Being a councillor can be a rewarding experience, offering the opportunity to help shape the future of your local area.
Councillors can be a voice for residents in the Parish and can make a huge difference to the quality of life of local people.
You can be part of a political party or stand independently for Local Elections. You don’t need any experience or special qualifications, but will gain lots of new skills, knowledge, and confidence.
Penzance Council needs people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect the communities they live in to be Councillors.
Town Councillors are the champions of their communities who invest time in local projects and issues to the benefit of residents and the parish as a whole. Each Councillor is elected to a specific ward to represent the residents who live there. The Penzance Council Parish Wards are:
Councillors attend to the local needs of residents, local groups and businesses, make decisions on local services, collaborate with Cornwall Council Counncillors to adhere to local needs, and progress vital projects to invest in the future of the community.
Penzance Council operates at the most local level of government across the Parish of Penzance. As well as Penzance town, the distinct communities of: Newlyn, Mousehole, Paul, Heamoor, and Gulval are represented by their own elected Councillors.
The Council raises a local tax called the precept and uses it to deliver its services to meet local needs, decided by our elected councillors. Its vision is to maintain and enhance our community for the well-being and prosperity of present and future generations. The Council also gives our distinct communities a voice on matters considered and delivered by Cornwall Council.
Using the precept, Penzance Council provides services including public toilets, parks and play areas, allotments, Wellfields Car Park, ASB support and CCTV, and Penlee House. For a full list of Penzance Council services, please visit our ‘What we do’ page.
Councillors are expected to attend all relevant committee meetings and all Full Council meetings. Meetings generally last between one and three hours, and are held in the evenings.
You may be expected to attend community events and relevant projects funded by Penzance Council. You may also be asked to meet with resident groups, and hold your own Councillor surgeries.
Being a Town Councillor is an unpaid role, and the amount of time you are expected to give can vary each month, depending on what meetings are scheduled, community events and enquiries from local residents.
Local Councillor Census Survey by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) found that councillors put aside, on average, three hours a week for council work.
You will be asked to complete a public Register of Interests published on the Cornwall Council website, and to abide by the Penzance Council’s Code of Conduct.
You will be asked to keep an open mind and take part in decision making for your area including spending money for local services and facilities.
You can stand as a candidate if:
Meet at least one of the following four criteria:
There are two routes to becoming a Councillor:
To stand as a Councillor in a Local Election you will need to complete a Candidate Nomination Paper and must be nominated by two people who are included on the Electoral Register from the specific Ward you wish to stand for. (Nomination papers are only available in the run up to an election and must be returned to Cornwall Council, full details are available on the nomination paper)
A casual vacancy on the council will usually come up if a Councillor has resigned or passed away. Vacancies can also come up if a Councillor fails to attend any meetings for six consecutive months, unless the reason for the failure was approved by the Council.
When a casual vacancy comes up we will advertise it on our website and social media channels. It will also be listed on Cornwall Council’s Town and Parish Council Vacancies webpage.
The vacancy can be filled in one of two ways:
