months preceding that day occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the council area; or
- Have during that same period had your principal or only place of work in the council area; or
- During that 12 month period resided in the council area or within 3 miles of it
You cannot stand for election if you:
- Are subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or interim order
- Have, within five years before the day of the election, been convicted in the United Kingdom of any offence and have had a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of over three months without the option of a fine
- You work for the council you want to become a councillor for (but you can work for other local authorities, including the principal authorities that represent the same area)
- Are serving a disqualification for having been found guilty of a corrupt or illegal election practice
- Are subject to the notification requirement of or under part 2 of the Sexual Offences act 2003
Councillors can be automatically disqualified if they do not attend meetings for six consecutive months. To avoid this councillors need to submit reasons for their non attendance and their council has to approve and minute the reasons for non-attendance. If their reasons are not accepted they face automatic disqualification.
How to Become a Councillor
Parish councillors are elected by the public and serve four-year terms. Following elections, councils appoint a chair, or town mayor in town councils.
Parish councillors were unpaid positions until 2004 when allowance schemes were introduced to encourage more people to stand. Allowances tend not to be very large and are paid at the discretion of the individual councils. More often than not parish councils choose to maintain a strictly unpaid status. In County Durham a few larger local councils pay allowances.
The Election Procedure
Ordinary elections of local councillors take place on the first Thursday in May every four years. The next election for parish councillors in County Durham will be May 2025, in tandem with the unitary authority (County Council) election cycle.
If you are interested in becoming a councillor it is advisable to attend a few parish council meetings to make sure the role of a councillor is what you expect and of interest to you. You will then need to complete a nomination form and be aware of the election process for May 2025. For more information see County Council and Parish Council elections – Thursday 1 May 2025 – Durham County Council.
Nomination Process
A prospective candidate must deliver to the Returning Officer valid nomination papers. This must be done by hand by the candidate or someone they trust and for 2025 elections the period for submitting nomination papers is Fri 21st March at 10am to Weds 2 April at 4pm. but best not to leave it till the last moment as you should leave time in case you need to make any amendments to your completed forms. Nomination papers can be obtained by contacting electoralservices@durham.gov.uk or tel 03000 261212.
Candidates must take particular care when completing their nomination papers as there are requirements for proposers and seconders to sign them, declarations by candidate of their eligibility to stand, a witness to sign and other detail that needs time and attention. Candidates should read Electoral Commission’s Candidate Guidance.
Prospective councillors have a choice of whether their address details are published on notices of persons nominated, poll notices and ballot papers.
Proposers and seconders must be electors for the area for which the candidate seeks election (i.e. the parish, community or town or the ward if it is divided into wards): they must sign the nomination form.
What Next?
An election will take place where there are more candidates than the number of seats on a council. Where there are less candidates than seats, those nominated will be ‘elected’ uncontested.
For more information on what it is like to be a councillor, take a look at NALC’s Becoming a councillor resources. You could also contact the clerk to your local community, parish or town council. Information about all our County Durham parish councils can be found at Locate a Parish.
By-Elections
Occasionally a seat becomes vacant mid-term due to reasons such as resignation or death. If so the council can hold a by-election.
By election notices must be prepared by the council and advertised for 14 days (not including Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday, a Bank Holiday and a day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning) in conspicuous places within the parish or community.
If within 14 days after public notice has been given, at least ten electors give written notice to the proper officer of the principal authority of a request for an election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election must be held.
This need not be the case where the vacancy occurs within six months before the date when the councillor in question would have regularly retired (e.g. four days after the next ordinary election).
If no by-election is called by electors of the parish area then the council may then co-opt members to the council. The council may co-opt whom it pleases to fill a vacancy, provided the person is qualified to be a councillor (see “Am I Qualified” above). The person co-opted must receive a majority of the votes of those councillors present and voting at the meeting where the co-option takes place.