Elections

"Did Jackie Weaver Have the Authority? Step Up and Find Out as a Councillor!"

Councillor Vacancies

Haddenham Parish Council currently has 2 casual vacancies due to the resignation of Councillors Graham Monger and Vanessa Poole (Notice of a Casual Vacancy 17th December 2024).

What is a Casual Vacancy?

A casual vacancy occurs when a seat on a Town or Parish Council becomes vacant during the current term of the council.

Casual vacancies may come about for one of six reasons:

Failure to accept office
Resignation
Death
Ceasing to be qualified
Becoming disqualified
Failure to attend meetings

How is a Casual Vacancy filled?

In accordance with Section 89 (3), Local Government Act 1972, when a casual vacancy occurs at a parish council in the six months before the date on which that elected member would have ordinarily retired the parish council may fill the vacancy by co-option for the remaining term of office. This vacancy occurred within 6 months of scheduled elections on 1 May 2025 so no by election can be held to fill the vacancy.

text reading 'make a difference, become a councillor' accompanied by raised hands

Parish Council Elections - 1st May 2025

Notice of Election - 18th March 2025

Buckinghamshire Council Elections

Join Haddenham's Parish Council – Help Shape the Future!

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 Council and Committee meetings
Representing the Council at meetings of local organisations
Planning – commenting on planning applications, supporting the neighbourhood plan
Finance – budget setting, governance and accountability, risk assessment
Management of Parish Council owned facilities and open spaces.
Special projects – for example new community facilities, parking restrictions and speed monitoring.

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

How much time does it take?

Being a councillor requires commitment and hard work but the role can be done flexibly around employment, studying, caring, and other voluntary commitments.

The amount of time you spend on your duties as a councillor is largely up to you and will depend on the different roles and commitments each councillor takes up.

You will need to be available on Monday evenings to attend Parish Council and Committee meetings. The Parish Council has four standing committees, Facilities, Finance and General Purposes, Planning, and Climate Emergency as well as sub-committees for Personnel, Sporting Facilities, the Allotments and Community Orchard. Councillors are not not required to site on all committees and can choose those that interest them most.

Meetings generally take place every third Monday. See the Parish Council meeting schedule for more information.

Who can be a Councillor?

To be able to stand as a candidate at a parish council election you must

be at least 18 years old
be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the European Union, and
Registered to vote in the Parish, or have lived, worked or owned property in Haddenham (or within 3 miles) for at least 12 months before an election

Apart from meeting the qualifications for standing for election, you must also not be disqualified.

Please note that it is the applicant's responsibility to check they are eligible to stand as a Parish Councillor. It is a criminal offence to make a false statement on your nomination papers as to your qualification for being elected, so if you are in any doubt you should contact your employer, consult the legislation or, if necessary, take your own independent legal advice.

For further information, please see the Electoral Commission's website.

Ready to make a difference?

We need YOU to be a part of the Parish Council in these exciting and challenging times. Whether you're passionate about community development, the environment, or supporting local services, your skills and ideas are valuable.

Ready to make a difference? Get in touch with us today to find out how you can stand as a candidate, or to learn more about the election process. Together, we can create a better future for Haddenham!

If you're interested in applying to be a Councillor, please contact Sue Gilbert - Clerk to Haddenham Parish Council.