Elections

Parish Council Elections

There are three ways that you can become a a councillor: standing for election, filling a vacant seat after an election, or filling a casual vacancy (where a vacancy becomes available between elections e.g. if a councillor resigns).

Local elections for Parish Councillors take place every 4 years. The most recent election for Haddenham Parish Councillors took place on 6 May 2021. The Council received 11 nominations for 11 vacancies, so all candidates were elected uncontested.

For more information on Town and Parish Council elections, visit the Electoral Commission's website.

What does a Parish Councillor do?

Parish Councillors work together to serve the community. They come from different backgrounds and bring a diverse range of skills. Team work is important as no individual councillor can act in isolation. Here are some of the things Haddenham Parish Councillors are currently involved with:

Attending full Council and Committee meetings
Representing the Council at meetings of local organisations
Planning – commenting on planning applications, supporting the neighbourhood plan
Management of open spaces at Woodways, Sheerstock and Banks Park
Provision and maintenance of streetlights, benches, and dog waste bins
Managing the Allotments, Community Orchard and Snakemoor Nature Reserve.
Finance – budget setting, governance and accountability, risk assessment
Special projects – for example new community facilities, parking restrictions and speed monitoring.

You don’t need to bring specific skills as enthusiasm and a willingness to work as a team to support your community are all that is needed.

Parish Council Meetings

You will need to be available on Monday evenings to attend Parish Council and Committee meetings. The Parish Council has four standing committees, Environment, Finance and General Purposes, Planning and Personnel as well as sub-committees for the Allotments and Community Orchard. Meetings generally take place every third Monday.