Nomination forms were available from 6th March 2023 and those interested in becoming a Parish Councillor had until 4pm on the 4th April 2023 to submit those forms.
The following candidates were validly nominated as Parish Councillors for Harberton and Harbertonford:
Harberton: David Camp, Richard Morris, Tania Paine and Nick Williams
Harbertonford: Peter Beamish, Chris Bowley and Jill Davies
As fewer people were nominated to become councillors than there were vacancies available, those nominated persons were duly elected as Parish Councillors without a contest:
Are you interested in becoming a Parish Councillor?
As one third of the whole number of vacancies have been filled, the Representation of the People Act 1985 Section 21 allows the elected members to co-opt members to fill the remaining vacancies. After the election there were 2 vacancies in the Harberton ward and 3 vacancies in the Harbertonford ward. The Parish Council will seek to co-opt councillors to fill the vacancies within seven weeks (35 working days).
The Clerk will therefore re-advertise the opportunity for members of the community to put themselves forward for co-option, for the Parish Council to seek to fill these vacancies as soon as possible.
Join our local team and become a Parish Councillor
Are you passionate about your community? Do you want to help make a long-lasting change? Do you have innovative ideas for the council? Do you have concerns about a specific issue and want to do something about it? If this is you, then we need you. We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect their community to put themselves forward to be elected to join the Parish Council.
No special qualification is required to be a councillor. It is important that all sorts of people serve as councillors to so that all parts of the community are represented. Training for new councillors is also available to help you understand the responsibilities of the role.
If you think you’d like to join the Parish Council or would like to know more, please get in touch with the clerk (clerk@harbertonparishcouncil.org) who is happy to talk with you about the role and what’s involved.
What do Parish Councillors do?
Harberton Parish Council is made up of 12 voluntary councillors, 6 from the Harberton Ward and 6 from the Harbertonford Ward. They meet once a month to discuss and act on issues that are important to the local community.
The Parish Council sets a proportion of local taxes to be spent in the Parish, comments on planning applications in the Parish and run projects that help maintain, improve or enhance the local area. Becoming a councillor is a rewarding experience as you will be able to make a change in your community to help improve residents’ lives.
Please see the following resources for more information:
All About Town and Parish Councils prepared by The National Association of Local Authorities (NALC)
It takes all sorts prepared by NALC in 2011 as part of a drive to encourage individuals from under represented groups to become local councillors.
Make a Change, Become a Councillor Campaign from NALC to encourage people from all backgrounds to put themselves forward to join Parish and Town Councils. The site includes a number of short films collated where you can hear from Parish Councillors about why they joined their council and what difference they hope to make.
If you are interested in the role and want to put yourself forward ahead of the 4th May elections, please follow the steps outlined below.