Elections for the parish council will be held on 4 May 2023 at the Village Hall. Whilst some existing councillors will choose to re-stand for election; this is never a guarantee. We need five councillors to be really effective. If you are interested in being a councillor or would like to support our community (such as be on a working group or peoples’ panel) we’d love to hear from you. You may also like to come to our next Parish Council meeting will be on 8 March at 6pm in the village hall.

Alongside the County Council the Parish Council run numerous services. Many you will see day-to-day, but some are less known. For example, in Welcombe, the Parish Council has:

1. Supported the community with various initiates during Lockdown

2. Devised and maintained an Emergency Plan

3. Declared a Climate Emergency and put in place a working group to tackle issues around this and Biodiversity Loss

4. Repaired the church flagpole

5. Provided funding for the Jubilee Party and other local charities and groups

6. Helped to maintain footpaths and open spaces

7. Kept in regular contact with Highways about the state of our roads

...and, soon we’ll be trialling new litter bins in two locations!

As a local councillor you can become a voice for your community and make real change. Local councillors are the champions of their community who invest time in local projects and issues to the benefit of residents and the neighbourhood.

Local councillor responsibilities fall into three main categories:

• Decision-making

• Monitoring

• Getting involved locally

Local councillors attend to local needs of residents, local groups and businesses, make decisions on local services, collaborate with district and borough councils to adhere to local needs, and progress vital projects to invest in the future of the community.

CAN I STAND FOR ELECTION?

To stand for election to a local council you must be:

• A UK or Commonwealth citizen; or be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland; or be a citizen of another Member State of the European Union

• At least 18 years old

• An elector of the local council; or in the past 12 months occupied land or other premises in the area the local council serves (as owner or tenant); or work in the area local council serves (as your principal or only place of work); or live within three miles of the local council boundary

FIND OUT MORE AT:

www.nalc.gov.uk/makeachange